In Brief: Deposits grow, Loans 2.0, Tweetups, more

Top 10 U.S. banks grow deposits for first time since 2005

BUSINESSWEEK – Since the onset of the financial crisis, community banks and credit unions have bragged that their deposit growth signifies a “flight to safety.” If that’s true, then what explains deposit gains as high as 8.1% at mega banks? READ MORE

Loan 2.0 – Lenders look at borrowers’ online social networks

CREDITCARDS.COM – Banks are beginning to look at borrowers’ accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to determine if they are loan-worthy. Creditors are analyzing a person’s online conversations, the groups they join and who their friends are. The presumption is that if your friends are responsible and pay on time, you could be a good credit customer too. A new start-up company called Rapleaf is leading the charge. READ MORE

Director of Brand Innovation

CRAIGSLIST – City Credit Union in Dallas has a fancy new title for what sounds a lot like a marketing director. With responsibilities like member newsletters, press releases, annual meetings and annual reports, the position doesn’t sound very “innovative.” The job pays $60,000 – $65,000, depending on the applicant’s experience. READ MORE

27 CIBC employees tell ‘what they did’

INVESTMENT EXECUTIVE – CIBC, one of Canada’s biggest banks, is debuting another round of TV brand ads. In the latest spots, different CIBC employees talk about their experiences working with their clients, sharing stories about “what they did today” for their clients. With 27 employees divided among three 30-second spots, how much can employees say they’ve gotten done? That’s an average of 3.3 seconds per employee. READ MORE

US Bank builds plastic promo around social media

PRESS RELEASE – To draw attention to its credit and check cards, US Bank is giving away $5,000. To enter, participants must submit a story at US Bank’s website about how they would use $5,000 to “Get Ahead in 2010.” US Bank hopes entrants will get their friends, family and colleagues to go to the website and vote on their story. Entrants will be encouraged to share their story with friends via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or via email. The story with the most total votes at the end of the contest period will win the $5,000. US Bank is also giving away another $10,000 randomly. READ MORE

ING Direct hosting ‘Savers Tweetup’ in Chicago

PRESS RELEASE -Twitterers, bloggers, students and other savings-savvy Chicagoans will have the chance to discuss everything from savings habits to social media at a meet-and-greet with Jim Kelly, the COO of the nation’s largest direct bank. Questions for Jim and his answers will be posted in real-time on Twitter using the hashtag #SaversQA. Addison Avenue Credit Union hosted its own Tweetup in November 2009. READ MORE

Citi + Microsoft launch peer comparison tool ‘Bundle’

AMERICAN BANKER – Two brand powerhouses combine to launch Bundle, where users compare how similar people are spending money in categories such as restaurants, food, entertainment and travel. Spending results can be customized by age, income and location. People can also share the data through Facebook, Twitter and email. Are people really that interested in sharing and comparing their spending habits? Microsoft probably doesn’t know or care. They just want something to make it look like they’re keeping up with online startups like Geezeo, Mint and Wesabe. READ MORE

Can banks use new Twitter feature for geo-targeting?

BANK TECHNOLOGY NEWS – TwitterLocal keeps track of a user’s location by using GPS information on their mobile device, or by noting a Twitterer’s Internet protocol address. Bankers who are able to move past the Big Brother issues may see some unique opportunities. READ MORE