Custom Graphing: Single CU or PG + Composition Pie/Bar

My dear Padawan, I'm so glad you have expressed interest in being a Custom Graphing Jedi Master. Let us begin our training with the "Single Credit Union or Peer Group" section of Peer 2.0.

I am going to begin out of order, tackling the 2 composition charts in the middle first. They are the easiest to understand.

Say you want to look at current composition of your loan, share or investment portfolio (or that of your "competitor"--another CU or a peer group). Composition: Pie and Composition: Bar display the same information, just in different formats. Pies are traditional but honestly not nearly as easy to interpret as bar charts which make it very easy to see the relative size of each component. Let's do an example using the Loan Portfolio and the Pie chart.

First, click on the Pie image and Peer will take you to the Account Selection screen. Now, type in the formulas you want to include in the pie chart and the titles you want shown on the legend.
a396+a397 = unsecured debt
a385+a370+a002 = auto loans & leases
a703+a386= mortgage loans
a698 = other

(Not sure how to figure out account codes? That's another entry all together...click here.)


For now, keep "Just show selected comparisons" checked. I'll explain the other option in a minute.

Select "Preview" or "Save." Preview puts it in your Temporary Displays, Save will prompt you to select a folder in which to save it. Done.
Ok, 3 things to play with.

1. By default, the graph is showing the actual $ values. If you'd rather see the %, simply use the Data Format drop down.


2. Change your mind and would rather see the bar chart? Select Type--> Bar.

Hmm....bar charts should always sort largest to smallest...I'll have to submit a fix.

3. Want to look at one of your other comparisons? Simply use the drop down menu on the chart to change. Your primary and all of your comparisons will be on the list.


Ok, this brings us back to the radio buttons on the Account Selection Screen:

These radio buttons dictate what comparisons will be shown on the drop down menu on the chart (#3 above). If you just want to see your primary & comparisons, leave the top option selected. If you want to look at the individual credit unions that comprise your peer group comparisons, go ahead and add the second button. The only problem: your drop down menu will be mighty long depending on how big your peer group is.

Why blog about Peer 2.0?

Peer 2.0 is full of what someone once called "little wows". And, let's be honest, it has a few bugs. But those bugs bug me a lot less when I am constantly amazed by the things I find I can do with Peer (sorry for the play on words).

So, who am I? Full disclosure: I work for Callahan & Associates, the people who bring you Peer 2.0. I have for 12 years. But I don't work in the software department (I run our media unit), so I'm more of a "consumer" of Peer, than anything else.

More disclosure: I had a hand in the architecture changes between Peer 1 and Peer 2, so if you wonder why some things changed, I can probably give you a reason. If you consider it a good one, that's another story. But that was long ago and I am now focused on Callahan's broader market messaging through our website (CreditUnions.com) and our publications.

But back to why I'm blogging. I use Peer every day, multiple times. I am constantly amazed at the things it can do. It's a complex product...it's hard to unlock all its secrets. So, each time I find one, I'll let you know. After all, you've made an investment to use Peer, so let's help each other get the most out of it.

I'll tell you what I learn as I go. In return, I ask you, other Peer users, to share what you've found, how you use it, what you'd like it to do better etc. The best, most helpful ideas will rise to the top and help all of us make better decisions based on hard data and analysis...not rumors spread by "red ink" headlines the other guys like to write about.

I hope you learn something from this as I find I am learning something every time I use Peer 2.0.