Start Credit Unions to Save Credit Unions

The CU De Novo Collective is a band of volunteers with two closely linked missions: help new credit unions get started, and help smaller credit unions survive and thrive. How did this get started, and how did we get to the point where the CU De Novo Collective Foundation is actually raising capital to start…

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I felt a chill go down my spine

Are you scared yet?

Halloween is just around the corner, so I started thinking about which scary novel to read this season. I thought about re-reading “The Shining” by Stephen King, but wasn’t sure I could keep Jack Nicholson’s face from invading my dreams. So I started thinking about even older classics like “Dracula” by Bram Stoker, or Mary…

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What if you could offer a vehicle loan with something really different?

Five ways to make car loans interesting

Let’s face the facts: at most credit unions, car loans are kinda, well, boring. The old cliche is that auto loans are every credit union’s “bread and butter”, which is true. They’re pretty much all exactly the same, aside from “great rates” (which everyone says they have) and “fast approval” (which everyone offers). And that…

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Meatspace Feature

“Meatspace” is a CU superpower

We felt it was very appropriate to revive this article this week, as we are attending the Indiana Credit Union League (ICUL) conference the same day we send you this newsletter. See you there, Indiana Credit Unions! Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a trend toward doing, well everything, online. There are a lot…

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Access looks different for each individual

Do your members have the access they need?

With how laser-focused we are on credit union marketing and websites, our blog will often touch on topics such as SEO and creating a marketing flow. But today I’m not thinking about topics such as website accessibility, but about actual human access. And by “access” I mean, can people get to where they need to…

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How to get all that googly magic working

OMG! Managing Your Google Business Profiles

Ever Google for driving directions, or a good burger joint on the way to Aunt Sally’s house? Of course you have. If there’s one thing that’s nearly universal in modern life, it’s the fact that no one has to ask for directions any more, and we pretty much know what to expect when we get…

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the best way to understand what is important is by asking questions

OMG! Budget season is coming up!

You’re already juggling loan campaigns, maintaining a website, writing press releases, newsletters and emails, posting social media, designing posters and brochures, updating branch signage, planning your next community event, etc., etc. You know, those everyday expectations that keep you busily bouncing between tasks all day long. Then all of a sudden it’s Budget Season. As…

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Most credit unions are not very good at self-promotion.

How to “do the right thing” without bragging

Credit unions are the perfect example of people banding together to solve a problem, and accomplishing more through cooperation. Since their beginnings in mid-1800s Europe, credit unions have embraced the values of “honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.” Today’s credit unions continue to “give back” to their communities everyday – which is a…

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Learn to love the human stories behind the numbers

CU Numbers Need Marketing Love, Too

Quick, what’s your CU’s current Net Worth/Total Assets ratio? How about Total Loans/Total Shares? What percentage of your members are borrowers? How do these compare to other CUs like yours? Where do you even find these numbers? Now go deeper… WHY are these numbers what they are? Where does your CEO want them to go?…

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3 big money questions from a new father

2024 has already been a crazy year, or maybe that’s just because I’ve spent most of it as a brand-new, first-time-ever Dad. Yes, parenthood is wonderful, watching my daughter grow and change is breathtaking, and I really, REALLY miss getting a full night of sleep. But this article isn’t about that. Instead of talking about…

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