ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

In Case You Missed It – 1.28.2026

All CUs should sign on with Life Over Debt. Sloppy AI is dangerous to your brand. Penny elimination produces headaches. Will TikTok stay on top? Here’s what we noticed, in case you missed it.

Life Over Debt is the credit union difference in action

We want to bring visibility and attention to Life Over Debt, an alliance of credit unions helping members heal from the financial trauma of cancer. Unfortunately, a cancer diagnosis in the US is a financial minefield that drastically affects recovery and quality and length of life. Simply put, we believe that every US credit union should sign on with Life over Debt and develop a coherent, comprehensive plan for providing meaningful relief to members with cancer. And we can’t help but wonder; could this model show us how to better handle the financial trauma from other medical issues?

Humans revolting against AI slop

Amidst all the breathless AI hype, are we seeing a backlash? In this report from Brandwatch, the #1 point is that “Only brands with soul will thrive in the AI slop era“. Turns out, all us funky, fresh, fun, imperfect humans still have our uses. Seriously, “soul” is exactly what credit unions are good at. Make use of AI where it makes sense, but be careful; use your human brain to connect with other humans.

Pennies pinched, problems persist

Turns out the abrupt elimination of pennies without much of a transition strategy is creating some serious headaches for retailers and financial institutions. This article from The Gonzo Banker folks outlines the issues, as well as strategies for handling penny problems. Pennies may not be top of mind for everyone, but a lot of credit union members are looking for answers to their penny questions.

TikTok wobbles after ownership announcement

More than a year after a TikTok sale or ban was supposed to go into effect, a joint venture has formed to theoretically comply with the law and move TikTok to US ownership. However… questions abound. Boy, do they ever abound. Not least of which is the fact that much of the joint venture is not in fact in the US. And we’ve heard “done deal” before. And a few days later, TikTok had massive widespread technical issues. Overall, our advice for credit unions is the same as ever; think carefully about the social media platforms you’re using, use only those you can use well, and pay close attention to the user experience, the neighborhood, and the company you keep.

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