Show them how a credit union really is different.

3 ways to earn your members’ trust

There’s an old saying, “May you live in interesting times,” which supposedly refers back to an old curse. If you’ve not heard of it before, the gist is that it’s better to live in a “boring” time of peace and prosperity instead of an “interesting” time of conflict and change. And when it comes to…

Read More
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it (v24)

This week, we’re pondering whether “unbanked” is out, feeling wary about Twitter, wondering why interchange legislation keeps coming back, finding tranquility, riding golf carts, and going green. Here’s what we noticed, in case you missed it: Time to ditch the whole “unbanked” and “underbanked” idea? Yes. This article on Financial Brand lays out the details…

Read More
ICYMI: In case you missed it

In Case You Missed It (v21)

We’ve got student loans and a new breed of scam. Millions of disease-fighting mosquitoes. A cost-of-living comparison, the rise of mobile banking and a whole lot of real-life experience. What’s on your bingo card? Here’s what we noticed, in case you missed it: The great Student Loan debate By now you probably have heard that…

Read More
Student loan debt is overwhelming

Student loans are crucial for making credit unions relevant to young people

Student loans continue to plague our youngest generations. This debt is keeping us from buying cars, buying houses, having kids, and generally moving on with our lives. Need proof? When the U.S. Department of Education offered to freeze student loan payments during the COVID-19 pandemic borrowers collectively agreed wholeheartedly. So much so that more than…

Read More
Oddballs are everywhere

Why you should offer Loans for Oddballs

Loan season is right around the corner, i.e., your credit union’s bread and butter. So if you haven’t already started working on your spring and summer auto, boat, home equity and mortgage loan campaigns, then you better get in gear. If you can get excited about one more loan campaign, that is.* I mean, I…

Read More
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it (v13)

Green loans and the potential harm of AI decisions. Faux holidays and the end of the 40-hour work week. Here are the items that caught our eye, in case you missed it: Not Just a Nerd Fight Timnit Gebru is an AI researcher delving into the issue of the harm AI can do to marginalized…

Read More
ICYMI: In case you missed it

In case you missed it (Vol 7)

RTO Mortgages, UPLs, AIO for EVs, and the beginning of the end of NSF fees? ICYMI is our way of sharing “Did you see this?!” news and tidbits, just in case you missed it. (And yes, we do try to spell out the acronyms.) Branches still matter Alaska USA FCU’s new branch is in North…

Read More
Lazy marketing for recreation loans tends to lump everything together

Boats Aren’t Motorcycles

As a marketer, you can slap an image of a car or a house on your ad for an auto loan or a home loan and most people will get it. But what if you want to offer loans for boats, RVs, ATVs and UTVs, electric bikes, snowmobiles or jet skis? And what do you…

Read More
“We’re just here for the low rate, thanks.”

Indirect auto loans need CU marketing love, too

Indirect auto loans are a sticky issue at a lot of credit unions. Folks you might not ever see in person get their car loan, pay it off in a few years, and then leave without opening a checking account, a credit card, or even stopping by a branch to try your custom roasted coffee.…

Read More
It's about changing your process, not buying expensive new technology.

The car loan we didn’t get at our credit union

Deposits are climbing and credit unions need to make loans. Mortgages are in high demand, but you need consumer lending to stay in balance. And that means car loans. New, and (mostly) used car loans. So why are credit unions, even large CUs, still throwing away so many car loans? Here’s my real-world, real-life, 100%…

Read More