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…

Read More
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

In Case You Missed It – 2.21.24

FAFSA fumbles, understanding the unbanked, paying for priority privilege, pricy pet ownership, astonishing AI advancements, and auto prices are almost normal. No one has time to catch all the news, so here’s what we’ve seen lately, in case you missed it: FAFSA frustrations flummox families For millions of college-bound students, filling out the FAFSA is…

Read More
24 tips for Monster Results in 2024

24 Tips for Monster Results in 2024 (Part 2)

The holidays are incredibly close, and many of us are finding out we just don’t have enough time! Me included, but I made you a promise last week and I plan to keep it. So, amidst the flurry of activity that everyone is dealing with this week, I bring you the second half of iDiz,…

Read More
24 tips for Monster Results in 2024

24 Tips for Monster Results in 2024 (Part 1)

The holidays are almost upon us and if you’re like me, you don’t have time to write – I mean, uh, READ a long think-piece article today. You just want to work on your end-of-year projects between intense online gift-shopping sessions. Or maybe the other way around. Well worry not! I’m here to provide you…

Read More
Appeal to their desire to drive and influence change

How to make your credit union’s Board of Directors cool

We’ve seen a lot of conversation in the past few years about the member aging problem and its impact on the future of the credit union movement. Yes, it’s undeniably an obstacle, but more than a few credit unions could benefit from examining themselves, particularly the Board of Directors, along with their membership.  To put…

Read More
What's on the minds of CU leaders right now?

Candid Conference Conversations

In the last month, I’ve been to two state credit union league conferences (the Virginia CU League‘s Growth Conference, and the Indiana CU League‘s Convention right here in Indianapolis). Wondering what’s on the minds of CU leaders right now? Fresh from the schmooze-a-thons, here’s a quick recap of some of the problems and solutions we…

Read More
This should be on everyone's radar

How credit unions fit into the digital marketplace

Most credit unions have a heartwarming story about putting cash into the communal cigar box. That mental image is great, and it resonates with people who want to be community-focused. But how many people under the age of 35 remember the last time they paid for something with cash? We’re living in a world where finance…

Read More
If we want to still be around in the future, we need to let younger members shape that future.

Why you need fewer members who look like me

The median age in the US is 38.5. The average age of a credit union member is 53. That’s already a big gap. But when you realize that 68% of their “most loyal” CU members are older than 65, suddenly that age gap feels even bigger. (No wonder so many credit unions are beginning to…

Read More
What do people really say about your CU?

3 steps to change what people say about your CU

We know credit unions to be helpful, community-oriented and compassionate. We know they keep their members’ financial interests close to their hearts. But what do people really say about your CU? A lot of people (and I mean A LOT) have largely experienced financial services as punishment, as trauma. And they feel this way for the…

Read More
Even small differences can be key.

Five ways you’re losing deposits

After years in the basement, loan and deposit rates have been rising for a while, and at many credit unions, the deposit pendulum has swung from “Yikes! Deposits are spiking! We need to make loans!” to “Eek, we need deposits!” again. To help you tune up your deposit-fu, here are five ways you might be…

Read More