New credit unions are stuck in limbo—Here’s how we can help
September 20, 2024 by Tom Sakash, Your CU Partner There were 5.5 million applications to start new businesses in 2023, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. That same year, the credit union movement started just two. Back when I worked for the national trade association, I would semi-regularly receive phone calls from groups who were working […]
Strategies for the Long-Term, Plan for the Pivot
Does your credit union’s strategic plan live in a binder? It should be an ongoing process. Recently, it can seem as though every aspect of society is moving at the speed of light: everything from technology to interest rates, to members’ priorities can change in the blink of an eye. “We are now in a […]
The perfect pairing: Links between the wine industry and credit unions
Over the years, when I have asked people what kind of wine they like, most respond with answers such as “Cabernet” or “Chardonnay”. When asking credit unions what makes them different versus other financial institutions, they often respond with, “better rates”, “lower fees”, and “commitment to our members”. You might be wondering what wine has […]
Embracing the credit union difference: A closer look at where it shines
There has been a lot of conversation lately about the credit union difference, with some arguing that what we as credit unions hang our hat on, doesn’t stand out much from other mainstream financial institutions. I refuse to agree with this rising chorus. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a credit union enthusiast (geek). […]
The Credit Union Difference: Good, better and best
I’ve spent my thirty-eight-year credit union career articulating the Credit Union Difference. Whether through marketing communication as a past VP of Marketing or knocking on doors as a VP of Business Development, community development evangelist, writer or speaker, volunteer “hike the hill” political advocate or as a consultant pointing the way on how credit unions […]
Purposely pivot and prosper
Seeing smaller credit unions merge frustrates me. I believe a majority of mergers could be avoided if credit union leadership had decided to strategically pivot at the right time. Of course, there are mergers that happen because of succession challenges. And unfortunately, I feel there are too many mergers used as a retirement strategy (bad […]
Credit Unions Watering Family Trees
Comments from a panelist at the recent CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference provided the inspiration of this article. During the Inclusiv’ Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) Forum I was privileged to listen to Eva Gomez, Board Member at Premier America Credit Union. Eva shared her family’s story and connected it to the inspiring work her credit […]
What does it mean to be part of your team
I was blessed to facilitate forty strategic planning meetings in 2022, and in those sessions spent more time discussing human resource challenges and opportunities than any other topic. For good reason—successful strategies have always begun and ended with people. But times are changing. Credit union leaders find themselves in a very different human resource climate, […]
Global collaboration, inclusion and impact
Cooperation among international credit unions is important to the strength, sustainability and global impact of the credit union movement. A great example of this, and it is only one of many, is the relationship with UK and US credit unions and their associations. Expanding financial inclusion For the past 10 years, ABCUL and Inclusiv have […]
Break the ties that bind you
These days it is hard to avoid trade articles or hear watercooler conversations about mergers and the shrinking pool of smaller credit unions. There is a growing consensus that small credit unions just can’t survive the competitive road ahead. When I hear or read about these conversations, I’m reminded of credit unions past, that could […]