ATLANTA–With the third quarter of 2026 already upon credit unions, here is part two in a two-part series in which more than two-dozen people answer the question, ‘What will the second half of the year hold? What should CUs be considering as they prepare for strategic planning season?
This compilation of responses to the question, “What do you see ahead for the second half of 2026?,” was compiled for the CU Daily by the William Mills Agency. Part one in this series can be found here.
Applying Relationship Judgment at Machine Speed
Credit unions have always made decisions by knowing the member, not just the transaction. But that judgment has been manual, and AI-driven fraud now moves faster and in higher volume than any review team can match. That leaves a hard trade: either fraud slips through, or legitimate members get stuck in review while staff hours climb. The midyear shift is that credit unions can finally apply relationship judgment at machine speed. Evaluative AI weighs a member’s history, behavior and context in real time, so the right members move instantly and the risky ones don’t, without growing the review queue.
-Bethany Fiveson, VP of marketing for Pipl
Freeing Up Capacity to Better Serve Members
Credit unions are shifting away from AI as a feature and toward AI that executes real work. Rather than deploying a generic chatbot to answer member questions, they’re deploying agents that log into existing systems and complete manual back-office work themselves: processing loan documents, running compliance checks, moving data across workflows.
That’s the kind of work that has always required a person until now. When that capacity gets freed up, it goes back to the team, to members, and to the communities credit unions exist to serve
-Danial Jameel, cofounder and CEO of Saris
Expect More Credit Unions to Make Commercial Loans
We’ve seen more and more credit unions looking to get involved in commercial lending. Especially for those that have not offered commercial loans before, it can be challenging to know where to start. Credit unions have always excelled at consumer lending, so their members’ expectations are high. In order to provide a similar experience on the commercial side, credit unions are increasingly looking to technology that helps them deliver the fast decisions and low-cost loans that members expect.
When their LOS is configurable enough, credit unions can create an exceptional member experience, without sacrificing the quality or speed of decisions.
-David Eads, cofounder and CEO of Vine
With AI, It’s Going to be About More Than Outputs
AI in banking is no longer optional. Credit unions operate under strict model risk management expectations, including frameworks, where every model-driven decision must be transparent, traceable, and auditable. As AI becomes subject to these same standards, institutions need to do more than generate outputs. They need to be able to explain them in a way that holds up to compliance review, internal audit, and regulatory examination. Without that, AI introduces risk rather than reducing it.
-Arjun Sirrah, Founder & CEO of Titan
How to Respond to Acceleration of Instant Payments
The biggest trend we’re seeing is the acceleration of instant payment adoption, particularly as more credit unions move beyond receiving payments to enabling members to send them. Since expanding to support both RTP and FedNow, we have seen instant payment transaction volume increase by three to six times, highlighting growing consumer demand for immediate money movement.
In the second half of 2026, credit unions should prepare to embed send capabilities directly into digital banking and lending experiences. Instant disbursements, especially for indirect auto lending and dealer payments, represent a significant opportunity to improve member service while meeting increasing expectations for real-time financial experiences.
-Keith Riddle, CEO of Payfinia
The Product Gap Masquerading as a Deposit Problem
Credit unions face a product gap masquerading as a deposit problem. Members aren’t leaving because they stopped trusting you—they’re consolidating their financial lives on platforms that let them bank, invest, and transact without friction. Younger members especially expect one login, one app, one integrated experience. The good news: you don’t need to build it.
The right technology partner brings investing capabilities, real-time data tools, and emerging payment rails directly into your stack, letting you compete with the SoFis and Robinhoods of the world without abandoning mission or becoming a tech company. As technology cycles accelerate, choosing a partner who innovates continuously is the difference between staying primary and becoming secondary.
Your competitive edge isn’t replicating fintech features – it’s using the right partner to deliver them while you focus on member outcomes and financial health.
-Josh DeTar, EVP – Evangelism, Tyfone
The Importance of Understanding Each Relationship
Consumer debt remains at record highs, while persistent inflation and elevated interest rates continue to strain household finances. As more members struggle to make ends meet, credit unions will need to balance supporting them with managing rising credit risk. The institutions best positioned to navigate this environment will be those that truly understand each member’s financial relationship. By using data to identify early signs of stress, credit unions can provide proactive support, strengthen member loyalty, and reduce potential credit losses before problems escalate.
-Scott Earwood, Head of Community Banking Division at White Clay
The Growing Pressure on Relevance
Credit unions are facing a more challenging environment in 2026 — member acquisition has slowed, and retaining younger members who have more options than ever requires more than a good rate. What we’re seeing is that the CUs pulling ahead are investing heavily in the digital experience as a retention tool, not just an acquisition one.
In the second half, the pressure point will be relevance: members who don’t regularly engage with their CU digitally are quietly drifting toward fintechs and neobanks that meet them where they are. The opportunity is real, but it requires credit unions to be honest about where friction still exists in the member journey and attack it head-on before year-end.
-Samantha Ziesemer, COO, Movemint
Getting More Value Without Operational Complexity
Credit unions will spend the second half of 2026 focused on getting more value from technology investments without adding operational complexity. Recent research CheckAlt commissioned with Datos Insights found that 80% of financial institutions rank seamless core integration as the most important factor when evaluating receivables and payment technology providers. The findings reflect a growing emphasis on solutions that fit within existing technology environments while improving efficiency and member experience. The remainder of 2026 will be defined by how effectively credit unions balance modernization goals with the practical realities of implementation, staffing, and technology resources.
-Patrick Law, president and CEO of CheckAlt
The Key: Balancing Automation With Human Oversight
As AI adoption accelerates across the credit union industry, institutions will be looking to invest in AI they can trust. This means choosing solutions that are explainable, auditable and flexible enough to evolve alongside emerging fraud threats while supporting responsible AI governance.
Credit unions will move beyond simply adding another AI tool and instead prioritize technology that integrates into existing fraud strategies, reduces operational complexity and provides greater confidence in AI-driven decisions. Institutions that balance automation with human oversight will be better positioned to strengthen member protection while maintaining trust.
-Emiliano Giacchetti, CEO of ParaScript
Prioritizing Protection While Preserving Personalization
Credit unions will continue to face increasing pressure as fraud tactics become more scalable and harder to detect. Generative AI is lowering the barrier for creating convincing borrower documentation, making traditional review methods less effective on their own. We expect credit unions to prioritize technology investments that strengthen member protection while preserving the personalized experience that differentiates the industry. Greater use of layered fraud detection, data validation and collaborative intelligence sharing across the ecosystem will likely become a stronger focus for credit unions this year.
-Patrick Lord, Senior Project Manager of Rapid Finance
It’s Not About the Transaction, It’s About the Engagement
Banks and credit unions are beginning to view payments less as a transaction process and more as an engagement opportunity. Moving forward, financial institutions will place greater emphasis on staying “top of wallet” through proactive communication strategies, digital wallet integrations and personalized reminders. Stronger engagement can help increase payment completion rates and improve repayment behavior, particularly as economic pressures continue to affect consumers.
The credit unions seeing the strongest outcomes will be those creating convenient and consistent payment experiences that fit naturally into members’ daily routines.
-Amanda Licona-Crocker, President, SWIVEL
The Move From Discussion Around AI to Controlled Adoption
At midyear, credit unions are shifting from AI discussion to controlled adoption. Governance committees are in place, use cases have been identified, and leaders are evaluating how AI can enhance member service, improve efficiency, and support employees while preserving trust and regulatory alignment. Cybersecurity must evolve in parallel from reactive defense to proactive risk reduction. Modern ransomware attacks increasingly rely on data theft, extortion, and reputational pressure rather than encryption alone. For member-owned institutions, loss of confidence can be as damaging as operational disruption. Credit unions should prioritize visibility, data protection, exposure reduction, and response planning before an incident occurs.
–Patrick Whelan, VP of Sales, Fortuna Cysec
