SAN DIEGO–New vehicle leasing programs, loan automation platforms, financial tools for families are among the latest products and services being rolled out by members. Here’s part one in a two-part update this week in the CU Dailly’s “CU Shopper” series.
Jolt Credit Union Adds Vehicle Leasing Through CULA
SAN DIEGO — Jolt Credit Union is adding vehicle leasing for its more than 27,000 members through a partnership with Credit Union Leasing of America, or CULA, the companies said.
The Saginaw, Mich.-based credit union has more than $483 million in assets. The leasing program will be offered through the CUDL dealer network with support from Origence.
CULA said leasing can provide consumers with lower monthly payments as vehicle affordability remains a concern. The company said credit union members using its program saved an average of $169 per month in 2025 compared with financing a similar vehicle, producing an estimated $94.6 million in annual savings.
“Leasing gives our members a more accessible, flexible path to the vehicle they need, at a payment they can manage,” Jolt President and CEO Alan Watson said.
CULA said leasing accounted for 24.1% of U.S. new-vehicle sales. The company currently works with 40 credit unions representing more than $146 billion in assets and 7.6 million members.
Jolt, formerly Catholic Federal Credit Union, was chartered in 1956.
DFCU Says Lending Automation Boosts Auto Loan Funding Capacity 66%
SAN FRANCISCO — Desert Financial Credit Union increased the number of indirect auto loans individual employees can fund each day by 66% after deploying technology from MeridianLink and Informed.IQ, the companies said.
The credit union integrated MeridianLink’s lending platform with Informed.IQ’s artificial intelligence-powered document automation technology to automate document intake, identify loan stipulations and route workflows.
According to the companies, individual funding capacity increased from an average of 15 closed deals per day to 25.
Desert Financial also eliminated overtime previously needed to prevent funding backlogs and reduced training time for new employees from two weeks to three days.
During the first two months after deployment, some individual funders doubled the number of loans they processed in a single day, the companies said.
“Automation allowed us to simplify operations while improving consistency and speed for our dealers,” Desert Financial said in a statement.
MeridianLink, Desert Financial and Informed.IQ said they plan to continue expanding automation and other technology across the lending process.
Chaffey FCU Partners With CU Student Choice
WASHINGTON — Chaffey Federal Credit Union has partnered with CU Student Choice to offer private student loans and student loan refinancing to its members, the organizations said.
The Upland, California-based credit union, which has $229 million in assets and 11,786 members, will offer education lines of credit for undergraduate and graduate students as well as refinancing for borrowers with existing education debt.
CEO Diane Kotlewski said the credit union sought additional financing options amid changes to federal student lending programs, including the phaseout of Grad PLUS loans.
“With significant changes to federal student loans this year — including the phasing out of Grad PLUS loans — we want our student members and their families to know we will help them light the way to those goals,” Kotlewski said.
CU Student Choice enables participating credit unions to make private education loans that remain on their balance sheets.
The credit union service organization said that since its 2008 launch, more than 300 credit union partners have disbursed over $5 billion in private education loans to approximately 135,000 families.
MSUFCU-Owned Reseda Group Invests in Local Commerce Platform Goodbuy
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Reseda Group, the credit union service organization wholly owned by MSU Federal Credit Union, has invested in Goodbuy, a technology company that connects credit union members with local small businesses, Reseda said.
Goodbuy operates a white-label marketplace through which credit union members can find offers from participating local businesses.
Reseda said the platform is intended to help credit unions increase card usage and deposits while strengthening relationships with small-business and consumer members.
“Small businesses are the backbone of credit union communities, but most credit unions have had no real way to show up for them beyond holding the account,” said Ben Maxim, Reseda Group chief operating officer and MSUFCU chief technology officer.
Goodbuy CEO and co-founder Cara Oppenheimer said the company aims to create a nationwide network connecting consumers with local businesses through their credit unions.
Because the marketplace operates under each credit union’s brand, Reseda said members associate the offers and savings with their financial institution.
Terms of Reseda’s investment were not disclosed.=
Veridian Partners With Greenlight to Offer Family Financial Tools
WATERLOO, Iowa — Veridian Credit Union has partnered with Greenlight Financial Technology to provide family-oriented financial management and education tools at no cost to Veridian members, the credit union said.
Members can access Greenlight through Veridian’s mobile app, allowing parents to manage chores, monitor transactions and automate allowances.
Children and teenagers can use a Greenlight debit card and Greenlight Level Up, an in-app financial literacy game covering earning, saving, giving and spending under parental supervision.
“This partnership is about giving families access to easy-to-use tools that help kids build financial confidence,” said Mark Koppedryer, Veridian’s chief experience officer.
Veridian said the program is intended to help families establish healthy financial habits at an early age.
The credit union cited research showing gaps in youth financial education, including data indicating that only 39 states require students to take a personal finance course.
Greenlight Chief Commercial Officer Matt Wolf said integrating the company’s technology into Veridian’s mobile app should make the financial education tools easier for members to access.
Quinte Wins Gold Award for Employee Experience Program
NEW YORK — Quinte Financial Technologies has received a Gold award in the Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards for its Quinte Pulse employee experience program, the company said.
Quinte Pulse is designed to connect employees working across three different environments: technology and product teams, 24-hour operations and financial services teams.
The program combines employee feedback, recognition, internal communications, career opportunities and employee services, according to Quinte.
“Earning Gold is true validation that employee engagement must be embedded in how an organization operates every day,” Quinte President Sriram Natarajan said.
Natarajan said the program is designed to ensure employees have access to listening, recognition, development and connection regardless of their position, location or work shift.
Quinte said the program was developed instead of applying a single employee-engagement model across a workforce with different schedules and workplace needs.
The Brandon Hall Group awards recognize organizations for programs, strategies, technologies and other initiatives related to human capital management.
BRT FCU Says New Online Calculators Generate $4M in Loan Conversion Value
SALT LAKE CITY — Baton Rouge Telco Federal Credit Union generated more than $4 million in loan conversion value during the first month after launching artificial intelligence-powered financial calculators from Appli, according to the technology company.
Appli said the calculators produced a 17.7% conversion rate and led to 150 loan applications being started during the period.
The company configured the calculators using Baton Rouge Telco’s rates, lending policies and branding before they were added to the credit union’s website.
Kristin Romero, the credit union’s chief experience officer, said the technology provides data that its previous calculator did not, allowing management to track how consumers use the tools and whether they move into the loan application process.
“Appli makes it easy for you,” Romero said. “I can get all of my metrics, I can see how they’re helping us convert and drive our funnel.”
Baton Rouge Telco plans to feature the calculators more prominently on its website and through mobile-app campaigns.
The credit union was founded in 1936 and is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
MDT Partners With OnTrac AI to Expand AI Consulting for Credit Unions
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — Member Driven Technologies has partnered with OnTrac AI to expand its consulting services for credit unions seeking to evaluate and deploy artificial intelligence, MDT said.
The credit union service organization will offer OnTrac AI’s Ignite program through its Transformational Consulting practice.
The program is designed to help credit unions identify potential AI uses, evaluate organizational readiness and develop implementation strategies. It also addresses governance, security, employee preparedness and AI literacy.
“AI has the potential to transform how credit unions operate, but for many institutions, the biggest challenge is knowing where to begin,” said Dan Schneider, MDT’s chief project officer.
Schneider said the partnership is intended to provide a structured approach to AI adoption while considering compliance, security and member service.
OnTrac AI Chief Growth Officer Bob Marsh said the goal is not to encourage credit unions to deploy AI simply because the technology is available.
Instead, he said the program helps institutions identify potential operational benefits and prioritize projects based on their needs, readiness and ability to execute.
Alkami Says Its No. 1 in Credit Union Mobile Banking Users
PLANO, Texas — Alkami Technology said data from FI Navigator ranks the company as the leading digital banking provider to credit unions based on the number of enrolled retail mobile banking users.
Alkami also said FI Navigator data ranks it as the fastest-growing digital banking provider to banks based on net growth in retail mobile banking clients and deposit accounts.
The company cited additional FI Navigator data showing credit unions using Alkami Digital Banking for at least five years outperformed national peer groups on several measures.
Those credit unions recorded 1.3 times the asset growth, twice the member growth, 1.9 times the deposit-account growth and 1.7 times the deposit-balance growth of peers, Alkami said. They also recorded 1.4 times the revenue and loan growth.
“The FI Navigator data reflects the confidence our clients place in Alkami as a strategic technology partner,” Alkami CEO Alex Shootman said.
Alkami’s platform includes account opening, digital banking, data and marketing tools, business banking, payment security and integrated partner services.
