As I was saying…

When I was young there was a rule in our house that if you were given a gift, you didn’t get to play with it/touch it/use it until you wrote what some of us will nostalgically recall as the “thank you note.” And that was by hand! 

Today, if you’re a gift giver, often you’re lucky if you even receive the “thank you text.” And some recipients can’t even put in that level of absolutely minimal effort. Those people are officially known as “Ingrates Who Don’t Deserve to be Given Gifts” and they actually do all of us a favor by saving us money as we learn we no longer need to buy them anything in the future.

As we launch an exciting new publication and resource for credit unions—The Credit Union Daily–this is my thank you note to so many, many, many of you, and while it may not be hand-written, it has been hand-typed with no AI assistance, which should count for something. 

You Asked For It

Thank you to all of you who reached out with support and encouragement over the last four or five months in calling for a comprehensive news publication for credit unions that is backed by independent journalism.

Thank you to those of you who did even more than that and actually offered to put up capital and who even suggested creating a CUSO to get this publication launched. While we opted not to take advantage of either offer for a variety of reasons, it was simultaneously humbling and exciting to experience this kind of faith in action.

And a special thank you for recognizing above all that the credit union movement, just like any cause or nation, cannot truly move forward for the benefit of the 130-million-plus CU memberswithout an independent voice asking (annoying) questions, looking under the cooperative rocks, and poking the powers that be. At a time when the very idea of “credit unionism” is under tremendous stress and credit unions are disappearing at a rate of several per week, we understand our role and the responsibilities that entails.

What You’ll Find

So, why choose the Credit Union Daily in an industry that offers numerous other choices? Let us count the ways.

The CU Daily’s The Latest section will be constantly updated and will include more reporting than any other source.

• Our Lead Story will take a deeper dive into an issue or story every day.

• Speaking of deeper dives, get ready for something new (and even kind of unsettling)—a podcast created by AI in which the two “hosts” engage in a discussion about various credit union developments and news. 

• The “Movement in Minutes” is a video newscast that quickly synopsizes some of the latest news. I am currently hosting it, but we are extending an invitation to anyone who wants to take a turn being the newscaster. If interested, drop me an email at [email protected].

• We will have extensive coverage of all the little (and not so little) things credit unions are doing to give back in their communities in our CommUnity section.

• Shopping for a new product or solution? Then go to the store. In this case, the Credit Union Store, a unique, three-dimensional “trade show” that is open 24x7x365. While we’re still building that out, we expect it will become the trade show that never closes. If you’re a solutions provider that doesn’t want to be left out of the Credit Union Store, again, email me at [email protected]. It’s just $499 for the year, or less than 10 bucks a week. 

• The Credit Union Daily will feature a robust opinions page featuring multiple viewpoints on multiple issues. Do you have something to say? We’d like to hear from you.

• You’ll find numerous other resources and reporting, as well, and we’re always open to your suggestions for how we might do better.

Doing Some Great Things

We look forward to doing some great things for credit unions with the Credit Union Daily, and it will be even greater with your input, suggestions and feedback. 

And how much will all this cost? At a time other publications can cost hundreds of dollars, it’s free! That’s yet another reason we expect we will “see you” daily.

And for all of that, let me say once more, thank you. After all, I want to stay on your gift list.

Frank J. Diekmann is Cooperator in Chief of The CU Daily and can be reached at [email protected].