LITTLETON, Colo.–The CEOs of smaller CUs speak out more forcefully. People who can’t explain credit unions. A (CU) world of ideas and strategies. Escape room branches. That and more was among some of the CU Daily’s most interesting reporting in 2025. Here’s some of what you might have missed in this second of a two-part series.
Part I can be found here.
Huge Compliance Demands & ‘Zero Benefits’: CEOs of Small CUs Give NCUA List of Reg Relief Proposals
KENNEWICK, Wash.–Citing specific examples of what they described as crushing regulatory burden and wasted time and money, a group of smaller credit unions has sent a list of proposals for regulatory relief to NCUA after the agency asked for feedback on its strategic plan.
The letter was sent by the Endangered Credit Union Defense (ECUD), which, as the CU Daily first reported here and here, was formed by Doug Wadsworth, CEO of the $73.8-million Tri-Cities Communities Credit Union in Kennewick, Wash.
Wadsworth met at NCUA’s headquarters in Alexandria, Va. with Chairman Kyle Hauptman during the same week the agency hosted a virtual town hall.
Details on the initiative and meeting are here.
Lending Club Says 2 Changes Have Driven Big Increases in Checking Accounts, App Usage
SAN FRANCISCO–In what may offer a potential lesson for credit unions, Lending Club is reporting the two pricing changes it has made to its mobile-first platform have resulted in soaring account openings and visits to its app.
During an earnings call, CEO Scott Sanborn said the company’s latest innovation, LevelUp Checking, has increased the number of checking accounts opened each day by six times since its launch in June.
LevelUp Checking offers customers 2% cash back for on-time loan payments made from the checking account and 1% cash back when using the associated debit card for qualifying purchases, according to a presentation it released.
Here’s a look at what Lending Club has found.
Looking at What’s Happening in Deposits is One Key to Future Strategies, CUs Told
STOCKHOLM, Sweden–As credit unions pursue not just sustainability but excellence, there are several issues they must confront as they lay out their strategies moving forward, according to one person.
Mark Meyer, CEO of the Filene Research Institute, shared with the World Credit Union Conference in Sweden a number of issues that concern him, as well as some thoughts around what credit unions can do.
The first issue Meyer described as “salty membership growth,” the kinds of numbers at many CUs he said make him nervous.
For some other salty observations, go here.
What Happened When 1 CU Took to the Streets and Asked, ‘Do You Know the Difference Between a Bank and a Credit Union?’
PHILADELPHIA–When Ardent Credit Union took to the streets of Philadelphia with a camera and asked people “Do you know the difference between a bank and a credit union?”, it found most had no clue. But it has come away from the experience with new clues for itself on messaging, marketing and more.
The $900-million Ardent Credit Union has for years participated in the “#ILoveMyCreditUnion” initiative that took place last week and which is aimed at being a one-day social media blitz to raise awareness of CUs. This year, Ardent sent a videographer and an interviewer—its own Gabby Collins—to ask people in Philadelphia what they know about the not-for-profit cooperatives.
As the video it posted on Instagram reveals, it found exactly one person who did—and it was a relatively loose understanding at that.
Here’s how to find the video and more details.
A World of Ideas, Strategies, Passion & More (All in One Report)
STOCKHOLM, Sweden–Excuse the pun, but it’s fitting that there was a world of fascinating news, views, funny insights, touching stories, and strategies from other countries from which U.S. credit unions could learn—plus more–during the World Credit Union Conference in Sweden.
The CU Daily had unparalleled coverage from the event and from a meeting hosted by the Global Women’s Leadership Network, with almost two-dozen stories.
Should you have missed any of it, here’s a complete package of coverage.
Four Young CU Leaders Offer Advice for Those Looking to Follow
STOCKHOLM, Sweden–Four young credit union leaders, including the CEOs of credit unions and CU trade associations, have shared their stories on how they’ve gotten to where they are and what advice they would offer to other young people who hope to also rise into senior management or lead associations.
The views were shared during the World Credit Union Conference.
Panelists, all of whom are under 40, came from around the world to share their unique perspectives here.
4 Women Share Their Leadership Stories, Journeys, Lessons & Advice
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Four female credit union leaders from around the world shared their journeys to how they have become leaders, what they believe women bring to leadership, how to be better advocates for themselves and more during a Q&A discussion here.
Participating in the discussion as part of the Global Women’s Leadership Network event here—held in conjunction with the World Council of CUs’ World Credit Union Conference–were Carla Decker, president and CEO of Skypoint FCU in Maryland; Denise Garfield, general manager with the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions; Dr. Gisele Gomes, founder of Paronima in Brazil, and Sibongile Prudence Filakati, general manager of Hlalawati Savings and Credit Cooperative in Eswatini.
The panelists’ observations and insights are here.
Escape Room + Financial Education + Gaming = One-of-a-Kind CU Branch Experience
BOSTON–Over the last decade as credit unions have invested heavily in financial education, elsewhere in the world escape rooms and gaming have exploded in popularity, especially among younger people. Now one credit union—which believes classroom learning just doesn’t work for most people––has married all three in what may be the most unique CU branch experience in the world.
After opening its prototype “Quest Room” branch in Burlington, Mass. earlier this year, Hanscom FCU has opened a second such “experience center” branch in downtown Boston that features what is essentially a series of four escape rooms in which participants must answer clues about financial issues—in this case, fraud—before moving on to the next room.
If you’d like to escape into a new approach, read this.
How Coastal CU Has Transformed its HQ for a Hybrid Workforce
RALEIGH, N.C. –Coastal Credit Union has completed what it is calling a “transformative renovation” of its headquarters to create a building designed to leverage a workforce that has become hybrid—a change it said has saved it the cost of a new building and taught some lessons other credit unions can learn from.
Coastal Credit Union said its now state-of-the-art environment has been designed to “foster flexibility, collaboration, and employee well-being.”
Here’s a look at Coastal’s new approach.
Study Finds Financial Behaviors an Early Sign of Cognitive Decline
CHICAGO–Credit unions across the country have trained front line staff to be aware of signs of dementia, but now a major new study has found everyday financial behaviors—captured in routine banking data—can signal early signs of cognitive decline and financial vulnerability in older adults, up to a decade before formal intervention.
The research, published in JAMA Network Open and reported by Medicalxpress.com, was overseen by Professor John Gathergood from the University of Nottingham’s School of Economics, and David Leake at Lloyds Banking Group.
According to the report, the study analyzed anonymized banking records from over 66,000 individuals. It compared 16,742 individuals who were registered for power of attorney (PoA) due to a loss of financial capacity with a control group of 50,226 matched individuals without reported capacity loss.
More on what was learned and how credit unions can respond is available here.
Not Kids’ Stuff: The Potential Future Battle for Accounts of Newborn Babies
WASHINGTON–Among the provisions in the “one, big, beautiful bill” before Congress is language that could create a new competitive marketplace for credit unions, fintechs and big banks: the so-called “Trump accounts” would provide parents of newborns with $1,000 to invest on behalf of their child’s future. Now, some analysts are offering insights into what the accounts might mean should they become reality.
But how all of that might play out for the financial services marketplace, including credit unions, also remains unclear, but would likely involve a whole new market in which CUs are battling to win business from infants and their parents.
Details on the new prenatal market for credit unions can be found here.
Arizona Financial CU Intro’s New Brand Aimed at the Underserved
PHOENIX–Arizona Financial Credit Union has launched “Azpire,” a separate brand it said is aimed at those who “operate outside of traditional banking systems.”
According to the $3.6-billion credit union, there are more than 600,000 Arizonans estimated to be underbanked.
Arizona Financial noted that many of unbanked and underbanked individuals often rely on alternative financial service, s such as check cashing, title loans, and money service counters, often paying 20% more in interest on car loans and 30% or more on credit cards.
As a result, the 173,000 member AFCU added, many are left behind due to low income, limited financial education, or life-altering events such as divorce or medical emergencies.
Here’s a look at Arizona Financial’s approach.
Contrary to Perceptions, Report Suggests Subprime Borrowers are Good Loan, Card Opportunity
BOSTON–Contrary to perceptions of financial irresponsibility, a significant portion of subprime borrowers actively and strategically use credit to improve their financial standing, “revealing an underserved market segment with a strong desire for traditional financial inclusion,” according to a new report from PYMNTS Intelligence.
The report, “High Credit Card Denial Rates Force Subprime Borrowers to Turn to Alternative Options,” notes that navigating the current consumer credit environment presents “considerable challenges” for individuals classified as subprime borrowers, typically defined by credit scores below 620.
More findings on the PYMNTS report are here.
CFOs Offer Their 2 Cents on What the Phase-Out of the Penny Will Mean for CUs
WASHINGTON–With Treasury having ended production of the penny, CFOs who were asked by the CU Daily for their two cents worth on what the move might mean, including developing rounding policies, creating a new general ledger entry, cost savings, new expenses and more.
For the two cents shared by the CFOs, go here.
With CU Tax Exemption in Cross-Hairs, How Did it Come to Be? Not How You Might Think
WASHINGTON–The credit union tax exemption was again in the spotlight during 2025, especially when the House Ways & Means Committee was looking for ways to pay for tax cuts. Credit union trade worked the issue for months. There were countless media reports and dueling op-eds. And more than a half-million Americans sent messages to Congress. But how did the tax exemption come to exist? Not in the way many have assumed.
Indeed, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act in 1934, the federal tax exemption was not included.
Here’s a look at how the tax exemption came to be.
The Non-Traditional Things 1 CEO Has Done to Fix a CU’s Culture
LAS VEGAS–A CEO who has overseen the rebuilding of the culture at one credit union said the effort has involved doing non-traditional things like not getting the lending department involved in lending projects and having projects led by those who have no experience doing so—and it has worked.
In remarks before NACUSO’s Reimagine Conference as part of “Transformation Thursday,” which is led by Mitchell Stankovic & Associates, Jennifer Oliver, CEO of the $1.2-billion Rize Credit Union in Irwindale, Calif., talked about some of the steps the credit union has taken following a rebranding after she was named CEO in March of 2022.
You can learn more here.
