Meet The Finalists For The 2026 Innovation Series: Reimagining The Lending Experience
This year’s finalists are uncovering new ways to harness the power of technology to improve and expand lending across the industry.
This year’s finalists are uncovering new ways to harness the power of technology to improve and expand lending across the industry.
Quavo is a leading technology partner and strategic advisor, helping financial institutions (FIs) build trust-driven customer relationships through faster, more transparent dispute resolutions. Our mission is to restore financial trust by simplifying fraud and disputes. Quavo’s award-winning technology automates the entire dispute lifecycle, from intake to resolution. FIs can pair this end-to-end solution with our
Third quarter performance data is a reminder that credit unions perform best when conditions are hardest.
The cooperative industry has shown much resiliency in today’s shifting economic landscape. That sets a strong precedent for weathering whatever might come.
Delinquency and charge-offs are up for credit unions. Does that spell trouble, or is it an opportunity to help members in need?
With shares outpacing loans and indirect lending bringing in fewer members, credit unions focused on what they do best in the fourth quarter: serving core members.
Higher interest rates have forced members to pick and choose which debts to repay and which to postpone, which doesn’t fare well for revolving products.
Credit unions posted record revenue in the third quarter thanks to large gains in loan and investment income, yet asset quality worsened as the industry braced for interest rate cuts.
Market pressures and compliance challenges are just two variables pushing cooperatives to hand off their card operations.
One year after implementation, there’s still work to be done when it comes to new rules around expected credit losses.

A look at year-end performance trends reveals how earnings, affordability pressures, and asset quality are redefining the operating environment heading into 2026.

Members are struggling with an affordability crisis that is changing how they manage debt, and new behaviors are showing up across the credit union loan portfolio.

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.
Credit union asset quality didn’t collapse in 2025 — but it didn’t cooperate, either. What’s going on, and are credit unions prepared to respond in 2026?

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.
The affordability crisis extends far beyond big-ticket expenses. As the rising cost of basic necessities outpaces income growth, household budgets are under strain and long-term financial stability is increasingly at risk.
As credit unions move deeper into 2026, the earnings conversation is shifting. Elevated interest rates have boosted margins and strengthened earnings flexibility, but that advantage won’t persist indefinitely.
A radical shift is taking place in the way consumers move money and engage with their financial institution.

How the Michigan-based cooperative’s “Culture of Finance” curriculum is reframing financial education.
A Year In Review And What Lies Ahead For Credit Unions In 2025