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.
As commercial real estate rebounds, credit unions face a choice: let operational bottlenecks slow deals, or leverage efficiency tools to capture market opportunities faster.
Flexible, technology-driven solutions help credit unions scale their commercial lending portfolios and address staffing, efficiency, and regulatory challenges.
Consumers are adjusting their financing habits to the new economy, and as economic realities shift, members are rethinking how — and where — they access credit.
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.
Fluctuating loan demand upset credit union lending pipelines and balance sheets in the first half of the year. How significant were these impacts?
The Federal Reserve is projected to cut rates several times in 2024; however, soaring prices and dwindling savings still leave Americans with little incentive to make a big purchase.
A program at Abound Credit Union has helped hundreds of would-be small business owners since its launch eight years ago.
Two credit unions — one large, one smaller — offer insight from their experience serving the business community.
Interest rates and inflation meet member budgetary challenges, but this Ohio credit union has a plan for that.

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.