JetStream FCU Turns CDFI Funding Into Lifelines After Hurricane Maria
A pair of CDFI grants allowed the Florida-based credit union to help members restart their lives on the island or relocate to the United States.
Impact/Purpose
Our Purpose page is your central resource to explore strategies that elevate products and services from run-of-the-mill commodities to powerful tools that support members and communities and set credit unions apart from competitors.
Top Impact/Purpose Articles
Wright-Patt Turns Purpose Into Property For First-Time Homebuyers
The Ohio credit union’s Sunshine Community Fund is backing new homes in Dayton, combining financial support, education, and cross-team collaboration to empower first-time buyers.
First Alliance Debuts Mission-Driven Deposits
The Minnesota-based cooperative invites high-dollar depositors to turn private prosperity into shared possibility through a savings product designed around social impact.
Eric Givens On Leadership
May 3, 2016
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Eric Givens, senior director of digital banking at Arizona Federal Credit Union, talks technology and understanding what makes millennials tick.
Cybersecurity Starts At The Top
May 2, 2016
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A new study shows how little personal responsibility executives feel toward cybersecurity. Here’s why that’s wrong.
Tips To Reduce Regulatory Burden
May 2, 2016
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Improving processes and building relationships with regulators are two ways credit unions can ease compliance pain.
Buying a Pre-Exisiting Business
April 29, 2016
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Citadel Federal Credit Union in Thorndale, PA, recently took a novel approach to starting our credit union service organization (CUSO), Citadel Financial Services – buying a pre-existing business. We at Citadel have already had experience with CUSOs. We have long had a 60% ownership of a check processing organization and 100% ownership of an indirect lending CUSO that works through 165 auto dealer
A New Employee Benefit: Long Term Care Insurance
April 29, 2016
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Why long-term care insurance was added to Wright-Patt’s benefit package. Wright-Patt Credit Union reviewed its employee benefits package during 2000 to increase the perceived value of the package among employees, while strengthening cost controls for the Credit Union. The aim was to offer a benefits package that strengthens Wright-Patt’s ability to recruit and retain quality employees while managi
Using the Internet to Enhance Member Services
April 29, 2016
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Pennsylvania State Employees launches Internet-based credit report service.
Plain Vanilla Hands Down
April 29, 2016
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Whitefish Credit Union will soon have $600 million in assets and 22% of credit union assets in Montana, although it is confined to a small corner of the state. It is plain vanilla, taking deposits and making loans and little else. It relies on word of mouth. Its notable success owes to its above-market dividend rate, good loan rates and a reputation for reliability.
LIFE AFTER INDIRECT LENDING
April 29, 2016
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Indirect lending was good to Affinity Plus FCU, but it did not allow for the kind of trust-based relationship building with members that the credit union’s mission calls for. So it dropped indirect lending, and discovered that member-centric product innovations, such as an alternative mortgage product, not only made up for the financial loss but resulted in stronger member relationships.
Appropriate Reaction to the DFCU Decisions: Outrage
April 29, 2016
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The NCUA and the federal district court for Eastern Michigan have both erred in not making DFCU Financial live up to the credit union’s bylaws. Fundamental freedoms are at stake. DFCU members acquired three times more signatures for a special meeting than the bylaws required. But management refused to call a special meeting. NCUA and the court are allowing this democratic ownership right of the me
Transparency: Keeping Integrity When Market Participants Play Outside the Lines
April 29, 2016
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University FCU is the major student loan lender at the University of Texas because of the value of its product, not for its relationship with the financial aid office. Transparency will reveal its work of putting students first.
Eric Givens On Leadership
Eric Givens, senior director of digital banking at Arizona Federal Credit Union, talks technology and understanding what makes millennials tick.
Tips To Reduce Regulatory Burden
Improving processes and building relationships with regulators are two ways credit unions can ease compliance pain.
Buying a Pre-Exisiting Business
Citadel Federal Credit Union in Thorndale, PA, recently took a novel approach to starting our credit union service organization (CUSO), Citadel Financial Services - buying ...
A New Employee Benefit: Long Term Care Insurance
Why long-term care insurance was added to Wright-Patt’s benefit package. Wright-Patt Credit Union reviewed its employee benefits package during 2000 to increase the perceived value ...
Using the Internet to Enhance Member Services
Pennsylvania State Employees launches Internet-based credit report service.
Plain Vanilla Hands Down
Whitefish Credit Union will soon have $600 million in assets and 22% of credit union assets in Montana, although it is confined to a small ...
LIFE AFTER INDIRECT LENDING
Indirect lending was good to Affinity Plus FCU, but it did not allow for the kind of trust-based relationship building with members that the credit ...
Appropriate Reaction to the DFCU Decisions: Outrage
The NCUA and the federal district court for Eastern Michigan have both erred in not making DFCU Financial live up to the credit union’s bylaws. ...
Transparency: Keeping Integrity When Market Participants Play Outside the Lines
University FCU is the major student loan lender at the University of Texas because of the value of its product, not for its relationship with ...
Browse Topics
Takeaways From Day 2 Of GAC
Aaron Passman
From macroeconomics to multiculturalism, the future of AI, and more, the second day of this year’s convention was packed with insights.
Takeaways From Day 1 Of GAC
Aaron Passman
From new attitudes to new ways of thinking about service delivery, here’s a look at the first day of the industry’s biggest event.
Credit Union Storytelling With A Mission Focus
Marc Rapport
Storytelling drives growth and loyalty at Navy Federal, where real member experiences become narratives that strengthen trust, reinforce value, and build lasting relationships.
How Lake Trust Turns Member Experiences Into Brand Strategy
Savana Morie
From where stories come from to how they’re produced and distributed, Lake Trust shares how authentic member narratives strengthen its brand and show what “positive impact” looks like in action.
How An Internal Storyteller Fuels Member Growth At Navy Federal
Marc Rapport
An expert in user experience turns complex problems and opportunities into narratives that guide leaders toward confident decisions and growth-focused investment.
At Ardent Credit Union, Deposits Are A ‘Slam Dunk’
Aaron Passman
The Philadelphia-area cooperative scores among rate-shopping members with a co-branded certificate that links savings returns to college basketball results.
The Strategic Case For Rethinking Credit Card Issuing
Callahan & Associates
The credit unions that will win the next decade of card growth are those that treat credit cards not as one time product launches but as dynamic ecosystems requiring continuous investment.
What Gen Z Is Really Looking For In A Credit Union
Callahan & Associates
Gen Z’s faith in traditional institutions gives credit unions a rich opportunity to serve as a key source of financial guidance.
What’s Job No. 2?
Aaron Passman
CreditUnions.com is all-in on growth and marketing this week, spotlighting real-world strategies that help cooperatives serve members for life, invest in people, expand their impact, and more.
Community Financial Institutions Need A New Playbook To Combat Scams
Callahan & Associates
Fraud is increasing and becoming more sophisticated – and it’s often not caught until it’s too late.
Cybersecurity Starts At The Top