Innovations Financial Bets Big On Small Business Lending
CDFI grant funding helps the Florida cooperative offer microloans for small businesses after many banks pulled out of its market.
CDFI grant funding helps the Florida cooperative offer microloans for small businesses after many banks pulled out of its market.
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 finalists are reimagining how credit unions can use AI to combine cutting-edge technology with old-school member service.
This year’s finalists are uncovering new ways to harness the power of technology to improve and expand lending across the industry.
Consumers are adjusting their financing habits to the new economy, and as economic realities shift, members are rethinking how — and where — they access credit.
Ignoring the financial needs of small and medium-sized businesses could mean ignoring the needs of your communities
Check out 2025’s top innovators in lending
Lake Trust Credit Union is driving statewide entrepreneurial spirit with a loan program that has provided more than $22 million in funding.
Learn how innovative document-sharing solutions can streamline compliance and foster member trust.
A program at Abound Credit Union has helped hundreds of would-be small business owners since its launch eight years ago.

Arriba Advisors co-founder Tom Russell explores how credit unions can bridge the gap between a growth mindset and their technical reality.

RKL offers insight, expertise, and experience to help fight off growing threats.

Members are anxious about their financial futures, even as credit unions remain financially strong. Institutions that respond to this moment can make 2026 a turning point.

Global events are flowing directly into household budgets, reshaping how credit union members save, borrow, and cope. Such trends don’t always show up in headline data.

Credit unions are benefiting from a rare margin advantage as loans reprice slower than deposits. The question now is how institutions will use that strength to better serve members.

Membership growth is slowing, but financial activity is not. What does the modern financial relationship look like?

Inflation, war, and uncertain futures have reshaped members’ needs in 2026. What does credit union performance data from the first quarter of 2026 say about household budgets, inflation pressures, and more?

Look beyond the headlines to better understand what is driving current market trends and how they could impact credit union investment portfolios.

Today’s job market is shaped by skills based expectations, with employers slowing entry level hiring and placing greater emphasis on applied experience.

St. Cloud Financial is betting on digital assets to protect member relationships and future relevance. It’s picked up lessons for other leaders along the way.