This year is a different story.

Although the 2026 Final Four features top programs with leading seeds, this tournament has had its fair share of miracle moments — UConn over Duke — and upset wins — High Point, Iowa, Texas. Two teams facing off on Saturday both came into the bracket as No. 1 seeds: the Arizona Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines. On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed Connecticut Huskies is set to play No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini.

Some might say the matchup between Arizona and Michigan will determine the champion, but we here at Callahan know it’s possible any team could walk away victorious. For help predicting a winner, Callahan’s analysts have turned to our proprietary model assessing credit union performance data. Digging into state-level performance separates the data from the noise and shows which team has the edge when it matters most.

Semi-Final 1: UConn Versus Illinois

In the first matchup, the blue-blooded UConn Huskies will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Seeking their third title in four years, the Huskies hope to bring the magic that help them comeback from a 19-point deficit in the final seconds in their regional final. However, they face stiff competition in Illinois, led by freshman Keaton Wagler and the styled “Balkan Bloc.” The Illini’s size is intimidating, but UConn has experience in championship-winning coach Dan Hurley and seniors Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. In a tough game to predict, Callahan turns to the data of each state’s credit unions.

Sports teams thrive off of their fans’ energy, especially college teams in a single-elimination tournament. As any player would attest, the fans are the lifeblood of the game. During March Madness, a team wants to attract new fans while rewarding those who have been there all year.

Sound familiar? Credit unions also need members to survive and must bring in new members even as they work to deepen relationships with members they already serve. Thanks to the support of their faithful, Illinois punches their ticket to the National Championship in a close win.

MEMBER METRICS
FOR CONNECTICUT AND ILLINOIS CREDIT UNIONS | DATA AS OF 12.31.25
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES

Semi-Final 1 Winner: Illinois

Semi-Final 2: Arizona Versus Michigan

The next game promises to be 40 minutes of titanic proportions as the tournament’s two surviving No. 1 seeds go head-to-head.

Both the Arizona Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines are excellent on the offensive side of the ball, with imposing size to boot. Led by coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats have enjoyed a dominant season and their best tourney run since 2001, when they last made the Final Four. However, getting to the championship game won’t be an easy feat. Big Blue, led by coach Dusty May and senior Yaxel Lendeborg, is one of the best teams in the nation.

In the first half, Arizona takes a hefty lead over Michigan, with credit unions in the Grand Canyon State reporting member growth that more than doubles their peers in the Great Lakes State. But Arizona gives it all back down the stretch with average member relationship and loans per member. In another close call, Michigan edges ahead, setting up the country for a Midwestern national championship.

MEMBER METRICS
FOR ARIZONA AND MICHIGAN CREDIT UNIONS | DATA AS OF 12.31.25
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES

Semi-Final 2 Winner: Michigan

National Championship: Michigan Versus Illinois

It all comes down to a battle between the Big 10. Which team will take home the hardware?

For a basketball team to succeed, it must win in the margins. It’s this kind of successful formula that can sustain a team for years to come. Similarly, for a credit union to develop a solid return on assets, it needs to spend efficiently.

MARGIN PERFORMANCE
FOR MICHIGAN AND ILLINOIS CREDIT UNIONS | DATA AS OF 12.31.25
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES

Credit union performance data suggests a basketball classic for the ages.

Credit unions in Michigan initially lead with a higher net interest margin, beating Illinois by half a percentage point. But when it comes to minimizing expenses, Illinois credit unions claw back in the second half. In championship overtime thriller, Michigan ultimately bests Illinois with a decisive ROA lead of 34 basis points.

Winner: Michigan Wolverines

And just like that, credit union performance data predicts the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will wrap up the 2025-26 season with the University of Michigan taking home its second national championship and its first since 1989.

The post The Callahan Guide To The 2026 Final Four appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

The Innovation Series is celebrating 2026 with a diverse slate of finalists whose breakthroughs are reshaping member experience, data and business intelligence, lending, employee engagement, fraud prevention, and digital member engagement — all with the power to help credit unions thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Register for the Innovations In Digital Member Engagement webinar on Tuesday, March 24th at 2PM EST.

Read on to learn more about this year’s finalists in digital member engagement: Array, Exagens, Narmi, Swaystack

Array

Describe your innovation.

Array+ is an embeddable free-to-premium product suite that enables credit unions to deliver financial-management tools directly within their digital experiences. The platform brings together credit monitoring, identity and privacy protection, subscription management, student loan optimization, credit building, and more into a unified, modular offering with a seamless upgrade path.

Array+ transforms fragmented, standalone services into a cohesive, revenue-generating experience delivered through trusted financial institutions. With a single integration, credit unions can launch brandable, compliant modules quickly, drive non-interest income through premium subscriptions, and sustain engagement through ongoing, data-driven interactions that improve loyalty and lifetime value. Members gain meaningful tools to manage their financial health and digital identity within their primary financial relationship.

Array+ operates exclusively through a B2B2C model. Credit unions retain brand ownership and member relationships while leveraging Array’s infrastructure, bureau partnerships, and compliance expertise. By consolidating capabilities that would otherwise require multiple vendors or complex in-house builds, Array+ reduces development time, cost, and regulatory burden.

With Array+, credit unions can turn digital banking into a destination for continuous engagement, protection, and financial progress.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Credit unions face rising expectations for digital experiences while traditional revenue sources face pressure. At the same time, members manage their finances across disconnected third-party tools, leading to fragmentation, disengagement, and weaker relationships.

Array+ enables credit unions to extend digital banking into a broader financial support platform. Embedded tools for credit visibility, identity and privacy protection, debt and subscription management, credit building, and more keep the institution relevant across a member’s full financial journey.

The free-to-premium model creates recurring non-interest income while delivering immediate member value, aligning financial sustainability with tools members actively use.

In practice, credit unions can:

• Turn financial wellness into a revenue driver.
• Increase engagement across free and premium users.
• Monetize existing members without upfront platform investment.
• Compete with fintech and direct-to-consumer subscription products inside a trusted brand.

How does it increase member value?

Array+ delivers financial clarity, protection, and control within the credit union’s trusted digital environment. Members gain practical tools that reduce complexity, support informed decision-making, and lower financial stress without relying on multiple external services.

Through integrated capabilities spanning credit, debt, subscriptions, identity, privacy, and credit building, members gain greater visibility into their financial position and stronger control over risk and long-term outcomes. This reinforces the credit union’s role as a trusted steward of financial well-being and personal security.

By providing consistent, day-to-day value, Array+ strengthens engagement, loyalty, and trust throughout the member lifecycle.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Array+ is differentiated by its ability to replace fragmented point solutions and direct-to-consumer subscriptions with a single, embedded engagement platform owned by the credit union. Members access credit, identity, privacy, and financial management tools within a familiar, trusted digital experience, strengthening engagement and reinforcing the institution’s role as a primary financial partner.

In contrast to standalone tools or DTC monetization platforms, Array+ consolidates multiple high-value capabilities into one modular platform that is simple to integrate and operate at scale. Credit unions avoid multi-vendor complexity while delivering a seamless member experience.

Array+ is also structurally differentiated by its free-to-premium model. Array covers data costs for the free experience and continuously optimizes engagement and upgrades, enabling credit unions to deliver immediate value while participating in recurring, non-interest income through revenue sharing. This model aligns member benefit with institutional performance in a way competitors cannot easily replicate.

As a result, Array+ functions as an engagement and revenue engine, not just a feature set, helping credit unions deepen trust, extend relevance, and support stronger financial outcomes over time.

Exagens

Describe your innovation.

Behavioral Banking enables emotionally sticky relationships to be created and nurtured, cost-effectively, individually, and at scale, with the growing pool of members who now rarely interact with credit unions in-person. It makes possible the benefits of customer engagement, loyalty, and financial wellness in an era when most interactions and transactions occur through digital channels.

MoneySparxs, exagens’ latest Behavioral Banking solution, fuses behavioral economics, neuroscience, advanced data analytics, psychology, and AI with a credit to understand the financial decisions of individuals, and then effectively engage and influence them to make smarter financial decisions. It adds incredible new value to your existing data and enriches it further. Behavioral Banking is needed because people are constantly being swayed by cognitive biases, emotions, and social factors, and therefore rarely make rational decisions when it comes to their finances. Behavioral Banking solutions enable credit unions to grow with their members by catalyzing them to save, spend, invest, and borrow wiser both through their digital channels as well as in-branch.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

The Challenge: The ease and convenience of digital banking has yielded an explosion in the frequency of banking interactions and significant cost savings for financial institutions. It has also fractured financial relationships and their benefits. People who primarily bank through digital channels report being significantly less engaged with their financial institution, resulting in lower share of wallet, reduced loyalty, decreased customer satisfaction, and an adverse impact on financial health.

The Opportunity: This disconnect provides credit unions with a unique opportunity to differentiate and grow by leveraging their historical strengths to differentiate their member experience and compete with big banks who otherwise far outspend them on technology. Exagens’ MoneySparxs enables credit unions to elevate their digital and in-branch experiences and move beyond providers of mostly commodity products and services to trusted and valued financial partners in the lives of their members.

The results: Credit unions utilizing Behavioral Banking have benefited from increased deposits, expanded wallet share, higher card utilization, membership growth, and great loyalty, all while helping improve the financial lives of their members. All with minimal additional workload for the credit union and no core integration of sensitive PII required.

How does it increase member value?

MoneySparxs enables credit unions to grow financially with their members by delivering Behavioral Baking at scale through their digital channels. It delivers emotionally and financially engaging Sparxs* (personal & community money-related tips, wisdom, suggestions & fun insights) which catalyzes individuals to save, spend, invest, and borrow wisely.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Based in behavioral science and leveraging AI, goes well beyond traditional methods of segmenting, personas, and journey mapping by treating and interacting with each individual member in terms of their unique financial situation. With a deep understanding of human behavior and financial decision making (why decisions are and are not made), MoneySparxs is able to catalyze members in ways beneficial to them and their credit unions.

Exagens designed MoneySparxs from the ground up with the sensibilities and realities of credit unions in mind. It is cost-effective, requires no PII, produces results quickly, and does not require any additional credit union resources to operate – exagens does most of the work, credit unions and their members get all of the benefit.

Narmi

Describe your innovation.

Narmi’s MCP server is built around an open-source standard that allows AI models (LLMs) to securely and seamlessly connect to external data sources (banking data). MCP servers process requests from the LLMs and provide or deny access to the data source. The MCP server enables AI models to analyze business and user finances without storing any sensitive data and maintaining bank-grade security protocols.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Organic AI uptake is growing at a dramatic rate, to the point where LLMs like ChatGPT are the standard “homepage” for accessing the internet for many users – especially younger ones. Leveraging this standard gives a credit union a presence on platforms where its members will increasingly expect to bank.

How does it increase member value?

Even now at this read-only stage, members who use Narmi’s MCP with their credit union can input queries like: “What’s my checking account balance?”; “Can you categorize my top 10 recurring vendors?”; or “What expenses could I reduce to improve margins next quarter?” and derive insights from iterative conversations in a way that is much more dynamic than a traditional digital banking experience. This increases stickiness for banks that offer this technology and provides functionality that is differentiated from even megabank user experiences.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

As mentioned above, this functionality is differentiated not only from our peers servicing community banks and credit unions, but even from megabanks, who are not yet at the point of offering user-facing AI functionality. While other vendors in our space have begun to develop around this protocol, Narmi was the first to pursue it, launched the first MCP server with a U.S. bank with Grasshopper last September, and has had the most time to develop standards and innovation around it.

Swaystack

Describe your innovation.

Credit unions turn new accounts into active, primary relationships with Swaystack, a digital onboarding and engagement platform. Using gamified, personalized journeys inside digital banking and across email and SMS, credit unions leverage Swaystack to drive funding, direct deposit, product adoption, and long-term engagement from day one.

Beyond onboarding, credit unions continue to engage members and sustain momentum well after activation with Swaystack. Through behavior-based targeting and personalized omnichannel campaigns, credit unions guide members toward their next best action — whether that’s switching direct deposit, increasing card usage, enrolling in digital services, or adopting additional products.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Nearly half of newly opened accounts go inactive within the first year, even though financial institutions spend $400+ to acquire each one. Onboarding is fragmented across teams and vendors, with no clear ownership and no accountability for activation. Swaystack solves this by owning onboarding end-to-end — connecting acquisition to real usage and measurable outcomes.

How does it increase member value?

Credit unions increase member value by driving the behaviors that matter most early in the relationship — funded accounts, direct deposit adoption, debit card usage, and ongoing product engagement. By guiding members through clear, behavior-based onboarding journeys, credit unions grow deposits, increase debit card interchange, and accelerate digital product adoption. The result is stronger primacy, higher lifetime value per member, and more durable relationships from day one.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

For too long, credit unions have relied on point solutions to drive single actions — one tool for email, another for direct deposit, another for card activation — without a clear way to connect effort to outcomes. Swaystack replaces that fragmentation with a unified onboarding experience, allowing credit unions to target the right members with the right action at the right time and pair those actions with incentives that gamify onboarding. Every interaction is tied to measurable results like funding rates, direct deposit adoption, and early engagement— driving real ROI, not vanity metrics.

Check Out The Other Innovation Series Categories

• • Employee Enablement
  • Reimagining The Lending Experience
  • AI-Powered Member Experience
  • Data And Decision Intelligence
  • Fraud Prevention And Resolution

The post Meet The Finalists For The 2026 Innovation Series: Digital Member Engagement appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

The Innovation Series is celebrating 2026 with a diverse slate of finalists whose breakthroughs are reshaping member experience, data and business intelligence, lending, employee engagement, fraud prevention, and digital member engagement — all with the power to help credit unions thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Register for the Innovations In AI Powered Member Experience webinar on Tuesday, March 10th at 2PM EST.

Read on to learn more about this year’s finalists in AI and member experience: BCI-IT, Glia, Switchthink, Talkdesk

BCI-IT, Inc. :

Describe your innovation.

K2 is a production-grade conversational and agentic AI platform purpose-built for credit unions and banks. Powered by Kasisto’s KAIgentic AI and accelerated through Kinective APIs, K2 enables institutions to operationalize AI across member-facing and internal workflows with governance, security, and accuracy designed for regulated environments.

Unlike generic AI tools, K2 integrates directly with core, digital banking, and servicing systems via existing Kinective connectivity, enabling real-time, grounded responses and workflow execution. Its agentic architecture applies policy controls, role-based access, and compliance guardrails before responses are delivered — reducing hallucination risk and supporting auditability, data residency, and regulatory expectations.

K2 provides a faster path from AI strategy to AI in production, leveraging existing infrastructure to deliver measurable outcomes in weeks rather than 12–18 months. For technology leaders, K2 represents a pragmatic, low-risk way to scale AI responsibly while maintaining architectural integrity and compliance.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Many institutions have experimented with AI but struggle to move into production due to governance concerns, unclear ROI, and lack of enterprise readiness. Cores, digital banking platforms, LOS, and servicing systems were not designed for real-time AI interaction, creating long deployment cycles and high integration risk.

K2 provides a proven, production-ready AI foundation that enables institutions to deploy conversational and agentic AI confidently — without long pilot cycles. By leveraging existing Kinective APIs, K2 dramatically reduces integration effort, allowing teams to launch high-impact use cases in weeks instead of 12–18 months.

Powered by Kasisto’s KAIgentic AI, K2 applies policy controls, compliance checks, and role-based access before responses are delivered — supporting auditability and regulatory alignment. K2 automates high-volume member inquiries and workflows, reducing call center load while delivering faster, more accurate member experiences.

K2 addresses the gap between AI ambition and AI execution. It enables credit unions and banks to deploy secure, compliant, enterprise-grade AI that delivers real operational and member-experience outcomes — without compromising governance, security, or architectural integrity.

How does it increase member value?

1. 1. Faster, Always-On Member Service: K2 enables members to get accurate answers and complete common tasks instantly—24/7—across digital channels. Routine inquiries that previously required a call or branch visit are resolved in seconds, improving convenience and satisfaction.
   2. More Accurate, Context-Aware Responses: Powered by Kasisto’s KAIgentic AI, K2 delivers responses grounded in approved data and real-time system access via Kinective APIs. Members receive answers that reflect their actual accounts, products, and eligibility — not generic responses.
   3. Consistent Experience Across Channels: Whether a member engages via web, mobile, or assisted channels, K2 provides a consistent conversational experience. Members no longer receive conflicting answers depending on where or how they ask.
   4. Faster Issue Resolution with Fewer Transfers: K2’s agentic capabilities can guide members through multi-step processes (e.g., account servicing, loan questions) without bouncing them between departments or queues.
   5. Personalized, Relevant Interactions: By securely accessing member context, K2 can tailor responses and guidance based on individual needs—without exposing sensitive data or violating policy controls.
   6. Improved Access Without Increased Costs: K2 allows credit unions to scale service availability without scaling headcount. Members benefit from expanded access and responsiveness, while the institution maintains cost discipline.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

K2 is differentiated because it closes the gap between AI ambition and AI execution. It delivers governed, compliant, real-time AI that banks and credit unions can deploy quickly and scale confidently—without becoming systems integrators or taking on unnecessary risk.

Glia:

Describe your innovation.

While major financial institutions deploy highly-customized, billion-dollar generative AI platforms, credit unions — the financial backbone of most local communities — face an “AI gap” that threatens their long-term competitiveness and member loyalty.

Glia’s AI is the economic equalizer. It allows credit unions to deploy member service AI sophisticated enough to match or even surpass the capabilities of the big banks, but at a fraction of the cost and in full compliance with regulatory standards.

Glia’s Voice AI automates up to 80% of routine member inquiries, freeing frontline teams to focus on complex interactions. Most importantly, Glia reinforces the trust that defines the credit union-member relationship. Built specifically for banks and credit unions with domain-specific language models (DSLMs), Glia is ready for banking on day one. It can automate over 1,000 credit union-specific tasks with a zero-hallucination guarantee, positioning Glia as the secure, authoritative AI partner for the credit union movement.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

While megabanks invest billions in proprietary AI, most credit unions are forced to rely on aging technology that puts them at a severe competitive disadvantage. The stakes of operating with subpar technology go beyond market share — it is a matter of mission. When a member waits on hold or cannot get help after hours, the trust that defines the credit union relationship erodes.

By replacing costly BPOs and providing 24/7 service with purpose-built banking AI, Glia doubles frontline capacity, returning significant cost and time savings to the organization.

With Glia’s AI handling routine tasks around the clock, frontline teams are empowered to focus on high-value conversations that cement member loyalty: loan guidance, financial wellness, and life milestones.

How does it increase member value?

With Glia’s AI platform, members experience dramatically shorter wait times, fewer dropped calls, and 24/7 service availability — whether they reach out by phone, online, or through a mobile app, ensuring a credit union can always be there for members, whenever and wherever they need help.

Glia frees staff to spend more time on the conversations members want and need to have with humans: loan guidance, debt questions, budgeting support, and other high-touch needs. The result is a more personalized, supportive service experience.

By eliminating operational strain, the capacity Glia returns to the organization can be reinvested in strategic, high-impact activities like reducing fees, enhancing member offerings, and developing local programs. This enables the credit union to equalize its cost structure while actively strengthening the unique community bond it shares with its members.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Glia is the only end-to-end, channelless AI platform built exclusively for financial institutions. While generic AI tools can be a liability for credit unions — plagued by “hallucinations” and a 95% pilot failure rate — Glia provides a turnkey solution that delivers measurable impact in weeks, not months. With three times more banks and credit unions on our platform than the nearest competitor, our scale and specialization are unmatched.

Ultimately, Glia exists to help credit unions achieve their mission of empowering communities. We do not just offer a tool; we provide the foundation for a future where technology strengthens, rather than replaces, the unique human bond between a credit union and its members.

SwitchThink:

Describe your innovation.

SwitchThink AI Assist is an AI-powered conversational virtual assistant for voice and digital channels, purpose-built for credit unions. Developed in collaboration with boost.ai, it delivers secure, compliant and context-aware member and staff interactions while integrating seamlessly with Corelation’s KeyStone core. SwitchThink provides not only the technology, but also full lifecycle management — configuration, integration, optimization and continuous enhancement — ensuring sustained performance and value.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

Credit unions face rising member expectations for 24/7 digital service alongside increasing operational strain from high call volumes, staffing limitations, and compliance risk. SwitchThink AI Assist addresses these challenges by automating routine inquiries, authenticating members before agent escalation, and scaling support during peak periods, without requiring additional headcount or in-house AI expertise.

How does it increase member value?

AI Assist delivers faster, always-on access to accurate information across channels, reducing wait times and friction for everyday banking needs. Members benefit from consistent, reliable service — including after hours, during surges or in urgent situations — while frontline staff are freed to focus on higher-value, relationship-driven interactions. The result is greater convenience, trust, and a more modern member experience without sacrificing the human touch.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

SwitchThink AI Assist stands apart through its deep KeyStone core expertise, turnkey deployment model and fully managed approach. Unlike generic AI tools, it is customized for credit union operations, continuously trained and governed with robust auditability and compliance controls. SwitchThink’s ongoing stewardship — paired with proven, real-world results — ensures credit unions achieve lasting impact rather than a one-time technology implementation.

Talkdesk:

Describe your innovation.

Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud is the all-in-one member experience platform built for credit unions. It unifies member data and communications channels to automate workflows for account servicing, lending, collections, fraud prevention, and more. Delighting members with human-like, multilingual self-service available 24/7. Pre-integrated with core systems and powered by pre-trained AI, Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud delivers secure, compliant automation with flexible deployment that enables a high-speed, low-risk path to greater efficiency and accelerated growth.

What opportunity or challenge does it address?

To grow sustainably, credit unions must deliver more value to members while preserving operating margins. Industry leaders will deliver high-touch service at scale using automation and AI, with speed and intention. Talkdesk provides the technical, operational, and strategic foundation to deploy modern member experiences with AI at the pace of member expectations and institutional priorities.

How does it increase member value?

Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud enables credit unions to deliver faster, easier, and more personalized service at scale while reducing risk and operating costs. Members receive instant, human-like support through AI self-service across voice and digital channels for everyday needs such as balance checks, login issues, credit questions, and branch information. When human support is required, agents, tellers, and bankers are equipped with real-time context, AI copilots, and automated task execution to resolve issues faster and more accurately.

Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud also strengthens fraud protection across the entire service journey with layered, risk-aware security. It supports multi-factor authentication, voice biometrics, continuous verification throughout interactions, and AI-driven anomaly detection to identify suspicious behavior in real time. Back-end analytics surface emerging fraud patterns and continuously improve defenses.

By unifying data, channels, and workflows across the front and back office, Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud reduces transfers and wait times while increasing self-service containment and fraud resilience. In production today, credit unions using Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud are achieving over 60% self-service containment, up to 90% reductions in handle time, major NPS gains, lower abandonment rates, and millions in annual savings.

What differentiates this innovation from competitors?

Talkdesk Financial Services Experience Cloud delivers an all-in-one, natively built member experience platform that unifies omnichannel communications with a complete AI portfolio, giving credit unions maximum control to deploy intelligent automation across the full member journey. No-code configuration, administration, and analytics enable both technical and business teams to continuously optimize member experience.

Beyond technology, Talkdesk brings deep financial services expertise to quickly align solutions to each institution’s ecosystem, workflows, and strategic priorities. Flexible deployment allows credit unions to modernize from where they are, whether deploying on top of existing contact centers, using in-house or third-party large language models, or adopting the full Talkdesk platform. Built-in AI guardrails and regulatory compliance ensure safe, responsible innovation at enterprise scale.

Check Out The Other Innovation Series Categories

• Employee Enablement
• Reimaging The Lending Experience
• Data And Decision Intelligence
• Fraud Prevention And Resolution
• Digital Member Engagement

The post Meet The Finalists For The 2026 Innovation Series: AI-Powered Member Experience appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Dupaco Credit Union, a $3B institution headquartered in Iowa, is proving that you can compete – and win – in a Fintech-dominated market. By partnering with MANTL, Dupaco Credit Union increased the volume of new member accounts opened online by 300% and the majority of deposits entering their institution are from a leading fintech. Dupaco also became one of the first credit unions in the country to digitize the business member account opening process. Today, Dupaco can open a new business account in just thirteen minutes in-branch with a 98% approval rate.

In this dynamic conversation, Tami Brandenburg, Vice President, Member Service at Dupaco Credit Union, joins David Carlson, VP of Sales at MANTL, to share how a modern, omnichannel approach to account opening has transformed Dupaco’s member experience and fueled business and retail deposit growth. Together, they’ll explore how turning digital transformation into a competitive edge, boosting acquisition, improving the member and employee experience, and driving efficiency across all banking channels will allow you to compete in a digital-first account opening landscape.

Key takeaways:

• How to Win in a Fintech-Dominated Market: Discover how a fully integrated, digital-first account opening strategy can help your credit union compete with leading fintechs.

• Modernize the Branch Experience: Why a reimagined in-branch experience is no longer optional—and how Dupaco is saving up to four hours per day on in-branch account opening.

• Frictionless Business Member Onboarding: Learn how to digitize business member onboarding to strengthen ties with local businesses and the broader community.

• Efficiency That Scales: Discover how the right digital tools enhance both the employee and member experiences, resulting in efficiency gains across your entire institution.

Produced and sponsored by: 

The post How to Compete with Fintechs: A Dupaco Credit Union Success Story appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

Your digital experience is a direct reflection of the care and service you’re known for in your branches and communities. That’s why enhancing your platform now isn’t just smart – it’s a way to deepen trust, improve lives, and make it easier for your members to thrive.

Here are four ways you can start.

1. Show Up When It Matters Most

Members don’t always need help during business hours.

Sometimes it’s in the middle of a busy morning, or late at night when a question can’t wait. Adding secure messaging, video chat, and screen sharing to your digital experience makes it easy for members to reach out on their terms.

With tools like Banno Conversations, your team can guide members digitally without losing the personal touch you’re known for. It’s a way to remove frustration, solve problems faster, and show up with support that feels human – even through a screen.

It’s not about technology for technology’s sake.

It’s about meeting people in their moments of need and helping them feel seen, heard, and taken care of. And that’s something credit unions already excel at.

2. Help Members See The Big Picture

Most people today have financial accounts scattered across multiple providers.

That fragmentation can make it hard to make confident decisions – or even know where things stand. When you offer secure, bi-directional account aggregation, you’re giving members a way to pull everything together in one place: your credit union.

Available through the Banno Digital Platform, aggregation powered by Mastercard^® and Finicity means members can view external accounts right alongside their credit union ones. That’s not just convenient – it’s powerful.

Because when members can see everything, they can finally act on it. And you gain insight to support them in smarter, more personalized ways.

3. Learn What’s Working

Digital usage data can show you so much more than logins and session counts.

With advanced analytics built into your platform, you can see how members navigate your tools, where they get stuck, and what features they love most. Those insights mean you can make things easier, spot opportunities, and even create more meaningful member outreach.

And when you understand what’s really happening in your digital experience, you’re better equipped to serve every member – no guesswork needed.

4. Let Small Businesses Start Strong – And Stay With You

Small businesses are the heart of your community – but most don’t use credit unions as their primary financial institution. Why? Because many feel they have to choose between personal support and powerful tools.

You can change that.

With a scalable experience like Banno Business, small business owners can start with familiar tools and grow into more robust features as their needs evolve. Whether it’s toggling on invoicing and payment acceptance through Autobooks or using Conversations for Business to securely approve transactions, they can do it all inside your digital experience.

That means less reliance on third-party fintechs – and more loyalty to the credit union that made it all possible.

Let’s Make It Easier – For You And Your Members

You don’t have to take on all four enhancements at once.

Even one step forward can make a real difference for your members, especially as expectations keep rising. When you’re ready, Jack Henry solutions like the Banno Digital Platform and Banno Business are already built to help you deliver.

Ready to learn more? Contact us to level up your digital banking experience.

The post 4 Ways to Make Your Digital Experience Work Harder for Members appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

After changing charters in 2023 from community to multiple common bond, the credit union rapidly expanded into new, more geographically diverse areas. Suddenly its membership wasn’t just in the Leigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Now, People First serves members throughout New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia, as well.

To effectively serve these areas, the credit union adopted a digital-first approach for the new territories while maintaining a traditional service model in its original footprint.

“We’ve essentially upgraded to function as both a digital credit union and a traditional one,” says CEO Howie Meller.

Today, People First has nine branches in its traditional service area. In the new territories, smaller branches serve primarily as points of contact while heavily relying on technology. This includes an entirely new onboarding process for new members when they join online.

“The first 45 days are crucial in terms of the conversations we hope to have and intentionally reaching out. After that, it’s kind of set it and forget it. We want to keep them informed of what we’re doing and that we’re available whenever they want to speak to us.”

Meeting Members Where They Are (Online)

It makes sense why more financial institutions are investing in technologies that improve their digital banking experience. PYMNTS Intelligence research released in December found that 80% of Gen Z and 81% of millennials report digital banking as their core banking preference.

“People just want to be able to bank anywhere, anytime that they want, and our membership is diverse. They just have different ways they want to go about doing their banking,” Meller says.

Meller says it takes about three minutes for a new member to open an account online. Assuming they meet all the requirements of membership, they’re able to begin using the account immediately, with a debit card to follow in the mail soon after.

“We’re working on a digital wallet right now as well, but until we get that, they have to wait for the plastic to be sent to them,” the CEO says.

The next day, the new member receives a phone call from a staffer on the People First onboarding team. The conversation usually involves thanking the new member for joining, explaining what to expect, and exploring any additional needs the credit union might be able to meet. From there, their information is loaded into HubSpot, a popular marketing tool the credit union adopted to enhance its communications.

Once the credit union knows a member’s buyer persona, the correspondence they receive is customized through HubSpot based on those preferences. That way members aren’t inundated with irrelevant emails, and they’ll get the best financial advice and offers for their personal situation.

“We’ll know right away whether or not we can offer them a credit card or an auto loan or a home equity,” Meller says. “So, they may receive some information about that from us as well.”

Between digital channels and follow-up phone calls from staff, the full onboarding process takes a little over a month.

“The first 45 days are crucial in terms of the conversations we hope to have and intentionally reaching out,” Meller says. “After that, it’s kind of set it and forget it. We want to keep them informed of what we’re doing and that we’re available whenever they want to speak to us.”

Communication has been the biggest challenge with this new approach. For example, how many touchpoints is too many? It took some troubleshooting to figure out how to not over-communicate with members while also making sure they don’t feel neglected.

“We also integrated interactive teller machines [ITMs] into a lot of our locations at the same time we rolled out this onboarding process,” Meller says. “That meant training our staff on how to have an effective conversation that way rather than face-to-face, which can be a lot different.”

A Measurable Impact On Member Satisfaction

People First sends members surveys twice a year to gauge how happy they are with the credit union. Since introducing this new onboarding process as a part of its digital-first approach, the credit union’s Net Promoter Score has risen

“Members really enjoy having the flexibility to have that conversation either through the interactive tele-machine, the digital banking app, or just via text,” Meller says.

Meller adds that members also complete quick surveys as a part of any interaction they have with the credit union. This is done through a partnership with Qualtrics. Members are prompted to give an answer out of five stars. Right now, People First’s average is a score of 4.84.

“I’m pretty impressed by that. It’s great to see members are really enjoying and pleased with the services we’re providing through the alternate channels,” Meller says.

To further expand its availability to members, People First plans to introduce a second shift to accommodate those who have difficulty accessing services during regular banking hours. This shift will last until 11 p.m. and is expected to be introduced by early 2026.

In the meantime, continuing to embrace technology remains a big part of the credit union’s strategic vision. For example, the credit union’s partnership with Eltropy allows for easy document signings and the ability to navigate conversations through either voice, chat, or video seamlessly. People First has also adopted AI to automate certain internal processes, such as remote process automation.

“We all offer the same products. We all offer the same services, but it’s how we deliver on what we’re offering that makes a difference,” Meller says. “Otherwise, you’re not going to be around forever. That’s why you need to embrace the changes.”

What Hurdles Stand In Your Way? Every quarter brings another chance to tackle the projects that provide a first-class member experience across your entire footprint. If that seems daunting, Callahan Executive Roundtables offer C-suite executives the chance to collaborate with like-minded leaders on upcoming strategies, discuss roadblocks and lessons learned, share successful strategies, connect on industry hot topics, and more. What are you waiting for? Learn more today.

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Top-Level Takeaways

• UFCU’s mobile branch is breaking down barriers for underserved communities by providing convenient access to essential banking services, financial education, and trusted support right where people need it.
• The credit union builds trust by offering bilingual services, fostering personal connections, and partnering with local organizations to understand and meet the financial needs of residents.

Banking looks a lot different for Americans today than it did a decade or two ago. Unfortunately, even with evolving technologies that offer accessibility and convenience, millions of people remain under or unbanked.

In 2023, 5% of census tracts in Texas were classified as banking deserts, with another 5% at risk of becoming a desert if a branch were to close. This includes several regions surrounding the state capitol, home of University Federal Credit Union ($4.1B, Austin, TX).

Those who are unbanked must rely on alternative financial products and services such as payday loans, money orders, and pawn shop loans. In doing so, they run the risk of falling prey to high fees and even fraud.

Chris Turnley, UFCU’s executive vice president of member experience, says addressing this challenge has been a priority for more than a decade.

“People who are underbanked are 10 times more likely to use a check-cashing service than those who aren’t,” he says. “That really stuck out to us.”

Three years ago, UFCU proposed a new solution: If the community can’t easily access the credit union, then the credit union would bring a branch to the community.

UFCU unveiled its mobile branch at an event on Aug. 5, 2024, that featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with community leaders and elected officials. The vehicle is the first of its kind in central Texas. Turnley says the goal is to better understand and serve the needs of these hard-to-reach communities.

“Our members are already here,” he says. “So, how do we remove some barriers?”

Driving Member Financial Success

UFCU’s mobile branch is equipped with all of the same security and services its brick-and-mortar locations provide. This includes ATM access, account set-up, instant-issue debit cards, and loan applications. It’s also outfitted with multiple monitors and speakers, giving it a vibrant, high-tech feel.

“We want it to be fun,” Turnley says. “We want people to be proud to be a part of it and not feel like they are getting second-rate services.”

In addition to banking services, the mobile branch also provides an opportunity to expand access to educational resources, from materials members can take home with them to presentations hosted by staff. Indeed, according to Turnley, the most common transaction is people asking questions. This is critical because one of the largest challenges for UFCU is establishing trust.

“These are people who might have been taken advantage of in the past, so it takes some time developing that relationship,” Turnley says. “We hire for empathy. That’s always been a big deal for us.”

Another challenge is overcoming the language barrier. Of the more than 961,000 people living within Austin city limits, more than 400,000 are Hispanic and at least 1% speak only Spanish at home.

To address this, the three members of the mobile branch team all are bilingual in Spanish and trained to provide guidance and direction using UFCU resources in both Spanish and English. When the need arises for a different language at a particular deployment, the mobile branch team leans on the larger UFCU team — many of whom speak multiple languages — to ensure they can support (most) desired languages.

Deepening Community Partnerships

Since its launch nearly two months ago, the mobile branch has had a full schedule of appearances in what has been dubbed The Howdy Tour. Its next stop will be Austin Community College’s South Campus on October 8.

In addition to these dates, UFCU has also leaned in on community partnerships, showing up at mobile health clinics, food distribution sites, local festivals, and sporting events.

“Our goal no matter what is to show up,” Turnley says. “It’s important to physically be out in the community and interacting with those we serve, whether we’re setting up a table somewhere or bringing the mobile branch. The first step is showing up.”

By partnering with trusted organizations like Foundation Communities and Equidad, UFCU is able to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of its outlying communities.

Turnley says as important as traditional metrics are, these insights will be invaluable as they will help UFCU eventually establish more permanent branches in these locations.

“What are we learning?” Turnley says. “What are our members telling us? What needs are there and how can we help meet them?”

For now, although UFCU’s mobile branch is still in its infancy, the credit union is optimistic about the positive results it is seeing in regard to member growth, deposits, and lending.

Find Your Next Big Idea At A Callahan Roundtable Join like-minded peers at a Callahan roundtable to talk about challenges, collaborate on solutions, and identify future hot topics. Callahan & Associates helps leaders share best practices — like how to reach unserved communities — build networks, and discover better ways to measure performance. Only a few remain. Find out how you can attend today.

The post UFCU’s Mobile Branch Drives Financial Sense In Underserved Communities appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

In fact, Patelco Credit Union ($9B, Dublin, CA) has been able to do this through its partnership with NCR Terafina.

Innovation for Members

Patelco Credit Union developed a partnership with Terafina for originating HELOC and other consumer loans, along with deposit account opening across the digital, branch, and call center channels. Their team found that they were able to get to market very quickly with Terafina and utilize its flexible platform in special ways. As a result, the Patelco team was able to develop a seamless addition to their digital onboarding process called Check My Rate.

The product enables members to pre-qualify into a Patelco loan product without impacting their credit score. Once selected, the member experience seamlessly transitions into the full application process with data pre-filled. Check My Rate has seen exceptional results thus far, with auto loan application completion rates increasing from 16% to 69%, consumer product application rates up to 70% completion, and application abandonment rates dropping substantially.

Venky Annadurai, Patelco’s vice president of technology, engineering, and development, has found that their technology team needed little support from Terafina to build out their extension of the platform and proclaimed, “The Patelco development team was able to utilize Terafina’s extensible platform and develop Check My Rate easily. The team at Terafina was available to support, however, and we were able to do the heavy lifting ourselves. The ability to buy a proven platform, have it implemented by a qualified team, and then adapt the platform’s capabilities to meet our unique needs was the best decision we made. It has helped us achieve business objectives that would have cost the credit union significantly more time and money if we were to build and later own the capability ourselves.”

Terafina and Patelco Credit Union have continued to maximize their partnership through close collaboration and specific customization of the platform. Kal Majmundar, Patelco’s chief technology officer, stated, “the NCR Terafina platform allows us to expedite integration with third parties to build a compelling and effortless experience for our members.”

Partnerships Key for Growth

Patelco Credit Union has demonstrated a clearly effective way for partnering with innovative companies and extending its capabilities to maximize member experience. It is essential to establish vendor relationships that can provide an exceptional out-of-the-box solution that can be built upon in specific ways to optimize success. With 44% of credit unions expecting to select a new or replacement digital account-opening platform in 2023, it is important for credit unions to find a forward-thinking technology partner with proven experience in creating exceptional omnichannel onboarding experiences for their members.

To learn how other credit unions – including Citadel Credit Union and Harborstone Credit Union – have had success with NCR Terafina and how to optimize the onboarding experience for members, check out our latest white paper by clicking below.

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