In the Chinese zodiac, 2019 is the year of the pig. Pigs are the symbol of wealth in Chinese culture, and they are thought to bring good fortune as well. For credit unions, these predictions hold true. 2018 certainly brought success and good fortune to CUs and that is expected to continue into 2019. For credit unions, 2019 will be year of the member. The credit union industry as a whole added 4.9 million members over the past 12 months, which led to 116.8 million total members as of September 30, 2018. This year, credit unions will be focused on building stronger relationships with members, and continuing to cultivate new ones.

Six years ago, many credit unions were skeptical of electronic signatures. In 2013, about 10% of credit unions larger than $20 million in assets offered eSignatures and those with fewer assets adopted the platform at even lower rates. Today eSignatures are a coveted member benefit and those who predicted it would become an integral part of the digital lending process back in 2013… they were right!  At the time, eSignatures were fast growing, and in just one quarter eSignature integrations shot up 25%. Early adopters even found that pull-through rates on applications increased up to 20% as a result of eSignature options. If electronic signatures were providing results all the way back in 2013, then it should not come as a shock that the feature is even more important within digital lending processes today. Here’s why credit unions that have yet to implement eSigntaure options should take the leap this year.

Despite popular belief, digital lending has actually been around for quite some time. It began in the 1990s around the dot-com era with digital mortgage and consumer lending. While it wasn’t a popular solution back then, digital lending today has come full circle. Many financial institutions offer digital lending in some capacity. A recent survey by the ABA shows that digital lending could for 10% of all consumer and small business lending market by 2020. Despite this, there are many FIs that do not offer it, or they only offer digital options for part of the lending process. While those banks and credit unions have certainly gotten by without full digital lending, they are missing out on features and opportunities that it can provide. Here are 5 ways that digital lending can improve your credit unions lending process.

In 2015, just 7% of banking services were completed on digital platforms from start to finish. While the credit union industry has made great strides in the last few years, there is still a lack of digital options for members. This can be a huge deterrent for members especially when digital lending isn't offered. Some small credit unions might be under the impression that they won’t benefit from digital lending platforms due to the demographics of their membership or for budget constraint reasons. However, it has been proven to help many small CUs in crucial ways. Here are some questions small credit unions should keep in mind when considering digital lending platforms.

Many Baby Boomers are transitioning into retirement where their portfolio is shifting from wealth-building to waning assets. About 50% of credit union members are now 53 or older, and even though they will continue to rely on credit unions for their wealth management, CUs are in need of new members who are in their prime growth stages. Millennials and even some Generation Z-ers are now the target audience for credit unions as they are beginning to buy houses, cars, and paying for (or paying off) college. Millennial’s older sibling, Generation X, comprise 31% of the CU demographic largely due to the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009. They joined after becoming frustrated with big bank bailouts and stayed for personalized financial services. 10 years ago, Gen X fled to CUs, thus fulfilling their need for new, young members. However, Millennials and Gen Z will not be so easy to capture. Big banks have 10% more Millennial members than credit unions, and there’s one key way that CUs can win their business: digital self-service.

In addition to digital lending, another scalable technology has grown in popularity, especially in recent years. While credit unions both large and small were initially skeptical of automated decisioning, it is now being implemented at higher rates. The alternative to auto-decisioning, human review, was long-considered a more reliable form of decisioning by many credit unions. However, with increasing loan growth, credit unions have grown more comfortable with the idea of automation. The U.S lending portfolio has increased by 61.8% over the past five years, and last year, credit unions saw loan growth of 9.7%. Consumer loans are the fastest growing category, increasing 20.2% over the past year and 93.7% over the past five years. Due to this rapid growth in the consumer loan space, credit unions have been forced to reassess the efficiency of their lending process and many have taken the leap to adopt automated decisioning. For credit unions who are still on the fence, here are three factors to consider.

Providing exceptional member service is at the heart of every credit union’s values. However, with increasing competition in the banking world, good service alone will not be enough to keep members truly satisfied. So what is it that members are seeking now? Surprisingly enough, it’s not always lower rates. Savvy members are still interested in competitive pricing, but a member’s loyalty doesn’t lie with bargain banks either. What members want is customization. Taking an example from another industry, one of the first organizations to provide a unique and customized experience is a fast-casual restaurant many know and love: Chipotle.

After a year of triumphs and accomplishments, credit unions might be in for some new obstacles in 2019. Success often bodes controversy and that is expected to hold true for credit unions this year. While many institutions were able to grow their membership, loans, quality of assets and earnings, these successful steps forward might push lawmakers to enact limiting policies and regulations. Here are some hurdles credit unions can expect in 2019.

Last Summer, the reputation of banks fell for the first time in 5 years. After a series of data breaches in the banking industry, customers began to distrust larger financial institutions. As a result, people began to turn to credit unions, which they viewed more positively. The big point of differentiation between credit unions and other financial institutions is the culture of trust and member service. Credit unions tend to be more involved in their community, and are able to connect with members on a personal level. These are qualities that members have begun to value a lot more and credit unions anticipate more members in 2019 to join for these very reasons.

2018 was a prosperous year for credit unions across the United States, and FLEX credit unions were no exception. Over the course over the year, our clients have made tremendous efforts to implement resources and services that provide more value and improve member experience. Three credit unions really stood out, and we are excited to share their achievements and successes from the past year. Here are our “Credit Union All-Stars” from 2018.