These days, modern credit union (CU) members expect more from the financial  institutions they choose to bank with. They began a relationship with your CU because they were looking for a personalized level of care and attention to detail that they weren't able to find with larger banks. They'll maintain that relationship if your credit union proves committed to the idea of making members' lives easier and more convenient in any way that you can moving forward.

In a lot of ways, the success of credit unions over the years can be attributed to their natural emphasis on innovation--particularly when compared to larger financial institutions.

Regardless of how you look at it, enabling digital account opening for credit unions brings with it a number of distinct benefits, all at the exact same time. For starters, it creates a more satisfying experience for members--particularly those who are a part of the younger generations. These people want to bank wherever they want, whenever they want, and however they want. They increasingly use smartphones and other mobile devices to do it and digital account openings are a natural part of that.

Offering forward-thinking services like digital new account openings is a great way to improve your credit union's conversion rates, empower the user experience, and attract the attention of a younger and technologically savvy group of potential members--all at the exact same time.

At this point, there are a lot of credit unions that offer digital services like digital account opening. Therefore, if you truly want to stand out in a crowd, your credit union needs to go above and beyond merely what is expected of you.

For decades, credit unions have been seen as invaluable contributors to the communities they operate in. This is especially true when compared to the stale, impersonal experiences that are often offered to those that bank with larger financial institutions.

Although it may sound unbelievable, a recent study revealed a frightening prediction: up to 80% of financial institutions could disappear by the end of the decade. That is unless they can find a way to use technology to innovate their operations, bringing them more in line with the expectations of modern audiences. Note that this number includes not only big banks but credit unions as well. Nobody is immune to the ever-evolving digital world that we are now a part of.

The past two years have seen strong credit union industry growth, which has been attributed to pent-up demand, in what has been called a rebounding economy. NCUA reported loan growth of 14.7 percent, membership growth of 8.1 percent, and net worth increasing at 13.9 percent in Q1 2021. This was met by digital transformation initiatives across many credit unions in an effort to meet member expectations in a transitioning consumer economy. Changes in card technologies, enhancements to digital wallet capabilities, and an evolving payments landscape have driven focus and investment over this time and heading into 2023.

New members have high expectations from your credit union. In addition to the long-standing persona of excellent service, members are conditioned for faster, more frictionless experiences. And your ability to deliver begins with onboarding. Let's take a closer look at a few best-in-class ways credit unions can exceed the expectations of new members when it comes to onboarding.

As the financial world fully embraces the digital-first approach, credit unions are unique in that physical branches still act as an important component of the growth strategy. Whether it's seasoned credit union members valuing face-to-face interactions with tellers or younger members looking for personalized guidance in purchasing a first home, there will almost always be a place for credit union branch transactions—as long as there is a space. Let's take a closer look at a few ways credit unions can incorporate the branch into your 2022's growth strategy and optimize every square inch for maximum ROI.