Credit unions have become hugely popular over the last few decades for a number of reasons. For starters, they offer a more personalized and member-centric approach to financial services that a lot of larger organizations simply cannot match. They also offer safe, reliable services that members have come to depend on and even expect.

Navigating a credit union's loan application process can often feel like an arduous obstacle course. The mountains of paperwork and tedious data entry involved can lead to errors and delays. However, there is a tech-driven solution on the rise: automated loan decisioning. By leveraging specially designed algorithms, this trend aims to digitize and simplify the loan application process, reducing paperwork for credit union employees and members, saving time, and minimizing the chances of human error.

Credit unions are constantly striving to enhance their services for the benefit of their members. One valuable tool in their arsenal is the home equity line of credit (HELOC).

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.

Obviously, one of the most important priorities for any credit union is growth. Now, new research seems to suggest that this emphasis has been paying off in spades. According to the experts at CUNA, credit unions can see loan growth of 20% on average by the end of 2022. To put that into perspective, it is the highest rate of growth of its type since 1984. All told, research suggests that credit union loan balances for members grew by 16% in 2022 compared to 2022. Not only that, but they were also up 10.2% from the beginning of the year.

The expectations of credit union members are constantly evolving, and it's up to savvy organizations to evolve right along with them. For most, the careful application of the right type of technology is how they do it.

Whether your credit union member earns $30,000 a year or $300,000 a year, everyone is feeling the crunch from inflation. And this should come as no surprise, considering inflationary pressure is at a 40-year high. Even so, many financial institutions are reluctant to discuss inflation in a real way and offer tangible steps consumers can use to reduce the impact. However, your credit union could be the lighthouse that helps members weather the storm and navigate their way through the fog. Here are four key marketing messages and campaigns credit unions can use to help your members and your bottom line.

In a period of significant global economic instability, the financial services sector is going through a significant period of disruption. This has been especially challenging for credit unions, who need to leverage a variety of methods to keep cash flow as stable as possible. Thankfully, there are ways to use this newfound disruption to optimize revenue streams moving forward. They require organizational leaders to keep a few key things in mind.

As a credit union, there are a wide range of opportunities that can be leveraged in terms of more effectively operating your lending process. Having said that, not all methods work equally well for each organization. Only by making an effort to fully understand your audience will you be able to come up with the techniques that fit best given the circumstances.

In an age of two-day Amazon delivery, instant Google search, and personalized lending offers through Credit Karma, your members are no longer satisfied with a slow back-office lending process that takes days to weeks. Instead, credit unions must modernize their lending with a digital loan origination system and powerful analytics.