Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The CU2.0 Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 380 Cardinal Credit Union's Christine Blake and Nuuvia's Marcel King on Getting Youth Banking Right | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:33:25 | |
Fact: youth banking is the entry ramp into a credit union. Fact 2: Credit unions, most of them, will admit that youth banking is not exactly their strongest suit. Enter Cardinal Credit Union, a Mentor OH based institution with assets around $335 million, where CEO Chistine Blake saysthey are winning big in attracting youth to get credit union accounts by doing a lot of innovative thinking and mixing in fun activities. Blake, by the way, is a past podcast guest. In episode 342 she talks about the institution’s relationship with the Cleveland Browns and its Little Brownies debit card aimed at kids. Since then she has turned to Nuuvia - formerly Incent - where president Marcel King and team have developed a range of youth banking tools and ideas. King, too, is a past guest. He was on episode 360 with Pioneer Federal Credit Union EVP Tracey Miller where they talked about youth banking. On this episode King and Blake dive deeply into what Cardinal is offering, why kids like what they see, and why all of this matters in helping to insure a credit union’s long term success. In the process King shares compelling data on youth banking at Desert Financial, a big credit union in Phoenix AZ. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 379 DCUC's Jason Stverak on Why Small Credit Unions Matter, Really | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:44:34 | |
Go back to when I started to report on credit unions and there were over 8000 credit unions. Now there are 4370. In 2020 there were 5099 credit unions. Just in five years the count is down by 700+. The math going forward is gloomy. That’s why I smiled when I saw Jason Stverak’s CU Insight piece on Why small credit unions matter and how we can help them thrive. Jason is chief advocacy officer at DCUC, the Defense Credit Union Council and is a past podcast guest. Why is he advocating for keeping little credit unions alive? I had to get him on the show - this episode was recorded on November 12, just hours before the federal government reopened after the longest shutdown in history. We start by talking about what’s going on in Washington DC now - and quickly move into why DCUC has become an aggressive lobbyist and then we focus on why small credit unions matter and why DCUC cares. It’s good stuff. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 371 Lobbyist Elizabeth Eurgubian on What's Up inside the Beltway | 24 Sep 2025 | 00:40:57 | |
Whew, credit unions dodged the threat of loss of their tax exemption - but don’t think all is smooth sailing for credit unions in today’s turbulent Washington DC. Lots is happening that may impact credit unions, large and small. On the show is repeat guest Elizabeth Eurgubian, a lobbyist - with the Defence Credit Union Council among her clients - who also has served as NCUA Director of the Office of External Affairs and Communications and Policy Advisor to Chairman Harper. Before that she was deputy chief advocacy officer at CUNA and before that she was a vice president and a lobbyist for ICBA. Her specialty is regulatory matters and that means NCUA, but also CFPB and other agencies. In this episode she talks about what’s up with NCUA’s one person board, the shrinking of CFPB, the GENIUS Act and the opportunity presented by stablecoins, and NCUA’s Central Liquidity Enhancements Act and why this matters to smaller credit unions in particular, and also NCUA’s recurring paperwork review and how it’s an opportunity for credit unions to seek changes at the agency. See: there’s a lot happening inside the Beltway. Listen up
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 312 Martin Walker Explains Curql and Its Fintech Funding | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:33:22 | |
Martin Walker is the man to know if you are a fintech looking for credit union related venture funding and he also is the man to know if you are a credit union looking to invest in fintechs. On LinkedIn Walker’s tag line is Investing in Fintechs that Enable Credit Unions. That pretty much says it. Walker and I started talking at the June CU 2.0 Live event in Fountain Hills AZ and that conversation led to this show. In the show Walker tells fintechs what they need to know and do to snare an investment from Curql - hint: a credit union nexus is a sine qua non - and he also tells credit unions a new fund investment round has opened and is looking for a few more investors. These efforts are critical. To continue to thrive credit unions need to keep upping their technology game. Period. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 311 Rosenthal + McCray on Community Capital, the New Book | 30 Jul 2024 | 00:44:00 | |
Probably you think a book titled Community Capital has to be a snoozefest. And then there’s the new book with that title written by Clifford Rosenthal and Michael McCray and it’s a book that will rock you and your beliefs about NCUA, African American focused credit unions and more. The book splits into two parts. There’s Rosenthal’s part where he looks at the struggles of smaller community based crest unions - he served as CEO of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (now Inclusiv) for almost 30 years. He also put in a stint at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He also has been a guest on the podcast, episode 37 back in 2019. And know that although Rosenthal documents the struggles of small community development credit unions, recent developments at the federal level have left him sounding downright optimistic. Then there’s Michael McCray’s part of the book, which documents what he sees as NCUA’s systematic destruction of the Kappa Alpha Psi Credit Union, the country’s first virtual credit union. Kappa Alpha Psi is an historic African American fraternity and the credit union did not go down without a fight. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Golden Oldie #12 BECU's Gary Oakland on Building Big | 29 Jul 2024 | 00:41:20 | |
Call this the credit union oral history sequence - Blaine, Bucky Sebastian, now Gary Oakland who took over BECU, with around $700 million in assets, in the mid 1980s and when he left in 2012 it had become a $10 billion+ credit union, one of the nation's very biggest. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 310 Kirk Drake + Chris Otey on AI and Credit Unions | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:48:56 | |
Four years ago Kirk Drake wrote a book that explored how artificial intelligence - AI - would transform financial services. Now he’s released a free addendum that tells what he got right in the book, what he got wrong, how he is using AI tools to effect big gains in his personal productivity and where he sees AI making big differences in credit union operations. It’s meaty stuff and also keenly practical. That’s why he is on the show today with Chris Otey, co-founder of CU 2.0 and CRO. Put the two of them in the same show and you are guaranteed a good, candid and fun discussion. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 309 AI Gets Real at One Nevada Credit Union | 17 Jul 2024 | 00:37:14 | |
Artificial intelligence: is it real or a mirage? Lots of credit union executives are pondering exactly that question and on the show today are Steve O’Donnell, EVP at One Nevada Credit Union, and Saroop Bahrwani, founder of Senso and CUCopilot, a generative AI toolkit. They came to the show fresh from a three day joint engagement where Saroop and his team went to the One Nevada offices and branches and dug deep into what AI is doing and could be doing to make credit union work flows more efficient. This is not all blue sky theory. A lot of this show is discussing everyday practicalities and how AI can speed them up. For instance: wouldn’t you like to feed into a computer a batch of your auto loans that went bad and ask the computer to identify what they had in common? One Nevada is doing something much like that already. O’Donnell tells what they’ve learned. O’Donnell also muses on the likely impacts of AI on credit union jobs. Saroop also shares his view of AI tomorrow at credit unions. This is an upbeat show.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Money Talks with Kirk Kordeleski | 15 Jul 2024 | 00:43:19 | |
What happens when an executive who is seeking a SERP plan to sweeten his/her retirement years is turned down for life insurance - which is the bedrock that supports many SERP plans? And people do get turned down for life insurance due to health issues. Anything from cancer to obesity. On the show today is Kirk Kordeleski, onetime CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, one of the nation’s largest, and now a partner with PARC Street, where the focus is on matching executives and credit unions with appropriate SERP packages. He explains a work-around that still allows the executive to get that SERP. Know that now probably 95% of larger credit unions offer SERPs, at least to the CEO, often to a handful of c-suiters. What’s the story at the other 5%? Kordeleski tells in this show. He also talks about mergers, recent CEO terminations (more keep happening), and the continuing war for talent that means more and more credit unions need to look at adopting SERP packages. Listen up. | |||
| CU .0 Podcast Golden Oldie #11 Wendell "Bucky" Sebastian | 15 Jul 2024 | 00:53:12 | |
A state regulator in Illinois. General counsel at NCUA. A co-founder of Callahan Associates. Longtime CEO at GTE Financial. Head of the National Credit Union Foundation. Guess who. Meet Wendell Sebastian, call him Bucky. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 308 Michael Heller on CUSOs | 10 Jul 2024 | 00:31:19 | |
Subtitle this show: All You Want to Know about CUSOs but Didn’t Know to Ask. On the show is Michael Heller, an associate with Messick Lauer & Smith, a leading firm in CUSO law. Heller and I had started talking at the CU 2.0 Live event in Fountain Hills AZ and it was only natural to capture the conversation on tape for distribution as a podcast. Here, Heller talks about how CUSOs have evolved to serve new, different needs at credit unions and he also discusses several possible new regulatory initiatives floated by NCUA. A take away is that CUSOs are of vital importance to credit unions as they strive to stay competitive with big banks. For the record there are around 1100 CUSOs, with about $4.6 billion in invested capital. That’s per NCUA. NCUA also requires that a CUSO “primarily” serve credit unions and their members and Heller talks about what that term means. He also talks about what NCUA says are “permissible activities” for a CUSO which NCUA itemizes at some length. A check cashing service probably qualities, a tattoo parlor doesn’t. Listen up! Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast 307 Paul Fiore on CU WealthNext and Bringing Wealth Services to Credit Unions | 02 Jul 2024 | 00:38:54 | |
You know about Paul Fiore. He’s the man behind Digital Insight, the first big digital banking tool that was acquired by Quicken for $1.35 billion in 2007. Fiore is back dreaming big and his present focus is a company called CU WealthNext (nee Digital One), a CUSO that aims to bring powerful wealth management technology tools to credit unions. Wealth tech already is big business - just about every big bank already is in it and so are bushels of fintechs. Credit unions are late to this game. But not too late. Fiore is optimistic that with the right fintech tools, credit unions can gain a major stake in wealth management - and in this show he tells why he believes that and also talks about how credit unions can get involved in the CUSO and how fintechs that want to be considered can reach out. In the show Fiore mentions CryptoFi, a crypto currency company (now named InvestiFi) that brought crypto to Tulsa credit union WeStreet. A year ago we did a podcast on exactly this. There’s a link in the show notes. Fiore also mentions the CU2.0 CU 2.0 Live event that took place in Fountain Hills, AZ in early June. Our conversation in fact started there and grew into this podcast episode. Listen up. Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 306 Amount's Nicholas Chang on Better Credit Card + Loan Origination | 26 Jun 2024 | 00:37:23 | |
High velocity origination platform. That’s a key focus of Amount, a fintech that has a partnership with Velera nee PSCU. The plain reality is that many credit unions make it too hard to do business with them. 21st century fintechs focus on making that first date very easy to set up. Ask yourself how many possible new members fall out before completing the many steps many credit unions require. Thus the focus on ease of credit card origination, a first partnership between the two. There’s a link in the show notes to an official blub about this but the focus is making this fast and easy. A second partnership involves Amount’s loan origination solution - there’s a link in the show notes to that blurb too. On the show today is Nicholas Chang, vice president and Head of New Ventures at Amount. He’s on the show fresh from a listening tour of credit unions where he heard what their pain points are and what they want from tech vendors. Chang also is very optimistic about the credit union future and how Amount’s tools can smooth the path forward. You’ll notice that throughout the show reference is made to PSCU. That’s because it was recorded a few days before PSCU announced its new name. We usually operate with a one to two month lead time and so it happened in this case. Besides, Velera has yet to grow on me. I may be saying PSCU for a few more years anyway.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 370 Raddon Chief Economist Bill Handel on What's Coming At You | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:42:02 | |
You might know it as the dismal science, but a conversation with Bill Handel, Chief Economist of Raddon, a Fiserv company, is anything but dismal. It in fact is an enlightening romp through the complexities and confusions of today’s global economy. In the show Handel makes a prediction about the future of interest rates - and, no, don’t expect an imminent return of 4% 30 year fixed rate mortgages. He also talks about how young adults are adjusting their financial habits to navigate today’s economy. Importantly, too, Handel explains what is going on in the White House’s attempt to reset the global economy - and he indicates that the present economy is something of an artifact of the aftermath of World War II so there are reasons to think a reset is in order. But how is a credit union CEO supposed to navigate in a global economy that is filled with uncertainties? Handel’s advice is to create plans that feature built in flexibility - because, really, you don’t know where interest rates will be a year from now. Staying flexible will be key to succeeding, he says. Handel also says that the operating margins of credit unions have to improve. Period. He tells why in the show. Dismal science? Not in this show. Here, economics becomes an exciting tool for navigating what’s coming at us. Listen up
Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Golden Oldies #10 SECU's Jim Blaine on CU Past, Present, Future | 24 Jun 2024 | 00:58:03 | |
This golden oldie turns the clock way back - to June 2019 when Jim Blaine, the retired CEO of SECU, then and now still one of the nation’s biggest credit unions, sat for an hour long session where Blaine muses about credit union past, peasant and future. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 305 Sherif Hassan on the Opportunity in Small Business Lending Redux | 19 Jun 2024 | 00:40:28 | |
Small business lending. Name a desire shared by most credit unions and those three words capture it. Most definitely want to do more small business lending but most also are falling short of their own expectations. On the show today is Sherif Hassan, an expert in how to better use data to make more and more profitable loans. Sherif is a veteran on this show. He appeared on episode 113, almost four years ago, and his topic then was “The Opportunity in Small Business Lending.” It’s not coincidence that this episode wears the same title - but this is a very different, very upbeat show. Sherif is convinced credit unions are well positioned to score very big in this market. He tells why and how. Along the way Sherif tells about Benford’s Law, a mathematical formula that automates fraud detection in loan apps. There’s a link in the show notes to a paper he wrote about it. There’s also a link to a paper he wrote on highly cost effective data procurement. In one case a small business lender saved $325.000 a year simply by buying data to use in reviewing loan apps more effectively. Many, many other lenders could do likewise, says Sherif. If you want an upbeat, optimistic show about doing better at small business lending, this is the episode for you. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Money Talks with Kirk Kordeleski: Retirement, Terminations, and Still More | 17 Jun 2024 | 00:45:32 | |
Here’s the fact: more senior executives are coming into credit unions and are insisting on competitive retirement plans, typically a SERP (Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan). On the show today is Kirk Kordeleski, onetime CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, one of the nation’s largest, and now a partner with PARC Street, where the focus is on matching executives and credit unions with appropriate SERP packages. Know this: credit unions cannot attract and retain top executive talent without offering competitive retirement plans. And today Kordeleski talks about how the SERP marketplace is faring in today’s unusual times for credit unions. But as always with a talk with Kordeleski many topics get explored. Tough topics are discussed. For instance: against what institutions should you benchmark your credit union? Probably the answer isn’t the ones you think. Hint: think New York Yakees. We also discuss why - probably for the first time ever in credit unions - there’s been a number of CEO terminations because the institution isn’t holding its own against peers. And there’s the matter of AI, how it will trigger significant numbers of credit union employee redundancies, and how credit unions need to handle this. We start with me raising a point I recently discussed with Martin Walker of CURQL, a venture fund focused on fintechs and credit unions. It’s a fact: VC funds see many of their investments fizzle out. So I asked Walker why it is that credit unions obsess over trying to prevent small losses when such losses are immaterial to the health of the credit union. That conversation happened at a recent CU 2.0 event in Fountain Hills AZ; there’s no recording. But in this show Kordeleski tackles this issue - and it definitely is a credit union issue. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 304 CuCollaborate's Sam Brownell on Mergers, CUSOs + More | 12 Jun 2024 | 00:44:53 | |
Should we merge? With whom? Those questions are heard in just about every credit union’s c-suite and boardroom. The answers aren’t easy. Enter Sam Brownell’s CuCollaborate which boldly states its purpose this way: “We are here to help credit unions adapt, grow, and succeed long term — and we offer the innovation, insight, and know-how to help them do it.” In its toolkit are powerful analytical models such as AnalyzeCU which lets a credit union quantify its impact and performance. And a big part of CuCollaborate’s present business stream is consulting with credit unions on merger possibilities and the merger process itself. This podcast has explored credit union mergers multiple times, but never quite like this. Brownell has a particular take on how to look at mergers - it’s interesting stuff that he explains at length. In the process he references Kant’s categorical imperative, which ranks as one of the very most important ideas about right conduct ever articulated. As the talk about mergers comes to a close, Brownell happens to say he’s in the process of turning the company into a CUSO. He talks at length about why. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #9 Peter Barnard rkGoBig and the Success of Small Credit Unions | 10 Jun 2024 | 00:41:33 | |
Ignite and preserve. Right there is the motto of rkGoBig, a CUSO with a singular focus: helping smaller credit unions survive and indeed prosper. That seems a Sysephean task? Peter Barnard. CEO of CUSO rkGoBig, firmly believes that cooperation among credit unions is a fast way to help more small credit unions survive. To that end, rkGoBig offers a basket of services include a compliance toolkit - a real help when dealing with the regulator - credit cards, a shared core, card processing, shared back office processing and, well, you get the picture: rkGoBig has the tools a 21st century credit union needs to operate efficiently and effectively. The biggest credit union presently served by rkGoBig is just shy of $400 million in assets. Listen up to this inspiring story of helping the small survive. Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com
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| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 303 James Colassano on Real Time Payments (RTP) Coming At You | 05 Jun 2024 | 00:44:39 | |
Real time payments. Coming at you right now. Are you ready? On the show is James Colassano, an SVP at The Clearing House, an institution owned by some of the world’s largest banks (including Chase, BMO, CapitalOne, B of A, Santander and more). And The Clearing House very much wants credit unions to get involved with its RTP network because its goal is ubiquity. Already hundreds of credit unions, including Navy Federal, are on board. The 2024 fact is that consumers - and businesses - want money to move instantly. Institutions that don’t possess that capability will fall behind. It’s easy to get involved with RTP, by the way. Most core systems in use at credit unions already have the capability built in. Flick a switch, complete some paperwork, and an institution is active. The starting point in this journey: talk with your core provider. They likely will know your next steps. In this show Colassano talks about use cases for RTP and also about how to claw back a payment that was made in mistake. He also explains how RTP and FedNow are different but fundamentally on the same mission. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 302 Chase Neinken on Chimney Home and Finovate Success | 29 May 2024 | 00:38:49 | |
It was over two years ago that Chase Neinken was on the podcast talking up Chimney, a fintech focused on delivering cool, fun calculators to credit unions. Neinken is back and here’s the reason: in fall 2023 Chimney won “best in show” at Finovate and that’s because it debuted Chimney Home, a new tool for credit unions that shows a credit union member today’s value of their home and also lets an institution deliver personalized offers to members. Admit it, you know how addictive the tools for telling you your home’s value are. When was the last time you checked Zillow? I’ll confess: in my case it was yesterday. What homeowner doesn’t do this often? The Chimney kicker of course is enabling the FI that hosts Chimney Home to deliver targeted offers to the member, not the generic stuff sent to everybody, but offers that reflect how much equity this member actually has. How cool is that? Neinken tells all about it on the show and he also updates us on Chimney’s suite of calculators and wouldn’t you rather your members use calculators on your site, not BankRate? In the show Neinken refers to a Chimney study of how its calculators actually perform. Here’s a link to that report. Listen up. Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 301 Seth Brickman, Ranqx, and New Style Small Business Lending for Credit Unions | 22 May 2024 | 00:31:58 | |
Scrolling through LinkedIn, I happened upon this post on Seth Brickman’s page: “I am excited to announce that I am now the President, Ranqx and can’t wait to help credit unions help small businesses and change communities for the better.” Stop presses. Brickman, longtime listeners to this podcast well know, had been CEO of QCash, an innovative service birthed at WSECU and which had been sold to Alloya, a bit over a year ago. What was up with Brickman? On LinkedIn he also posted a Ranqx press release that quotes him saying this: “Small businesses make up almost half the workforce, half of the US commercial revenue and over 60% of net new jobs. The ability to help small businesses get access to the capital they need in a fully digital way with each credit union’s own underwriting criteria in under 5 min (as opposed to 1-2 weeks) will be a game changer for communities nationwide and bring businesses back into the credit union. Any time we can drive deposits and impact communities at the same time, we are doing good things for the industry.” We had to book him on the show. Here’s the core Ranqx selling proposition: its technology can let a credit union process a loan app from a small business in perhaps five minutes as opposed to the two weeks it might take a human employee to do the same work. Oh, consider that maybe 70% of small business loan apps are declined by credit unions. And each of those applications consumed two weeks or more of human labor. Bring on the machines! Brickman knows that most credit unions are struggling to bring in small business members. And he believes the Ranqx tools - white labeled - will enable credit unions to more successfully attract small business members. In the show he also notes that Ranqx is already a CUSO, it has credit union investors but is looking for more. He also says he soon will be looking to hire sales people - email him here. Give the guy a break, too. We talked on his fourth day at Ranqx. Listen up. And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #8 Credit Union Can Raise Capital With a Sale-Leaseback of Real Estate | 20 May 2024 | 00:38:37 | |
You're a credit union c-suiter and you dream about what good you could do if only you had more capital. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 300 Rhian Horgan, Silvur, and Today's Retirement Opportunity for Credit Unions | 15 May 2024 | 00:45:50 | |
Call this an encore performance with powerful, new information. Back on the show is Rhian Horgan, founder and CEO of Silvur, which she bills as retirement all in one place. As we age suddenly most of us have to deal with complex and, to us, wholly new topics such as Social Security and Medicare, both involving devilishly complex decisions - and a helping hand extended by a credit union would be greatly appreciated by many aging Americans. Who better to offer this help than a trusted credit union? What Silvur provides its credit union clients is deep knowledge about the complexities of retirement plus an extensive tool kit that can be made active at a credit union rapidly, no core access required. On its website Silvur says this about itself: “Silvur partners with financial institutions to offer Americans holistic, personalized education as they navigate retirement. With the data and insights Silvur shares you can unlock $3,000 in annual recurring revenue per member and customer today. We power deeper strategic engagement to capture the retirement wallet. Don't let today's $70 trillion retirement opportunity become a $30 trillion wealth transfer risk.” Face facts: we are deep into a massive retirement wave among Baby Boomers (the oldest now are 78, the youngest are 60). Where many credit unions see big worries, Horgan sees a terrific opportunity for credit unions to meet genuine needs of members. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 369 TrustGrid and the Secure Flow of Data | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:38:58 | |
I am not going to explain to you in any detail what TrustGrid does and that is because in the show Joe Gleinsner, a co-founder of the Austin TX company, does a much better job of explaining than I could. But here’s the fact: TrustGrid’s tools - which enable secure connections of fintech apps with banking systems - are on the job at a couple thousand US credit unions, says Gleinser. Why haven’t you heard of it? That’s because TrustGrid does not sell to credit unions, it sells to fintechs and it’s the fintechs that pay for the service. TrustGrid says it delivers fast, reliable fintech networks at scale - and that is why it is a leading provider in a space that is crucial to the safe, secure, reliable flow of financial data. Understand: this is NOT a technical show. But listen up and you’ll hear why TrustGrid is important and why so many credit unions and banks use its tools. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #7 All You Need to Know about USDA Loans and Credit Unions | 13 May 2024 | 00:34:26 | |
Let the Greatest Hits roll on. This is the CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #7 - everything you want to know about USDA loans. That’s the US Department of Agriculture and it makes loan money available through credit unions to fund everything from farm equipment to renewable energy. I had no idea this program existed and that credit unions are involved. Probably you didn’t either. Listen up to this Greatest Hit. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 299 Bo McDonald and the Fight to Save Small Credit Unions with Big Marketing | 08 May 2024 | 00:39:24 | |
Regular listeners know that a pet peeve of mine is how poorly most credit unions market. And then I discovered Bo McDonald, founder and CEO of Your Marketing Co. where the focus is on marketing for small credit unions. That’s right: small as in under $400 million in assets. In most cases, McDonald’s company acts as a kind of inhouse marketing department because the institutions he serves often have few if any internal marketing staff. McDonald knows too that great marketing can’t compensate for poor processes - and he will tell credit unions where they need to improve their technology and their business processes. Bottomline: this is an optimistic but also realistic look at what small credit unions can do to not just survive but to prosper. And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 298 Earnix's Will Ely on How to Succeed at Auto Lending Today | 01 May 2024 | 00:35:49 | |
The credit union share of auto loans fell sharply in 2023, down almost 5% from 2022 numbers tracked by Experian. Does this augur a grim future for credit unions when it comes to financing cars? Or was it a blip on the screen? On the show is Will Ely, a solutions architect at Earnix, where he consults with clients seeking more effective auto lending strategies. According to Ely, data is king of this mountain. In particular he points to pricing analytics as the key to unlocking more and better loans. We also discuss why some credit unions have pulled away from indirect auto lending and, surprise, why super prime borrowers aren't always the best for a credit union. Listen up
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #6 Matthew Butler on Charitable Donation Accounts | 29 Apr 2024 | 00:38:56 | |
Welcome to the CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits show. There are over 300 shows in the library and yet a reality in the podcast business is that few of us ever even look at more than maybe the half dozen most recent shows. That’s why we are going to resurface some of the best and most popular shows as Greatest Hits. This is show #6 Matthew Butler on Charitable Donation Accounts and, no, I hadn’t heard of it either until I talked with Butler. I like it when people bring me something I hadn’t heard of it so I put him on the show. Now I’m resurfacing it as Greatest Hit #7. Here’s why: a CDA allows a credit union to make investments in otherwise impermissible vehicles where the kicker is that 51% of returns have to be distributed as charitable donations (that presently means a 501 C 3). But the credit union can retain the remaining 49% for its own uses. Why isn’t your credit union doing this? Probably because you had never heard of it either. And now you have. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 297 EXL on How to Master Your Credit Union's Data | 24 Apr 2024 | 00:35:16 | |
The answers you need are in the data. Of course you know that. But do you know - really know - how to mine the data you have, and you have a lot, and drill down to the information you need today? On the show is Anurag Mukherjee, the Head of the Analytics practice for Credit Unions & Community Banks at EXL, a large global analytics and digital solutions consulting firm headquartered in New York. What sold me on doing this show was when I poked around the EXL website and landed on a case study where EXL worked with DCU, the big Massachusetts based credit union, to transform how the institution managed and used its data. Here’s the concluding sentence of the case study: “Within six months, the IT team migrated 30 months of data consisting of over 5.8 billion documents into Amazon Redshift for analysis. The data is refreshed each night, enabling the business teams to access up-to-date information on which to base decisions. In addition, each sales executive has a self-service dashboard delivering them the insights they need to better support their clients.” For many years I have looked upon DCU as a genuine tech leader among credit unions and if DCU was turning to EXL for help in organizing its data I had to know more about the company. In this show we hear about the work EXL did for DCU but also about what all credit unions need to do to prosper in an ever more competitive environment. We also hear about a chronic credit union problem - data from many different tech vendors often is siloed and unavailable to use in other systems from other vendors. Throughout this is an upbeat, optimistic show where the credit union future is depicted as bright - if the institutions digitize and keep digitizing to let them compete against everything from Chase to Chime. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 296 Interra Credit Union, Cashback+, and the American Heartland | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:39:25 | |
Imagine this: you and your spouse go to Appleby’s for a Valentine’s Day dinner. You pay the check with your credit union debit card and, shazam, you get 10% cashback. An impossible story? Not according to Joel Richard, chief experience officer at Interra Credit Union in Indiana. That cashback came to him because he was using a card linked to Cashback+ which delivers cashback to members who use their debit card at participating merchants and the merchant list is an all star collection including WalMart, BestBuy, Target, Amazon and as you will hear in the show the Cashback+ system is very open to including offers from a credit union’s business members. If you are thinking this is deja vu again you’re right. A few months ago we did a short newsflash episode with David Metz, CEO of Prizeout the company behind Cashback+. What’s different about this show is that Interra’s Richard is here singing Cashback+’s praises. Also on the show is Matt Denham, a Prizeout co-founder, who tells how the product has morphed and is now at an increasing number of credit unions. Face this fact: credit card rewards are probably going to shrink as Mastercard and Visa fees do. Cashout+ rides entirely different rails. This is about customer acquisition strategies deployed by sophisticated merchants. Probably, too, many of your members are fretting about balancing their household budget. Cashback can be a very sweet plus for many American households. And if you wonder who Andrea is, click here. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Money Talks with Kirk Kordeleski: Can You Spot the Rotten Apple? | 15 Apr 2024 | 00:45:46 | |
Can you pick out the bad apple? There are lots of retirement vehicles aimed at credit union c-suite executives but the fact is they aren’t created equal. Some simply are better than others. Back on the show today is Kirk Kordeleski, onetime CEO at Bethpage Federal Credit Union and now a leading expert on credit union SERPs (supplemental executive retirement plan), and he offers tips on what to look for in a steady SERP…and keep in mind it has to hold up usually for several decades after an executive retires. Along the way Kordeleski tells what credit union board members need to know and do to properly review and select SERPs for their executives. And we also talk about how credit unions can compete against - and beat! - money center banks. Sure, they have the scale but credit unions have an edge they can use to win this David v Goliath battle. Kordeleski relates how he did it at Bethpage. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 295 Saeid Kian Ribbon on Better Estate Transfers | 10 Apr 2024 | 00:44:30 | |
Your mother dies or maybe it’s your spouse and you’re a named beneficiary in the will so surely it’s a matter of presenting a few papers and some ID at the relative’s credit union and then you’ll walk out with a check. Dream on. When Saeid Kian’s father died from pancreatic cancer - meaning there had been time to get his financial papers in order - Saeid assumed it would be straightforward to gain access to his dad’s accounts. He assumed incorrectly. Months went by as he dealt with lumbering, inefficient systems at multiple financial institutions. These were months of frustration, aggravation and worse. Flashforward to now and Saeid is co-founder of Ribbon, a San Francisco fintech that aims to help credit unions produce a better experience for heirs seeking to collect inherited assets. Understood what’s in it for the FI to make this service smoother: Literally billions of dollars are pouring out of traditional FIs today as a generational wealth transfer of unprecedented magnitude unfolds and the heirs, in the majority of cases, are taking their inheritances to other institutions. Part of the reason they are is that many are fuming with the clumsy, lengthy process that most credit unions have in handling estate transfers. Ribbon makes it better, faster. It just may stop the money leak and help credit unions hold onto some of this cash. This is a good show about a service I hadn’t heard of - you haven’t either. And when you hear it you just may want to tie up with Ribbon pronto. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits #5 Josephine Chew on San Francisco Fire CU's Side Bank Campaign + More | 09 Apr 2024 | 00:43:54 | |
Welcome to the CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits show. There are over 300 shows in the library and yet a reality in the podcast business is that few of us ever even look at more than maybe the half dozen most recent shows. That’s why we are going to resurface some of the best and most popular shows as Greatest Hits. This is show #5 - San Francisco Fire Credit Union exec Josephine Chew tells about how the institution created its we want to be your side bank campaign and she also exudes humor, creativity and wisdom about how to market a credit union. She knows the other side of the street too. She came to credit unions after an eight year stint at Wells Fargo and along the way she put in time at Charles Schwab, Visa and other bigs. She knows their strengths but she also knows a credit union’s. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 295 How to Win the War for Core Deposits | 03 Apr 2024 | 00:39:37 | |
It’s a war out there for deposits. You know it. But what you might not know is how to actually get more deposits, especially from new members. Psst. Here’s the secret: digital account opening. That’s what Apiture’s Jennifer Dimenna is here to tell us -but first there is this mind numbing statistic: about half of all credit unions do not have the capability to offer digital account opening. And yet this is 2024. How many potential new members simply log out when they realize they’d have to come into a branch to open an account - and they take their digital mindset and their dollars down the road to an institution that lets them interact digitally. Digital account opening is becoming a must have and Apiture wants to get more credit unions up and ready online. Dimenna also tells the necessity of embedded finance tools that will allow a credit union to bring in new members everywhere from a community college bursar’s office to a veterinary office. Make it easier for consumers to put their money in your vaults and suddenly you’ll be winning the deposit wars. For your background reading here’s a recent Apiture white paper on how to grow your core deposits. Listen up And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Lee Silber on "The Credit Union Way" - A Feel Good Interlude | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:23:16 | |
Now for a feel good show. Lee Silber has put together a book, The Credit Union Way, that he says is inspired by the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and right away that tells you this is a feel good book. How did it come together? On the show Silber tells how he put together the stories - each of which relates a special credit union moment. In the episode Silber reads a chapter from the book - entitled Frank’s Fund - that was written by Anne Legg who happens to be a past CU 2.0 podcast guest. Read the book and next time somebody asks you how a credit union differs from a bank, just give the gist of one of the stories and it’s QED. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast 294 Olivia Sorensen on SELCO Steps Up and Credit Union Giving | 27 Mar 2024 | 00:35:11 | |
SELCO, at $2.7 billion in assets, is a big Oregon credit union. It has had an active community relations - and giving - portfolio. And then an idea took hold: SELCO decided to organize its activities and out of this has grown SELCO Steps Up where the credit union reimagines, expands, and organized its community relations portfolio. Every credit union should be looking at doing something similar. This is the path towards getting the most for the community out of the credit union’s talent and treasures. “Through SELCO Steps Up, we are looking for ways to identify the changing needs of the communities we serve, and find new and innovative methods that will leave a lasting impact,” said Olivia Sorensen, Senior Community Development Specialist for SELCO. “SELCO has nearly a century of history when it comes to helping our communities. With that experience, we know that it is not enough to simply write a check. Our goal is to uplift and empower while addressing key societal challenges with a focus on issues that we can do the most good, namely financial education, removing barriers to education, and supporting students and educators.” On the show today is Sorensen who takes us through how the idea of SELCO Steps Up took hold, how it progressed through management ranks, and how it has been embraced by the communities SELCO serves and by the credit union’s employees. Take notes. Similar approaches just may suit your credit union. While we are talking about this, also listen to podcast #287, Givio on charitable giving and credit unions, and a CU 2.0 Newsflash where Joe Bergeron of the Association of Vermont Credit Unions tells why and how that state’s credit unions are helping local farmers recover from significant weather related damages through the Dig Deep Vermont campaign. Listen up. Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits 4 Kirk Kordeleski Money Talks the C Suite Primer | 25 Mar 2024 | 00:52:49 | |
It was two years ago when we kicked off the first Kirk Kordeleski Money Talks podcast where the onetime Bethpage Federal Credit Union CEO talked about the rising importance and adoption of SERP retirement plans for c-suite credit union execs but also about the massive changes that are transforming the credit union industry. There’s a monthly show, an hour of prime listening for those working in the credit union industry and also those who want to sell into it. That means there are approaching two dozen shows in the archives. But here is number one. It’s definitely still worth a listen. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 293 Joe Heck and Happy Money Help Credit Unions Make Personal Loans | 20 Mar 2024 | 00:30:57 | |
This is a show about Happy Money. Of course you have to smile at that. You’ll smile more knowing it’s the name of a company that is in the business of helping consumers with personal loans that in turn are issued by participating credit unions and of course the consumer is memberized along the way. So it’s also a member acquisition tool. The key Happy Money loan is the Payoff Loan - $5000 to $40,000 - that helps a consumer pay off credit cards. Rates are as low as 12.45%. Credit unions that work with Happy Money include Michigan State Federal Credit Union, Technology Credit Union, and Alliant Credit Union. Happy Money investors include a subsidiary of TruStage, formerly known as CUNA Mutual. On the show to tell all about Happy Money is CEO Joe Heck, a longtime CUNA Mutual employee who rose to vice president, business transformation. Earlier in his career he was a manager at CASE Credit Union in Michigan. Heck is an authentic credit union guy - if we used video you’d see him in a hoodie! - and he believes in the credit union mission and the credit union difference. He also sincerely believes Happy Money has a significant role to play in helping credit unions live up to their mission. Listen up.
Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits 3 Prizeout's David Metz + Suncoast CU's Darlene Johnson on Value Upping Gift Cards | 18 Mar 2024 | 00:43:28 | |
Welcome to the CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits show. There are over 300 shows in the library and yet a reality in the podcast business is that few of us ever even look at more than maybe the half dozen most recent shows. That’s why we are going to resurface some of the best and most popular shows as Greatest Hits. This is show #3 - a reissue of CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 239 David Metz CEO of Prizeout and Darlene Johnson, EVP of Suncoast Credit Union, on Value Upping Gift Cards It’s a show with everything. A new twist on putting money in members pockets: ad tech. An eloquent credit union leader from one of the country’s biggest credit unions. And a CUSO makes an appearance. Potential guests often ask me what prep they should do. I always point them to the library. Listen to a few shows before we do yours. That’s the best homework possible. And this episode is a great example of a pairing that works between a CU exec and a tech partner. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 292 Nook and How to Build Better Member Relationships | 13 Mar 2024 | 00:43:04 | |
Kirk Kordeleski, onetime CEO at Bethpage Federal Credit Union, said it and his endorsement in a Credit Union Times article was so glowing that I knew I had to talk with Austin Wentzlaff, CEO of startup Nook. said Kordeleski: “I firmly believe that Nook is at the forefront of something truly exceptional for the credit union industry. Drawing from my experience as a former credit union CEO, I can attest that every credit union grapples with similar challenges related to member loyalty and engagement – precisely the issues that Nook was established to address.” Just what is Nook? It’s a content serving platform that helps credit unions build closer relationships - and maybe sell more pertinent products to - select consumer groups. Once upon a time credit unions had intimate ties with members and genuinely knew a lot about them. When every member - and board member - worked at XYZ factory or newspaper or school it was rather easy to know them. Nowadays, as more credit unions have community charters and the SEG based institutions often have dozens of very different SEGs it’s gotten harder to know thy members. The degree of difficulty has escalated further as financial services have transitioned from in person transactions to remote, digital interactions. Nook’s aim is to use digital tools to build the same kind of strong ties credit unions used to have. Nook’s current clients include Dort Financial Credit Union ($1.6 billion, Grand Blanc, Mich.) and TopLine Financial Credit Union ($792 million, Maple Grove, Minn.) And it’s looking for more. Listen up. Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Money Talks with Kirk Kordeleski - "Has the sky fallen?" | 11 Mar 2024 | 00:51:44 | |
The Callahan report on credit union financial performance in 2023 exploded like a bomb. Credit Union Times shrieked: “Credit Union Earnings Fell to Record Low in 2023, Callahan Data Shows.” The publication added a kick with its subhead: “But CU results are even worse when the most recent three months are extracted for earnings and originations.” Had the sky in fact fallen? Then I saw a post on LinkedIn by Kirk Kordeleski, the onetime CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, where he sought to add context to what Callahan had reported and what it in fact means for credit unions. I immediately contacted him and said we have to do a podcast. In this show, Kordeleski emphatically says the sky hasn’t fallen for credit unions, nor is it about to fall. In fact he remains very optimistic about the future for the credit unions who in fact comprehend the competitive landscape. This is not to say all is rosy for all. The podcast begins with thoughts about the many recent c-suite terminations and the moral of that story is that now, probably for the first time ever, many credit union boards are using competitive performance data to grade their institution’s performance - and they are firing CEOs who don’t measure up. That’s a tectonic shift for credit union leadership. Kordeleski tells how this came about. But know this: as I said Kordeleski is very optimistic about the future. In the show he tells what a credit union CEO needs to be doing to succeed in today’s changing universe. Listen up. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 291 Mahalo, Park View FCU and Neurodiverse Mobile Banking | 06 Mar 2024 | 00:41:02 | |
Maybe 15 to 20 percent of your members have a neurodiverse condition - anything from dyslexia to color blindness - and, surprise, that means they will face big challenges everytime they log into a mobile banking app because that technology just isn’t designed with such conditions in mind. Enter Mahalo with its Thoughtful Banking mobile app which features a neurodiversity module. Mahalo elaborated on what this means: “Among the platform's new features are left and right-hand use modes, font color options for those with Dyslexia or visual impairments, and the ability to disable animations for individuals affected by Epilepsy.” On the show today to talk about neurodiversity and mobile banking are Denny Howell of Mahalo Banking and Tanya Holland of Park View Federal Credit Union, a $366 million institution in Virginia. It’s a provocative discussion and it leaves one wondering: why haven’t a lot more credit unions jumped aboard this neurodiversity issue? But understand this: the show is about a bigger issue which is how a credit union and a technology provider can collaborate to help solve a problem that impacts a lot of members and still wind up friends. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Newsflash Jack Henry's Shanon McLachlan on Cores for Today and Tomorrow | 04 Mar 2024 | 00:28:20 | |
Do we still need to pay attention to a credit union’s core system? You bet you do. On the show today is Shanon McLachlan, president of Credit Union Solutions at Jack Henry and - honestly - he draws a picture of core systems that are genuinely exciting, that will grow with a credit union as its tech needs grow. Regular listeners know that usually when I mention core systems it’s wrapped in what some call sneer quotes. Mclachlan is determined to prove I’m wrong, that cores can and should be the brains of a thriving credit union. Is he right? Listen up for this perspective on a vital 21st century core. | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 290 Crux Analytics on How to Succeed at Engaging Small Business Members | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:38:29 | |
You’re a credit union, therefore you want more business members. Business members bring a lot of revenue into an institution. Many credit unions in recent years have made a push for more small business members. Many have fallen well short of their goals. There are many reasons why but there also is a big reality: most credit unions need outside help to achieve those goals. They need to work with outsiders who truly get what building relationships with small businesses is all about. Enter Crux Analytics. They tell their story on their website: “We started Crux because we believe in the power of small business. We have experienced first-hand the challenges owners face and understand the role they serve in our lives and our economy. We have seen the current systems driving small business banking fall short for both owners and financial institutions. Small businesses need access to relevant, quality banking services to thrive. Financial institutions want to be able to engage more with small businesses, who are loyal, valuable, long-term customers. Crux is bridging the gap.” On the show today is Jacob Bennett, a Crux Analytics co-founder, who tells why Crux Analytics just may be what your credit union needs to really master how to serve small businesses - and, while doing that, genuinely benefiting your community because, honestly, much of America revolves around healthy small businesses. Crux is seeking credit unions to join a pilot. Hear how towards the end of the show. This is a show that will leave you feeling optimistic. Listen up
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits 2 Peter Duffy on Credit Union - Credit Union Mergers | 26 Feb 2024 | 01:00:18 | |
Welcome to the CU 2.0 Podcast Greatest Hits Show, episode the second. This show is with Peter Duffy on credit union - credit union mergers, show #274. Consider it a bookend with the first Great Hits show with Michael Bell on credit union - bank mergers. The reality is that mergers just are in the 2024 air as more credit unions face up to the reality that they need to bulk up to compete. Meantime, other credit unions are struggling in today’s tougher banking environment where it’s just harder to prosper as loan defaults multiply, new loans are hard to issue, and some fee income (NSF charges for instance) is under attack. Merger just may be an escape route for a struggling credit union. In this show Duffy tells what he tells credit union board members at retreats. It’s straight talk. Listen up Like what you are hearing? Find out how you can help sponsor this podcast here. Very affordable sponsorship packages are available. Email rjmcgarvey@gmail.com And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 368 Kirk Drake on AI and LAUNCH | 03 Sep 2025 | 00:38:43 | |
AI - is it real or a mirage? What is certain is that today AI is on the lips on just about everyone in credit union land. What also is real is a recent MIT finding that 95% of large companies with AI initiatives are getting zilch out of them. Ouch. That does not have to be the reality for credit unions. On the show today is Kirk Drake, CEO of CU 2.0, author of FINANCIAL, a 2020 book that envisions the rise of AI in our lives and in credit unions, and he also is hosting LAUNCH, a September 23-25 event in Oregon which wears this tagline: This isn’t a conference. It’s a launchpad. In prior years the event was labeled CU 2.0 Live. This year it is held in partnership with Community Financial Credit Union’s ROOM (39)a initiative. Thus the name change. A huge focus in the event will be launching good stuff in AI. Drake tells all about the event in this show and the website has a small checklist - Are You in the Right Place? - that helps you decide if this event is for you or that it isn’t. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Newsflash Cashback+ the Debit Card Super Power | 23 Feb 2024 | 00:16:23 | |
There’s no charge to you or to your member - and yet both will get money out of the deal. In one case a member bought a $1000 CVS gift card and got an extra $80 in cash back. How cool is that. Of course you want to hear more. On the show today is David Metz, CEO of Prizeout and a past guest on the show. (Stay tuned: that episode will soon post as Greatest Hits # 3.) Today Metz is talking about Cashback+, a white label tool that puts money back in a member’s pocket with a debit card transaction. Note that: this works with debit cards, unlike most cashback which rides on a credit card. And that debit focus works well for credit unions where many members make heavy use of debit cards and that is especially true of younger members. Where does the cashback come from? Merchants who see the program as a customer acquisition tactic. And there’s no charge to the credit union or the member. Listen up.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 289 DoubleCheck on Overdrafts Hero or Villain - Which Do You Want to Be | 21 Feb 2024 | 00:48:14 | |
Hero or villain? It’s your choice. When a member writes a check, or swipes a debit card, but lacks the funds for the transaction a credit union has a choice: it can play the part of the villain and slap a big fee on the member or the credit union could use the patented toolset from DoubleCheck to resolve the situation in ways that can benefit both the member and the credit union. Face facts: you may not have long to decide what to do. The two dozen biggest credit unions - ones with assets over $10 billion - already are confronting a CFPB that seems to determined to change how they handle overdrafts. A bigger bomb dropped when NCUA weighed in with its idea to supervise how overdrafts are handled at credit unions with assets of $1 billion or more. That impacts some 500 credit unions. A revolution is afoot regarding overdrafts. Credit unions simply have to accept that changes are coming. That’s where DoubleCheck comes in. On the show today is Joel Schwartz, founder and Co CEO of DoubleCheck. He tells all you need to know about what’s happening in the world of overdrafts and how DoubleCheck can help credit unions who want to manage these changes in ways that will benefit members and the credit unions and satisfy regulators. Schwartz has been on the show twice before - in February 2022 and earlier in February 2021. He’s a good, lively guest and he knows this overdraft world. You need to know about it too. Listen up,
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||
| CU 2.0 Podcast Episode 288 IDgo, Corning Credit Union, and a Better Way to Identify Members | 14 Feb 2024 | 00:34:03 | |
What’s your mother’s maiden name? Your first car’s make? Your zip code? Face facts: it’s tedious at best to positively identify members who contact the credit union and, worse, scammers know the protocols and in some cases have masqueraded as credit union employees and gotten the answers from members so they could impersonate them. Nobody like the way this is now done at most FIs, except maybe a few scammers. There has to be a better way and there is: IDgo which uses biometrics to identify the member. On the show today is Rocky Scales, CEO of IDgo, who tells how the tool works and - importantly - says the implementation is very fast and effortless on the part of the credit union.
And like this podcast on whatever service you use to stream it. That matters. Find out more about CU2.0 and the digital transformation of credit unions here. It's a journey every credit union needs to take. Pronto | |||