Filene Research Institute

Through independent research and innovation, the Filene Research Institute explores issues vital to the future of credit unions and consumer finance.


Philosophy and Values

  1. Helping you think and do in 2010

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    Filene Members,

    Happy Holidays! Thank you for your continued support! Research and innovation are common ingredients in any economic recovery, and our pipeline is bulging from your many requests. Among the dozens of projects underway at Filene, here is a sample of what you can expect from us in 2010:

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    categories » Filene News, Philosophy and Values

  2. Did you hear the one about the credit union and overdraft fees?

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    Seriously…did you? Last week’s USA Today got as close as you can get to ranting about credit unions. While you can argue the merits, fairness and balance of the article’s treatment, the credit union system suffered some bad PR. I came away with one positive message for credit unions.

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    categories » Collaboration, Philosophy and Values

  3. Articulating the Co-op Difference

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    In response to an excellent post over at CUES Skybox.

    I was at a meeting of cooperative grocers a few weeks back, and there were a lot more young’ens in the crowd than at a typical credit union meeting. When asked to defend the cooperative model, most of them didn’t do it on the basis of cost (apparently co-op groceries are often comparable or more expensive) or participation, even though the ones in the room participated heavily. The default defense was that it was “the right way to buy.”

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    categories » Consumer/Member Data, Philosophy and Values