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


Filene's Ideas Grow Here

  1. Blazing Trails and Taking Names

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    The Filene Research Institute is so proud of our very own Matt Davis who was recently named by the Credit Union Times as one of their under 40 Trailblazers.

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  2. Get in the Game: How Credit Unions Can Engage Members, Solve Problems, and Improve Skills with Game Thinking

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    Worldwide, three billion hours are spent playing video games each week. The five million “extreme” gamers in the United States play an average of 45 hours per week, more than the average worker spends earning a living. In contrast, consumers spend only 2.6 hours per month on financial planning and budgeting.

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    categories » Innovation, Marketing, Consumer Behavior and Market Research, Strategy

  3. Balancing Member Service with Organizational Efficiency

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    The credit union business model may not be as simple as others. But the profitability principle is the same: Cut your own costs, or gently charge more.

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    categories » Consumer/Member Data, Life Cycle and Evolution of Credit Unions, Strategy

  4. Commercial Lending During the Crisis: Credit Unions Vs. Banks

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    At a time when the economy needs kindling from any corner, credit unions’ stable commercial lending history shows they may be a helpful source.

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    categories » Lending, Strategy

  5. Research Pilot: Wallet Allocation Rule

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    What factors influence the share of member deposits allocated with credit unions versus other financial institutions also used by credit union members? What member-level metrics should credit unions monitor to gauge their performance against competitors that will link strongly to members’ share of deposit allocations?

    Join Filene in piloting the Wallet Allocation Rule to find out.

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  6. 2012 GAC

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    Thank you to those who attended the 2012 Filene Chair’s Breakfast. The Institute is truly grateful for your generous support and commitment to Filene’s research and innovation programs. The purpose of the breakfast is to honor and thank our special members/friends and provide a forum for a lively discussion. Filene Benefactors, Founding, Honorary, and Leadership Circle Members of the Institute are invited to this annual event.

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  7. Announcing FinovateFall 2012

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    Filene will head to New York on September 12th and 13th to take note of the best new innovations in financial and banking techonology.

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  8. Credit Union Digital Branding Colloquium

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    Digital branding and social strategies are becoming the necessary norm for all businesses, including credit unions. But there is a danger that managers, while acknowledging this new norm, can get in trouble by not approaching it strategically.

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  9. Attributes and Skills of Highly Effective Credit Union Managers

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    “At the end of the day, you bet on people, not strategies.” That, according to Larry Bossidy, the longtime CEO of Allied Signal (later Honeywell), is what drives a company and creates a culture.

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    categories » Management, Performance Measures, Strategy

  10. Research Colloquium: From Financial Literacy to Financial Capability

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    What is the difference between financial literacy and financial capability, and why should credit unions care? Where is financial capability lacking and what are the consequences of low financial literacy? What approaches and methods can better suppport credit unions’ efforts to promote financial literacy and capability? Which groups are the best targets for credit unions’s efforts?

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    categories » Filene News, Saving/Thrift