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The Challenge: Credit Unions Are Navigating a Faster, More Complex Landscape With Less Room for Error and Fewer Resources to Spare.

Kim Lear | Founder, Inlay Insights
Filene's Answer: We Do The Work. You Act With Confidence. Peer-Tested, Built With Credit Unions, For Credit Unions.

Advancing financial well-being by strengthening credit unions

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Research & Thinking

Research is our middle name, but there is so much more to it than you might think
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Innovations & Incubators

The future of financial services is changing and credit unions have always been innovators
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Communities & Networks

Be part of something bigger where your contributions are your superpower
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Events & Activities

Team up and collaborate with hundreds of your peers here; it's what credit unions do
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Questions

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Join us in asking and answering today's big questions.

Blog |
Payments Strategy and Planning

The Payments Evolution: What Credit Union Leaders Need to Know Right Now

Most credit unions know that the payments landscape is changing. Fewer have a strategy for what to do about it. The following post explores the insights Fellow Dr. Henry Kim shared at this year's Filene's Inner Circle Symposium. Read on to explore the four pillars that will define payments leadership in the years ahead, and what questions to ask your team now to prepare.
Report #663 | Members
Innovation Payments

2025 FiLab Results: Cardfit

Credit cards remain one of the most powerful tools for deepening member relationships, yet most consumers still turn to big banks when choosing a card. Why? Because credit unions are often invisible in the digital comparison journey. Filene’s latest FiLab Fintech report explores how seven credit unions tested CardFit’s comparison platform to change that dynamic, and what they learned about engagement, targeting, and the hidden barriers standing between interest and approval.
Blog |
Payments

Leading the Payments Evolution: Welcome to Filene's Center for All Things Payments

  • Henry Kim
The payments landscape is transforming faster than ever. Members now expect money to move instantly at 2 AM, buy products without leaving AI chat windows, and access seamless payment experiences everywhere they go. Meanwhile, stablecoins, embedded finance, and evolving fraud tactics are reshaping the competitive playing field. Read on to learn how Filene's new Center for All Things Payments will help you meet your members' expectations and turn disruption into your strategic advantage.

Blog |
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Strategy and Planning Benchmarking and Key Performance Indicators

What Happens When Credit Unions Try Finfluencer Marketing?

166 times more likes per post, 300,000+ total impressions, and an average campaign spend of just $4,300. Filene's FiLab Finfluencer test delivered results that surprised even the most skeptical credit union marketers. Here's what 13 credit unions learned when they put influencer marketing to the ultimate test.
Report #658 |
Innovation Attracting and Engaging Younger Members

2025 FiLab Results: Finfluencer

The next generation of members seek out financial guidance online and the question is whether your credit union will be part of that conversation. Filene's FiLab Finfluencer report reveals how 13 credit unions stepped into that space by testing influencer campaigns, and what they discovered may change the way you think about future member growth entirely.
Report #657 | Members

Engaging the Next Generation: A Strategic Imperative for Credit Unions in the Social Media Era

  • David Smith
  • Samuel Seaman
  • Yury Adamov
Gen Z is anxious about money and seeking answers on social media, often from finfluencers who are entertaining but not always accurate. This report shows how credit unions can fill that gap with credible, authentic content. Based on analysis of 270,000+ posts across credit unions, banks, digital natives, and finfluencers, it reveals what performs best on social media platforms, and how storytelling, humor, and short-form video build engagement and trust with the next generation of members.

Latest Research from Filene

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Report #667 | Members
Financial Well-being

What Improves Employee Well-Being?

  • Mathieu Despard, PhD, MSW
As employees face rising stress, financial pressure, burnout, and disengagement, credit unions are being challenged to create workplaces that support people both at work and in life. Strengthening employee well-being can improve retention, engagement, productivity, and the ability of employees to serve members effectively. This report highlights where employees are struggling most and outlines practical strategies credit unions can use to build healthier, more supportive workplaces.
Report #666 | Members
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Strategy and Planning

The Moment of Change: Benchmarking the Next Generation of Credit Union Growth

This benchmarking research provides a data-driven view of how credit unions approach member growth. Based on responses from 105 participants across 92 organizations—primarily larger, growth-oriented institutions—it identifies where momentum is building, where gaps remain, and where future innovation should focus. Findings cover four areas: current strategies and future direction, digital delivery and product innovation, social media, and employee experience as a driver of next-generation growth.
Report #665 |
Innovation Financial Well-being

2025 FiLab Results: Silvur

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on supporting members through one of the most complex transitions they will face, retirement. Silvur, is a white-labeled digital platform that guides members through Social Security, Medicare, and retirement income decisions, to test whether retirement education delivered through the credit union channel could deepen member relationships and support asset retention at a critical life stage.
Report #664 |
Innovation Financial Well-being Attracting and Engaging Younger Members

2025 FiLab Results: Debbie

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on engaging the next generation of credit union members. To address this growing challenge, FiLab partnered with Debbie to test whether its rewards-based platform could help credit unions attract Gen Z and millennial members, deepen deposit activity, and build lasting financial habits through gamification and cash incentives.
Report #663 | Members
Innovation Payments

2025 FiLab Results: Cardfit

Credit cards remain one of the most powerful tools for deepening member relationships, yet most consumers still turn to big banks when choosing a card. Why? Because credit unions are often invisible in the digital comparison journey. Filene’s latest FiLab Fintech report explores how seven credit unions tested CardFit’s comparison platform to change that dynamic, and what they learned about engagement, targeting, and the hidden barriers standing between interest and approval.

Blog

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Events

Member Exclusive Webinar |
Board Governance

In Uncertain Times, Strong Boards Don't Wait for Clarity, They Create It. Hard-Won Lessons from Credit Union CEOs and Board Chairs Who've Been There.

In this member-exclusive session, Filene Fellow Dr. Amy Hillman shares what truly makes boards effective during disruption, from meaningful board assessments to strong chair leadership and a trusted board chair-CEO partnership. You'll walk away with practical lessons to help your board lead with clarity and confidence when decisions get tough.
Event |

Crash Program — Defense Credit Union Council Conference 2026

  • Beth Merlo
  • Kaeshier Fernandez

Aventura, FL

Rising credit union leaders: join Filene and the Defense Credit Union Council in Aventura, FL this August to "crash" the only national conference built for credit unions serving military and veteran communities. Apply by May 29.
Webinar |
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Strategy and Planning

Personalization That Pays Off: How Credit Union CMOs Are Turning Smarter Segmentation into Deeper Relationships and Higher Balances

  • Stephen Arnold
Your members aren't all the same. Stop marketing like they are. Leading credit union CMOs reveal how they're using Member Pulse to drive smarter segmentation and personalized member engagement. The session delivers real-world strategies, no theory, just proven tactics that strengthen relationships, grow balances, and improve cross-sell performance.
Member Exclusive Webinar |
Financial Well-being

Financial Stress Is Rising, Are Your Members Feeling It? How Credit Unions Can Turn Financial Well-Being into Loyalty, Trust, and Growth

Financial stress is reshaping how members engage with their finances and credit unions that understand this shift are uniquely positioned to drive growth. Join Filene Fellow Dr. Mat Despard to discover how your credit union can turn member financial well-being into a powerful driver of loyalty, trust, and long-term growth.
Webinar |
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Innovation Financial Well-being

Seven Innovations. Real Tests. Real Results. How AI, New Platforms, and Bold Experiments Are Shaping the Future of Credit Unions

Filene's FiLab ran seven bold experiments testing AI, new platforms, and fresh ideas against the real challenges credit unions face today, and the results are finally in. Join us for an exclusive first look at what worked, what didn't, and what's ready to scale, plus a sneak peek at the innovative tests the FiLab community has selected for 2027.
Member Exclusive Webinar |

Designing Digital Experiences That Matter: Why Data is the Key for Credit Unions

Credit unions are transforming digitally right now, and the ones pulling ahead share one thing in common: they put member data at the center of every decision. Join us for this member-exclusive session to explore how a strong data strategy can help your credit union design more personalized member experiences, sharpen operations, and build a smarter digital future.
Event |

Crash Program — big.bright.minds. 2026

  • Kaeshier Fernandez

New Orleans, LA

Rising credit union leaders: join Filene this December in New Orleans to "crash" big.bright.minds. — three days of original research, fintech showcases, and peer connections in the single richest room in the movement. Applications open soon.
Event |

big.bright.minds. 2026

New Orleans, LA

Every year, courtesy of our presenting sponsors, Filene brings together credit unions from across the U.S.: CEOs, board members, and the employees designing the future of credit unions. Add in our Filene Fellows and industry thinkers whose work is reshaping the industry, the next generation of leaders through Crashers, and the fintechs building the tools that will define the next decade, and you have the single richest room in the movement.
Webinar |
Strategy and Planning Payments Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Artificial Intelligence Innovation

Filene's Major Predictions for Credit Unions in 2027

As the year closes, Filene leaders are sharing their boldest predictions to help credit union leaders cut through the noise and focus on what matters most heading into 2027. Join us for a forward-looking session packed with trend insights and practical guidance so you can end the year with clarity and start 2027 with confidence.