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CU Harmony: Easy Introductions, Common Connections, and Meaningful Collaboration

In this i3 Idea Blueprint brief, you will learn about CU Harmony, a credit union collaboration website.

Executive Summary

Imagine...

  • Credit unions taking their inherent spirit of cooperation to a whole new level.
  • A helpful, easy-to-use tool that helps credit unions survive and thrive amidst ever-mounting economic and operational pressures.
  • Truly meaningful collaboration that can benefit the industry today and in the future.
  • A simple, web-based mechanism that helps match credit unions with other credit unions to share resources.

That’s the idea recently developed by one of Filene’s i3 innovation teams.

What is the research about?

In this i3 Idea Blueprint, you will learn about CU Harmony. Modeled after the eHarmony concept of matching individuals to create couples based on compatible profiles, the CU Harmony Web site provides credit unions the same opportunity. After registering on the site, CU Harmony connects people to people, people to credit unions, and credit unions to credit unions. Users may not only share information, but offer their skills to help others. The site allows for queries against any of the fields carried in the NCUA 5300 call reports to find credit unions that fit potential partnership opportunities. It's high-level collaboration made simple.

What are the credit union implications?

The benefits of such collaboration are self-evident in the operational efficiencies and cost savings gained from sharing resources. Credit unions may benefit from reduced operating expenses, risk mitigation, compliance training, fraud prevention, knowledge sharing, increased access to specialized talent by pooling human resources, and speed to market and market position.