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Synergent® is thrilled to announce Meridia Community Credit Union has signed a ten-year renewal agreement with Synergent for hosted Jack Henry™ Symitar® core processing. Additionally, the credit union has committed to a five-year extension for Opening Act™ and iPay Consumer Bill Pay.
For Michael Hoffman, President and CEO of Meridia Community Credit Union, the decision to renew with Synergent was an easy one. “Expanding and continuing our partnership was the best choice we could make, as Synergent is as invested in serving our members as we are,” said Hoffman. “Synergent is a trusted extension of our team, we’ve had a fantastic experience working with them, and we look forward to many years of continued collaboration and success.” Meridia Community Credit Union also signed a new five-year agreement for Synergent’s Integrated Credit Card Services, as well as five-year renewal agreements for numerous additional services provided by Synergent, including Integrated Debit Card Services, Check Processing, and Mobile Deposit Capture by Ensenta. Randy Stolp, President of Synergent, shared this enthusiasm for the renewed and expanded relationship. “We are delighted to not only continue our partnership through the numerous contract renewals, but also to expand it with the new agreement for integrated credit card services,” said Stolp. “Our expanded partnership reflects our shared commitment to success, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the years to come to help the credit union serve both their community and their members.” Meridia Community Credit Union, headquartered in Hamburg, New York, has over 9,000 members and over $126 million in assets. Its field of membership includes individuals who live, work, worship or attend school in all of Erie County, Cattaraugus County and Chautaugua County in Western New York.
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 Ashish Garg Eltropy, the leading AI-powered unified conversations platform for community financial institutions (CFIs) serving over 650 credit unions and community banks in North America, today announced the acquisition of Lexop, a leading collections technology provider.
This strategic move aligns with three critical trends reshaping financial services: digital wallets (like Apple Pay), artificial intelligence (AI), and self-serve or self-cure payment experiences. By combining Lexop’s innovative technology with Eltropy’s AI-powered communications platform, the partnership will modernize debt repayment and collections, helping CFIs reduce and prevent delinquencies, collect faster while enhancing borrower experiences. “The world needs a better way for people to pay their debt obligations. Today’s phone-call-driven experiences are extremely inconvenient for the borrower, making it difficult for CFIs to collect debt payments on time,” said Ashish Garg, CEO and Co-founder of Eltropy. “By combining Lexop’s people-first collections technology with our AI-driven communications platform, we’re delivering an offering that increases effectiveness with empathy.” “We built Lexop to create a better past-due member experience,” said Amir Tajkarimi, CEO and Co-founder of Lexop. “By joining Eltropy, we are reinventing loan repayment and collections, helping credit unions and community banks improve recovery rates while preserving relationships with their members. We have been watching Eltropy take the CFI world by storm and could not be more excited to join hands.” With Lexop, Eltropy now has a self-serve solution that prevents avoidable delinquency by making it extremely easy to make payments with two clicks on their phone before the due date, because prevention is better than cure. For borrowers who do get into delinquency because of adverse life events, Eltropy will now enable meaningful conversations that lead to faster, higher collections while preserving dignity and trust. Why Innovation in Loan Repayment and Collections MattersAgainst a backdrop of record-breaking U.S. consumer debt – which has surged to $17.7 trillion in the second quarter of 2024 (Deloitte) – the amount of debt that is at repayment risk is at an all time high, posing a significant risk to the U.S. financial system. Traditional loan repayment methods, reliant heavily on manual phone calls and outdated processes, are inefficient, costly, and damage borrower relationships by giving them a poor experience. On the other hand, digital wallets have emerged as the fastest-growing payment method in the United States, according to JD Power research. As consumers increasingly embrace these quick, seamless payment experiences for their everyday transactions, there remains a stark disconnect between modern consumer payment preferences and the traditional, cumbersome loan repayment processes still used by many CFIs. What Innovations Eltropy + Lexop Are Bringing to CFIs The combination of Lexop’s member-focused collections technology and Eltropy’s AI-powered platform addresses these challenges head-on, transforming debt repayment into a proactive, seamless process. By integrating Lexop’s self-cure solutions, Eltropy now offers the most comprehensive member servicing platform in the market – one that marries empathy, efficiency, and recovery.
Art Sookazian, President of National Credit Union Collections Alliance 2024 (NCUCA) welcomed the collaboration, noting that debt collection is long overdue for a makeover. "In my 20+ years working with credit unions, the collections process has in large part remained stubbornly stuck in the past," said Art. "What excites me about this Eltropy-Lexop combination is that it finally brings collections into the modern era. Credit unions can now offer members in financial difficulty the same digital-first experience they've come to expect from every other banking interaction. This isn't just about better recovery rates – it's about treating our members with dignity during their toughest financial moments." Creating a Comprehensive Conversations Platform for CFIsThis is Eltropy’s third acquisition, following its acquisitions of POPi/o and Marsview in 2022. With POPi/o came video banking, enabling credit unions and community banks to connect face-to-face with members remotely and streamline branch services. Marsview strengthened Eltropy's AI and conversation intelligence capabilities while providing advanced AI tools for automating member and customer engagement. Together, these acquisitions have allowed Eltropy to build a powerful, all-in-one Unified Platform that serves the needs of community financial institutions throughout. Financial terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed. The combined company will continue to operate from both Eltropy's headquarters in Santa Clara, California and Lexop's headquarters in Montreal, Quebec.  ModernFi CUSO, the first deposit network for credit unions, is pleased to announce that credit unions in the CUSO network can now provide their members access to $10 million in NCUA insurance* through a single account, a major milestone for the industry and for ModernFi in its mission to support credit union deposit and member growth. By offering accounts with millions in extended NCUA insurance*, credit union partners can further attract and retain large-value members such as businesses and municipalities, reduce reliance on rate, and support long-term member relationships.
The rapid growth and adoption of the CUSO deposit network has allowed network credit unions to quickly benefit from the partnership, capturing multi-million dollar deposit balances while simultaneously delivering increased value to their members. ModernFi CUSO continues to onboard new credit unions on a weekly basis, and this continued expansion only further enhances the value delivered to both credit unions and their members, as higher and higher levels of insurance coverage* can be supported over time. With higher limits, which matter to large commercial entities, public funds, and nonprofits, credit union partners can serve an expanding universe of potential members. A list of ModernFi CUSO’s participating credit unions can be found below, with over 40 partners and counting. “From its inception, ModernFi CUSO has been a collaborative effort with our credit union partners,” said Mark Ward, VP of Product and Operations at ModernFi CUSO. “We’re grateful for the reception and adoption that we’ve seen from our partners and for the value we’ve been able to deliver to our recent network joiners. The growth of the network has helped us pass this important milestone; $10 million in NCUA insurance* per account is a significant amount, allowing our partners to serve very large members and balances. We look forward to the continued growth of the network as higher insurance limits will only increase the value that we are able to provide to our partners.” “MDC evaluated the full universe of solutions to help credit unions with deposit growth through our Balance Sheet Marketplace initiative; no other solution was able to support credit unions like ModernFi,” said Jeff Kline, CEO at Members Development Company (MDC). “The deposit network continues to be transformative for the industry, and it is incredible to see the growth of the network and the value that many MDC credit unions have already received through the ModernFi CUSO partnership.” John Carew, Chief Strategy Officer at Georgia’s Own Credit Union, highlighted the strategic importance of this milestone. “For decades, credit unions have been waiting for a solution like this as no other provider has been able to deliver,” said Carew. “ModernFi not only met the challenge but exceeded expectations by delivering a solution to credit unions in under a year. This is a true game-changer for credit unions, giving us the tools to grow, compete, and better serve our members in ways we never thought possible.” "The ModernFi team has been an incredible resource and partner as Ascend has grown our strategy around targeting businesses and other high value accounts," said David Feldhaus, CFO at Ascend Federal Credit Union. "The $10mm insurance threshold is a huge milestone that will allow us to take our marketing and product offering with these accounts to the next level." Corporate One Federal Credit Union is excited to announce CU Forward: Sharing Knowledge, Shaping Success, a dynamic half-day virtual conference for credit union leaders and professionals, taking place online on February 26, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM EST.
“CU Forward is an exceptional opportunity for credit union professionals to come together, explore innovative ideas, and gain the insights needed to drive success,” said Christine Mayes, EVP, Chief Member Engagement Officer. “This complimentary virtual conference brings together the top experts on today’s hottest topics, creating an invaluable opportunity for credit union attendees to gain insights, network, and stay ahead in an ever-evolving industry." What to Expect CU Forward empowers credit union professionals with knowledge and actionable strategies. The event will feature three engaging sessions led by industry experts covering essential topics, including AI, cybersecurity, and open banking. Session Highlights Each session, lasting 45-60 minutes, is packed with actionable takeaways and practical advice, making it a must-attend event for anyone aiming to stay ahead in the ever-evolving financial services industry.
Learn how open banking is revolutionizing financial services through data sharing and innovation. Explore its benefits, strategic opportunities for credit unions, and ways to collaborate with fintech partners to deliver enhanced member experiences.
Navigate today’s rapidly evolving cyber threats with confidence. This session will introduce the concept of cyber resiliency, how to create a Cyber Recovery Playbook, and actionable steps to protect member trust and ensure business continuity. Who Should Attend? This virtual conference is tailored for credit union leaders, innovators, and rising professionals eager to explore fresh perspectives and enhance their organization’s strategies. Whether attendees want to spark innovation, strengthen existing initiatives on these topics, or optimize member services, CU Forward is the perfect opportunity to gain insights and inspiration. Registration Registration is now open: https://webinars.on24.com/corporateone/CUForward25.  Jim Stickley Mahalo Banking, a leading provider of innovative digital banking solutions, today announced the successful closure of seven new credit union partnerships in December 2024. This achievement caps off a year of outstanding growth in 2024 and underscores the strong demand for Mahalo’s Thoughtful Digital Banking Solution, a platform that redefines the banking experience with a focus on personalized, member-focused, and core-centric services.
The new partnerships span credit unions of all asset sizes, including True North Federal Credit Union, North Iowa Community Credit Union, Security First Credit Union, Police Federal Credit Union, Peninsula Community Federal Credit Union, Aspen Federal Credit Union, and Astera Credit Union. These partnerships reinforce Mahalo’s growing industry impact and position the provider to further expand its reach within the credit union sector, enhance its product offerings, and deliver greater value to members in an increasingly digital-first financial landscape. "At Mahalo, we have always maintained metered growth to ensure that each of our credit union partners receive the same level of dedication and service,” said Jim Stickley, CEO of Mahalo. "Increasing our capacity to allow seven credit unions to sign in December reflects the hard work of our team to ensure we exceed our partners’ expectations. This is why at Mahalo, we can guarantee that everything we commit to our credit union partners will be delivered as promised and on time. We look forward to continuing this momentum into the new year and driving further innovation in digital banking." Mahalo’s Thoughtful Digital Banking Solution delivers a comprehensive, seamless, and highly secure banking experience that empowers both businesses and consumers with the tools they need to thrive in the modern financial ecosystem. Designed with user experience and operational efficiency in mind, the platform integrates cutting-edge technology with a human-centric approach to deliver tailored financial services that are both intuitive and powerful. December’s achievement follows a year of significant milestones for Mahalo, including the introduction of its Credential Assurance Technology (CAT) and neurodiverse functionality, among other innovative features. As Mahalo enters the new year, the company is poised for even greater growth, with an expanding pipeline of potential partnerships and ongoing commitment to advancing the future of digital banking.  Dan Michaeli Glia, the leader in customer interaction technology for high-trust sectors, today announced the findings of a new industry survey, shedding light on the evolving challenges and opportunities facing today’s contact center teams across banking, credit unions, insurance and more.
The original research reveals an industry hungry to move past traditional Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) technology. Unveiled as the “Glia Difference,” the initiative showcases how Glia’s Unified Interaction Management (UIM) platform is transforming customer experiences and solving the biggest pain points across digital and voice interactions today. Based on responses from leaders and executives in banking, credit unions and insurance, the survey finds that:
“Industrywide, isolated customer interactions and siloed data are creating major pain and frustration. Clearly, legacy contact center technology, including CCaaS, is failing to keep up with today’s customer expectations and the needs of those who work with contact centers — agents, managers and executives,” said Dan Michaeli, CEO and co-founder of Glia. “Glia offers the industry a next-gen, AI-ready platform that is built, priced and delivered differently than legacy contact center technology. It’s why our customers feel an immediate impact — and breathe a sigh of relief — when they partner with Glia.” The Glia Difference is built on three core elements: a visionary ChannelLess® philosophy and approach to voice and digital interactions that ushers contact centers into the AI era, customer-first pricing options with unlimited seats and minutes, and an emphasis on security and compliance for high-trust sectors. Already, customers that have upgraded from legacy contact center technology have benefited from the Glia Difference, driving efficiencies and improving the customer experience at the same time:
Harnessing UIM for all digital and voice customer interactions, Glia breaks the mold of traditional contact center technology. Specifically, the Glia Difference comprises six attributes:
“Today’s customers in high-trust environments demand seamless, effortless experiences — interactions like those powered by Glia every day,” Michaeli said. “From optimizing efficiency to reducing costs to scaling operations, Glia streamlines workflows across digital and voice channels, reducing manual inefficiencies and delivering personalized interactions that drive trusted customer relationships. With the Glia Difference, leaders can transform customer service from a source of business friction to a source of business velocity.” Additional information on the Glia Difference in action will be shared during the company’s free, public webinar “Answering the Call: Heartland Credit Union’s Digital Transformation,” to be held Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. EST. A conversation with Heartland’s VP of Digital Strategy, the webinar will unpack the company’s journey to a more modern, efficient, AI-ready contact center. DCUC Calls on Senate to Address Credit Union Concerns During SBA Administrator Confirmation1/27/2025  Jason Stverak Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) sent a letter (attached) to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship regarding the confirmation of The Honorable Kelly Loeffler as Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
In the letter, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak shared how credit unions continue to provide essential financial services to underserved communities, including military families, at lower costs than for-profit institutions. Stverak emphasized how credit unions, notably defense credit unions, carry a long history and mission in supporting veteran and military-family-owned businesses, providing tailored financial services that continue to foster local economic growth. DCUC’s letter outlined several barriers currently hindering credit unions’ ability to fully support small businesses, including complex processes: overly bureaucratic SBA loan procedures deter participation; limited collaboration: credit unions face unequal access to SBA programs compared to larger banks; lending caps: member business lending (MBL) caps restrict credit unions from adequately serving small businesses; and veteran capital access: veteran-owned businesses often struggle to secure funding, a gap defense credit unions are poised to fill. To strengthen partnerships between credit unions and the SBA, DCUC urged Administrator Loeffler to prioritize:
DCUC’s letter also stressed the need to address disparities veteran entrepreneurs face, such as experiencing higher financing shortfalls and lower loan approval rates than nonveterans. DCUC believes by removing the MBL cap for veteran-owned businesses, defense credit unions can be enabled to better address these challenges for these important communities. DCUC concluded its letter urging the Senate to strengthen SBA collaboration with credit unions, maximizing support for veteran-owned small businesses and fostering economic growth nationwide. For more information, please see attached DCUC's official letter and release. Further comments or questions may be directed to Jason Stverak at [email protected]. Corelation Celebrates 15 Years of Success with 33 Signings, Another Record-Breaking Year in 20241/24/2025  Rob Landis In 2024, Corelation, Inc. celebrated a year of outstanding accomplishments, significant growth, and unwavering commitment to its credit union clients. These achievements further solidify the company’s reputation as the premier core processor in the credit union industry. The year saw continued momentum, with 33 credit unions (cumulative total $24.2 billion in assets, 1.6 million members) choosing the KeyStone core, surpassing Corelation’s previous record of 32 signings in 2023. Another 23 credit unions (cumulative total $18.8 billion in assets; 962,518 members) completed their conversions to KeyStone in 2024.
“Corelation’s continued strong, deliberate growth shows that after celebrating 15 years this year, credit unions are still lining up for KeyStone and show no signs of stopping,” said Tim Maron, Chief Revenue Officer at Corelation. And Maron isn’t the only one that has been impressed in the industry. Corelation closed out 2024 with a robust fourth quarter, signing an additional 14 new credit unions to the KeyStone platform to close out their year. These latest additions include Bossier Federal Credit Union, Call Federal Credit Union, Financial Plus Credit Union, Greater Iowa Credit Union, North Iowa Community Credit Union, Meritus Federal Credit Union, OUCU Financial Credit Union, Peninsula Community Federal Credit Union, Police Federal Credit Union, Security First Federal Credit Union, ServU Federal Credit Union, TruWest Credit Union, and two credit unions to be announced. “Our team selected KeyStone to transform both the member and employee experience by streamlining processes, enhancing personalization, and strengthening security,” noted Chris Kearney, CEO of TruWest Credit Union. “With its modern architecture, person-centric data model, and powerful integration capabilities, KeyStone delivers the flexibility we need to meet the evolving needs of our members.” Corelation’s signature events also reached new milestones in 2024: the annual Client Conference welcomed 1,540 attendees and the CEO & CTO Forum drew 166 participants. These gatherings brought together credit union leaders from across the industry to explore emerging trends, exchange innovative ideas, and strengthen partnerships. But that’s not all, Corelation plans on celebrating its 15th Anniversary in a big way this year during its Annual Client Conference, set to take place in San Diego from May 14–16, 2025 with some highlights of its own and, as always, it will be an event to remember. In 2024, Corelation surpassed another major milestone, growing its team to over 400 employees. This expansion reflects the company’s strong trajectory and commitment to investing in top-tier talent to support its clients. Last, but certainly not least, Corelation can cap off its banner year with a 2024 Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 74, an industry-leading metric that underscores the company’s dedication to client satisfaction. This achievement reflects the strong relationships Corelation has built with its clients and its commitment to delivering world-class service and innovative solutions. "We are thrilled to celebrate achieving an NPS score of 74 at the close of 2024. This is a testament to the incredible talent and dedication of our Corelatives and the strong relationships we’ve built with our clients and vendor partners," said Lori Paige, Corelation COO. "Our clients’ feedback fuels our passion for continuous improvement and delivering exceptional service. We deeply appreciate our client partners for trusting us to help serve their members and for being an integral part of this amazing journey." As Corelation looks to the future, they remain focused on empowering credit unions to deliver outstanding member experience through innovative technology and personalized service. On behalf of the entire Corelation Executive Team, President/CEO Rob Landis shared, “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in 2024. Reaching over 400 employees, achieving a stellar NPS score, and hosting impactful events like our Client Conference and CEO & CTO Forum demonstrate our unwavering commitment to our clients. With strong momentum heading into 2025, we are poised to continue advancing our mission to transform the core processing experience."  José Valentin Zest AI, the leader in AI lending technology, today announced a partnership with MeridianLink ®, (NYSE: MLNK), a leading provider of modern software platforms for financial institutions. This strategic collaboration gives MeridianLink’s 2,000+ customers access to Zest Protect, Zest AI’s smarter, configurable, and seamless AI-powered fraud detection tool, to allow for more quicker and accurate identification and prevention of fraudulent activity during the application process.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that consumer fraud losses in 2023 exceeded $10 billion. Credit unions and community banks reported a 69% surge in fraud cases across consumer accounts and 79% of credit unions and community banks reported more than $500K in direct fraud (more than any other segment). To tackle this issue, Zest Protect offers robust layers of protection against compromised identities, first and third-party fraud, as well as misreported income, fully integrated with lenders’ existing fraud review processes. This partnership allows MeridianLink customers to maintain their application processes with confidence, providing borrowers with a modern, speedy experience,with the goal of also significantly reducing their fraud losses. Zest Protect is also highly configurable and customizable, giving financial partners the ability to finely tune the risk thresholds by fraud type, portfolio, and more, in one unified solution. Zest AI has been a trusted partner delivering proven value to our customer base, and we’re excited to expand on that success with Zest Protect to combat rising and more sophisticated fraud in today’s ever-changing lending landscape,” said Megan Pulliam, SVP of MeridianLink® Marketplace. “The technology will be a game changer as it seamlessly integrates with our loan origination system to cover all application fraud, while streamlining automation workflows, and can be customized for our customers by specific regions and communities.” “Fraud is an escalating challenge for lenders, and we’re hearing it directly from our more than 100 shared customers. Every dollar lost to fraud costs financial institutions four times that much in expenses and lost time,” said Zest AI Head of Strategic Partnerships José Valentin. “Expanding our partnership with MeridianLink extends the reach of Zest Protect to provide a unified solution for application fraud with no per-application cost - so every application can be evaluated. Our team is dedicated to staying on top of emerging threats, making sure the tool can more accurately detect all types of fraud, including the growing threat of AI-generated fraud. Zest AI’s growing partner network will help more lenders outsmart complex fraud now and in the future for quicker, more accurate decisioning.” "Zest AI has become an integral part of our lending process, giving us the confidence to make smarter decisions while tackling the growing issue of fraud head-on. We trust Zest AI for its precision and reliability in underwriting and its innovative approach to fraud detection. This partnership between Zest AI and MeridianLink strengthens our ability to protect our institution and members from fraud, and we’re proud to continue working together to stay ahead of evolving threats," said Joel Swanson, CLO, VyStar Credit Union. The TruStage December 2024 Credit Union Trends Report is now available.
The Credit Union Trends Report is a monthly "pulse check" on the state of the credit union marketplace, often placed in a historical context. The report includes data from two months prior and is published and distributed by Steven Rick from TruStage™. Highlights from the Credit Union Trends Report include:
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