 Steven Rick TruStage's Credit Union Trends Report is a quarterly "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™.
Here are the Q2 2025 highlights:
To go directly to the report, click here.
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 Preetha Pulusani Today's banking consumers expect both relevance and respect when engaging with their financial institutions — and the banks and credit unions that master this balance are pulling ahead. DeepTarget Inc., a pioneer in AI-powered marketing solutions for financial institutions, has published a new whitepaper, The Trust Advantage: How Privacy-First Personalization Creates Competitive Differentiation in Financial Services, offering C-suite executives a clear roadmap for turning privacy into a strategic advantage while delivering highly personalized, trust-building experiences across digital channels.
Community banks and credit unions are navigating a growing paradox: consumers demand highly personalized experiences but are more concerned than ever about how their data is used. Many institutions respond by defaulting to generic, one-size-fits-all communications or, conversely, by pushing personalization to uncomfortable extremes. Neither approach builds the trust—and lasting relationships—needed to compete with fintechs that excel at data-driven engagement. According to the whitepaper, privacy-first personalization is helping leading financial institutions turn data privacy from a constraint into a powerful differentiator. This emerging strategy delivers relevant, personalized experiences while maintaining transparency and respectful data practices. Institutions that excel in this area are seeing real business impact, including up to 40% more revenue from personalization-driven activities compared to their peers. There's a widening gap between institutions that treat personalization and privacy as competing goals and those that see them as mutually reinforcing," said Preetha Pulusani, CEO of DeepTarget. "With rising consumer expectations and mounting regulatory pressure, privacy-by-design is no longer optional — it's a business imperative. Nearly three out of four consumers express frustration when content isn't personalized, making it critical for financial institutions to master this balance." Forward-looking financial institutions ready to gain a measurable edge in trust, engagement, and growth can explore the full whitepaper — The Trust Advantage: How Privacy-First Personalization Creates Competitive Differentiation in Financial Services — now available from DeepTarget. It offers actionable strategies and proven frameworks to help community banks and credit unions lead with relevance, build lasting relationships, and turn privacy into a true competitive advantage.  Filene Research Institute is excited to announce that registration is now open for its signature event, big.bright.minds.2025, presented by Origence. This premier credit union event takes place December 2–4, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee and is designed for credit union CEOs, executives, board members, and innovation and strategy leaders.
Filene members at the Innovator-level and above are invited to register now at filene.org/bbm25. As an exclusive benefit of membership, there is no registration fee for eligible organizations. Thinker-level members and non-members interested in attending can contact Filene’s membership team at [email protected] to explore options. Driving Distinction Through Common Threads At big.bright.minds.2025, Filene’s thought leaders and research fellows explore what credit unions uniquely bring to the financial landscape. This year’s theme, “Driving Distinction Through Common Threads,” honors the values that set credit unions apart and dives into how they can be leveraged to:
Credit unions’ common threads—centering well-being, the people-helping-people philosophy, concern for community, and collaboration—are more than simple values. They are the engine of credit union innovation, resilience, and relevance in a rapidly changing world. Leveraging this, credit unions can become beacons of trust, stability, and transformation—desired outcomes that cannot be commoditized. “big.bright.minds. is where the credit union industry comes together to reflect, recharge, and reimagine what’s possible,” said Christie Kimbell, Executive Vice President at Filene Research Institute. “This year’s theme reminds us that our shared values are not just what make us different—they’re what make us distinct. We’re proud to offer this experience as a benefit to our members and grateful to our sponsors for helping us expand access.” Last Year's Attendance Filene’s big.bright.minds.2024 saw a remarkable turnout with a total of 359 attendees from 176 unique organizations. Among them were 30 CEOs, representing 17% of the organizations present, and numerous decision-makers from credit unions with over $1 billion in assets. An attendee provided this testimonial: “Attending big.bright.minds.2024 was a transformative experience for me and my team. The sessions were incredibly insightful, and the networking opportunities were invaluable. We left the event with new ideas and strategies that we have already started implementing in our credit union. I can't wait to see what big.bright.minds.2025 has in store!” Thank You, Sponsors Filene sends a heartfelt thank you to big.bright.minds.2025 title sponsor, Origence, for making it possible to bring this premier industry event to more people this year. Filene also extends gratitude to silver sponsor, State National Companies, and supporting sponsors Abacus and Momentum. Organizations interested in joining this prestigious group of sponsors can view remaining sponsorship opportunities at filene.org/bbm25. Origence's title sponsorship plays a crucial role in fostering innovation and collaboration within the credit union system. By supporting big.bright.minds.2025, Origence is expanding access to new ideas, creating lasting impact, and driving change for years to come. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage directly with some of the nation's best academics and researchers, gaining insights that will shape the future of the credit union industry. "We are thrilled to be the title sponsor for Filene's big.bright.minds. in 2025,” said Origence’s CEO, Tony Boutelle. “By supporting this pivotal industry event, we aim to contribute to the growth and success of credit unions, helping them navigate the evolving financial landscape.”  CUES' Heather McKissick Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) and CUES are proud to announce a new collaboration designed to strengthen member offerings through a shared commitment to leadership development, innovation, and credit union excellence. CUES CEO Heather McKissick and DCUC President/CEO Anthony Hernandez shared the special announcement earlier today at DCUC’s 2025 Annual Conference in Palm Springs, California.
This collaboration creates new opportunities for members of both organizations and reflects a mutual dedication to serving the evolving needs of the credit union community. “This partnership represents a natural alignment of two organizations that are passionate about empowering credit unions and their leaders,” said Hernandez. “By bringing our missions together, we’re offering more than just discounts—we’re creating opportunities for credit union professionals to grow, connect, and better serve their communities, especially those that support our military and veterans.” McKissick also shared her excitement: “CUES is proud to collaborate with DCUC to offer meaningful leadership development experiences to even more credit union professionals. We believe in the power of mission-centered collaboration and look forward to working alongside DCUC to amplify our impact, reach more members, and foster a stronger, more unified credit union movement.” Jim Hayes, President/CEO of State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU), Board Secretary, DCUC, and Board Director, CUES, also expressed his support for the partnership: “It’s truly exciting to see these two powerhouse organizations—DCUC and CUES—unite with a shared purpose: to amplify collaboration, empower credit union leaders and staff, and deepen the impact we have on the communities we all serve. This kind of partnership is exactly what fuels the broader mission of the credit union movement— 'people helping people.'” Hayes added, “Having the honor of serving on both the DCUC and CUES boards, I can personally attest to the deep commitment behind this partnership. I’m excited for the lasting value it will deliver to our industry and the communities we support across the country.” As part of the collaboration, DCUC member credit unions will enjoy a first-time attendee discount of 10% on select CUES events, including Directors Conference (excluding CUES CEO Institute). In addition, CUES members will receive a first-time attendee discount of 10% for DCUC’s 2026 Annual Conference. This collaboration marks an important milestone in DCUC’s ongoing commitment to increasing member value and forging powerful alliances that drive innovation across the credit union industry.  Dr. Michael Steinberger After three years of intensive study — culminating in three examinations, two projects, three WCMS Innovator Challenges, a credit union financial simulation, and six weeks of in-person sessions — the Western Credit Union Management School (WCMS) “Chi” Class celebrated its graduation last Thursday evening (July 24) at Pomona College in Claremont, CA.
The ceremony honored 139 graduates and marked several major milestones: the conclusion of the 65th annual WCMS session and the school’s largest-ever graduating class. Throughout the evening, the Chi Class proudly recognized the school’s 62 previous alumni classes, reflecting on a rich legacy of leadership. With their rigorous, two-week summer educational programs now complete after having started their journey in 2023, these graduates are poised to apply their leadership skills, innovation, and strategic knowledge to the future of the credit union movement. Reflecting the intensive depth of the curriculum, Chi alumni are also leaving WCMS with college credits that they can apply toward an undergraduate or graduate/MBA degree. Speakers Encourage and Praise Students This year’s commencement ceremony, held at Marston Quadrangle on the Pomona College campus, marked another milestone, with various acknowledgments during the session, including a spotlight on the service-learning objectives for all three WCMS classes in attendance. Timothy Ashcraft (2003 graduate), President and CEO of the Hawaii Credit Union League and graduation speaker — as well as class commencement speaker Tod Cummins, Director of Retail Engagement for Canvas Credit Union — both challenged students to accomplish great endeavors for their credit unions and their members. In his address, Ashcraft encouraged and inspired students, urging them to achieve remarkable feats for their members upon returning to their credit unions. He emphasized that the essence of the credit union movement is a tapestry of collaborative relationships built by past generations who have paved the way. The power of these actions is what elevates credit unions to the status of a great movement, Ashcraft said. He expressed his gratitude for every student, instructor, and volunteer’s involvement with the WCMS curriculum, acknowledging their contributions, principled work, and the broader movement's commitment to fostering future generations of leaders. Honors Students Celebrated Several Chi students graduated with “High Honors” and “Honors.” These distinctions were earned based on each student’s performance on the examinations taken by all students at the end of each school year and for their analysis in each of their two major research projects (based on their credit union) completed between sessions. Students graduating with “Highest Honors” were:
Students graduating with “High Honors” were:
Students graduating with “Honors” were:
‘Today is Just the Beginning’ This year’s graduating class continued with the long-standing tradition of paying it forward to future leaders and giving back to WCMS funds it earned in service-learning activities. The graduating class gift of $27,000 represents the total raised over the past three years in Chi Class and tri-class led efforts. Additionally, the Chi Class funded $15,000 over the past three years to a newly named scholarship honoring Nancy Wood, the Nancy H. Wood Legacy Scholarship. Wood is former Director of School Administration and retired in December of 2023, the students’ first year at the school. She served WCMS in that role for 11 years, as well as Director of Support Services prior to that for 11 years. She was instrumental in helping develop and manage several pivotal educational updates to the WCMS experience. In addition, the graduating student who best represents high moral character, leadership, credit union dedication, and academic achievement is nominated by the class to receive the Charles M. Clark Memorial Award every year. This year’s recipient was class president Brandon Jensen, Business Banking Relationship Manager for California Credit Union. Likewise, Gene Pelham, retired President and CEO of Rogue Credit Union (1995 graduate), received this year’s James D. Likens Alumni Recognition Award for significant achievements in the credit union field since graduating from the school. His lifetime of accomplishments, volunteerism, and achievements were recognized. In his charge to the graduates, Dr. Michael Steinberger, Dean and Chief Academic Officer for WCMS, reflected on the legacies several alumni have conferred on the credit union movement. He was honored to bestow diplomas on all 139 Chi Class students. “You didn’t do it for the applause or recognition. You did it because you believe in this movement. You believe in each other — and you believe in the power of cooperation,” Steinberger said. “As you go back to your credit unions and CUSOs, and back to your communities, continue to raise the bar in service to your members. Innovate each day to find new solutions and new ways to help your members. Support and uplift your teams; share your fire with them. Your own legacies will be built one act of service at a time.”  Jason Stverak DCUC just sent a prompt letter to Ken Kies, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, urging the Treasury Department to conduct a comprehensive study into the implications of banks’ use of Subchapter S corporation status.
In the letter, Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer, expressed concern that banks' exploitation of Subchapter S status—originally designed for small businesses—is creating serious regulatory loopholes, competitive imbalances, and transparency gaps. Stverak noted that over 2,000 banks currently operate under this tax designation, avoiding federal corporate income tax and collectively saving an estimated $1.8 billion in 2022 alone. “Banks leveraging Subchapter S enjoy significant tax breaks with little public scrutiny or accountability,” says Stverak. “Meanwhile, credit unions continue to face unfounded criticism for their longstanding tax-exempt status. If fairness is the goal, these tax models, with their massive fiscal implications, deserve equal examination.” DCUC’s letter highlights several key concerns:
DCUC is urging Treasury to lead a fact-based, public examination of whether the current use of Subchapter S aligns with congressional intent and serves the broader interests of financial system safety, soundness, and fairness. “It’s time to bring transparency to this little-known corner of the banking industry,” said Anthony Hernandez, President/CEO of DCUC. “Bank lobbyists can’t continue to selectively spotlight tax issues only when it suits their narrative against credit unions. Policymakers and the public deserve a full and fair accounting of whether Subchapter S is fulfilling its intended purpose—or being exploited as a tax shelter by large, for-profit banks.” DCUC has requested a meeting with Treasury officials to further discuss its concerns and share supporting data, and express its commitment to a balanced, objective dialogue that strengthens the financial system for all Americans.  Jason Stverak The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) expressed its strong support for the NCUA Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) Enhancements Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND).
The legislation would permanently restore key provisions that expand credit union access to the National Credit Union Administration’s (NCUA) Central Liquidity Facility, a vital emergency liquidity backstop. As the leading trade association representing credit unions serving the military and defense community, DCUC shared how this bill is one of its top legislative priorities — with direct implications for the financial stability of credit unions and the economic readiness of military families. “Making the NCUA central liquidity facility enhancements permanent as a zero-cost, common sense step that strengthens credit unions' resilience, safeguards financial stability, and ensures military families and underserved communities have continued access to reliable financial support--especially in times of crisis," said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President & CEO. "We appreciate both Senator Cramer and Senator Padilla for their bipartisan leadership on this critical issue and look forward to working together to enact the CLF Enhancement Act into law.” “DCUC has championed this legislation since the early days of the pandemic,” adds Jason Stverak, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer. “And defense credit unions often serve communities that lack access to other liquidity tools, so this is a large part in why DCUC has stressed that losing this lifeline weakens credit unions’ ability to respond to crises and best serve the communities that rely on them for their financial needs." A Proven Liquidity Lifeline – Especially for Military Communities The CLF, administered by the NCUA, provides emergency lending to credit unions facing unexpected liquidity needs. During the COVID-19 crisis, temporary enhancements passed through the CARES Act enabled corporate credit unions to serve as "agent members" and purchase CLF capital stock on behalf of smaller institutions. This move increased CLF participation from just 283 credit unions to over 4,100 — including many serving on-base and military-connected populations. Those provisions expired at the end of 2022. As a result, over 3,300 small credit unions — many under $250 million in assets — lost CLF access, and the facility’s total available liquidity shrank by nearly $10 billion. Key Benefits of the NCUA CLF Enhancements Act The bill offers a no-cost, proactive solution to reinforce the credit union system before the next crisis strikes. DCUC highlighted several key benefits of the legislation:
A Longstanding Advocacy Priority DCUC has long urged Congress to make these enhancements permanent. In 2024 and early 2025, DCUC sent letters and testimony to House and Senate committees underscoring how permanent CLF reform would improve readiness, protect small credit unions, and preserve lending in local and military communities. Despite broad bipartisan support and the House’s prior passage of similar measures, permanent reform has not yet been finalized. “This is a must-pass fix,” Stverak adds. “We’ve seen the CLF work exactly as intended during a crisis. Failing to restore and extend these provisions puts small and defense credit unions — and the members who count on them — at unnecessary risk.”  Jason Stverak The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) announced its strong support for the Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act; the legislation would block the Small Business Administration (SBA) from becoming a direct lender, instead preserving the essential role of community-based financial institutions — including credit unions — in delivering small business loans to Main Street America.
DCUC views the bill as a vital safeguard for America’s small business lending system and a direct win for military-connected entrepreneurs. “We are grateful to Senator Tim Scott and his colleagues for standing up for America’s military entrepreneurs,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC President/CEO. “This bill ensures that credit unions can continue to provide personalized, community-based lending services to our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. It is a critical step toward halting unnecessary government overreach and preserving trusted private-sector partnerships.” The legislation responds to concerns over an SBA proposal to expand direct lending authority under its 7(a) loan program — a move widely criticized by industry experts and lawmakers as inefficient and duplicative. By prohibiting the SBA from making loans directly, Senator Scott’s bill protects the long-standing public-private model that has enabled thousands of small businesses to flourish with the help of local credit unions and banks. “Credit unions serving veteran communities are ready to do more — but their hands are tied by an arbitrary lending cap that doesn’t reflect today’s needs,” said Jason Stverak, DCUC’s Chief Advocacy Officer. DCUC has reiterated these concerns in letters to both chambers of Congress, including a recent message to the House Small Business Committee in June 2025. In Senate testimony earlier this year, DCUC stressed the urgent need to modernize SBA lending policies to ensure veterans and military families have equitable access to business capital.  JB Orecchia SavvyMoney, the leading provider of embedded credit score solutions, real-time analytics, and automated lending tools, is proud to announce Amerant Bank as its 1,500th financial institution (FI) partner. This milestone highlights SavvyMoney’s continued growth and dedication to empowering financial institutions with innovative solutions that strengthen consumer relationships and deliver measurable results.
Amerant Bank, Florida's bank of choice and main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp Inc. (NYSE: AMTB), manages over $10 billion in assets while serving clients across South Florida and Tampa through its comprehensive banking, investment and mortgage services. The institution has built a strong reputation over its 45-year history, maintaining an 'Outstanding' CRA rating for 20 consecutive years and earning recognition as a Most Loved Workplace three consecutive years. Through this new collaboration, Amerant will integrate SavvyMoney's platform to deliver enhanced credit intelligence and personalized financial wellness tools to its growing customer base. Implementation is underway, with the full suite of solutions expected to go live later this year. “Reaching 1,500 financial institution partners with Amerant Bank represents a pivotal moment for SavvyMoney," said JB Orecchia, president and CEO of SavvyMoney. "Amerant's scale demonstrates how established institutions are prioritizing financial wellness as a core differentiator. This partnership extends our platform's reach to support thousands of new users across Florida's dynamic markets, enabling Amerant's teams to deliver sophisticated credit intelligence that transforms how consumers engage with their financial health. This milestone and SavvyMoney’s partnership growth reinforces our proven ability to make financial wellness accessible at enterprise scale.” SavvyMoney's comprehensive financial wellness platform offers seamless integration across 43+ digital banking platforms with turnkey implementation that can launch in weeks, not months. What sets SavvyMoney apart is their white-glove support, proven ROI metrics and comprehensive solution that transforms how financial institutions engage customers through credit intelligence, personalized marketing and streamlined loan origination. Amerant Bank emphasized the importance of the partnership for its customers and teams. Claudianna Rivero, FVP Head of PMO and Digital Channels at Amerant said, “Our collaboration with SavvyMoney reflects Amerant’s goal to deliver innovative, customer-focused solutions.” Their decision was driven by a clear vision to significantly elevate digital engagement and provide truly personalized financial tools, encompassing both targeted credit education and timely, relevant product offerings. This was further bolstered by SavvyMoney's data-driven approach and the efficiency of its "go-to-market" implementation, along with Amerant's proactive goal to enhance credit literacy across its entire customer base. "Partnering with SavvyMoney is an important step in advancing our digital banking capabilities, continued Rivero. We remain focused on providing tools that support financial well-being and create meaningful value for our customers, and we’re eager to roll out these solutions later this year." SavvyMoney's partnership with Amerant follows the company's recent acquisition of CreditSnap, demonstrating accelerated growth and continued innovation in the fintech space. With enhanced platform capabilities and a growing network of financial institution partners, SavvyMoney is positioned to scale its impact nationwide, making financial wellness accessible to millions of consumers. SavvyMoney’s comprehensive platform enables banks, credit unions and fintechs to deliver real-time credit insights, personalized marketing campaigns and seamless application experiences—all within their digital banking infrastructure. By combining a user-centric philosophy with powerful, data-driven technology, SavvyMoney is redefining how banks and credit unions engage their consumers, promote financial wellness and drive measurable growth.  Today marks the settlement of Alloya’s first multi-issuer auto loan asset-backed securitization (ABS), fully funded after being well oversubscribed by investors. The securitization, backed by a diversified pool of auto loans originated by three of Alloya’s member credit unions, was structured to optimize investor appeal while maintaining strong credit quality. “We were very pleased with the strong support this issuance received from a wide variety of investors” said Andrew Kohl, Alloya’s Chief Investment Officer.
Alloya would like to express its gratitude to Blaze Credit Union (Minnesota), Consumers Credit Union (Illinois) and Interra Credit Union (Indiana) for their hard work and commitment to pioneering this groundbreaking accomplishment. Special thanks go to Justin Burleson, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating & Financial Officer, Craig Backstrom, Vice President, Consumer Lending Operations, and Joel Tauscher, Vice President, Accounting and Finance (Blaze Credit Union); Sean Bowers, Chief Financial Officer, and Vinay Duggirala, Vice President, Finance (Consumers Credit Union); and Jim Henning, Chief Financial Officer, and Heather Cripe, Assistant Vice President and Manager of Finance (Interra Credit Union). These individuals’ and their teams’ hard work and many extra hours of dedication were integral to the completion of the endeavor. “Credit unions are cooperatives, and no transaction can reflect that better than this transaction” continued Kohl. “It took multiple months, strong coordination and countless interactions to be sure that we accomplished our goal of completing the first ever credit union multi-issuer auto loan securitization. It has proved the concept can work, and we look forward to many future issuances from multiple credit unions throughout the United States.” Alloya continues to explore new avenues to support credit union success through securitization, loan participations and other capital markets strategies. Those interested in learning more can visit www.alloyacorp.org/capital-markets-simplified. |
Author: Mike LawsonMarried to a most gorgeous and wonderful wife, raising 5 kiddos (including twins!), enjoy helping others tell their stories, and love surfing SoCal waves. Keep it simple. Archives
December 2025
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