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In 2008, the market suffered a horrible loss due to mortgages being repackaged that were not worth the amounts they were repackaged for. As a result, many people lost their jobs. At that time, I was working at a large credit union. I woke up one day to discover that we had lost almost 90 million dollars. We didn’t lose that money because we were mismanaged or because we had taken high risks, but because of the environment that we were operating in.

At a conference a couple weeks ago someone asked me what the number one most important upcoming technology there was for banking. Without hesitation, I answered, “artificial intelligence”.

When I first started credit unions, branches were the thing. Home banking hardly even existed at that time and involved things like sending disks to members so that they could dial in to your organization like it was AOL.

Modern members are no longer willing to wait for their credit union to provide them with what they need. Instead, they want it to provide the products and services they need now, when they need them – or even before.

Members are the driving force behind all your credit union’s activities, and that’s understandable. Not only does your business strategy focus foremost on fulfilling their needs, but with directors who are members it’s a given that member interests will be top of the priority list.

Through ups and downs, thick and thin, traditional and emerging schemes, one thing remains constant for credit unions: budgeting season. As we all know, October is the month credit unions start to strategically plan and budget for the coming year and beyond. The season typically begins with big ideas for growth and improving customer relationships, but sadly ends with a tight budget that reflects must-do tasks driven by government regulations.

The future of your Credit Union depends upon how you adapt to the changing landscape of the financial industry. One aspect of the change is leveraging your greatest tool for fee income—debit and credit card interchange revenue. Take a look at some of the emerging strategies, then compare them to your CU's current approach.

Most credit unions recognize the growing role and incredible benefits of technology in the financial industry. Some have been fast adopters, but many more have found it challenging, especially as rising costs for software and third-party services squeeze IT budgets. If credit unions are going to survive in a mobile and app-driven world, though, they’ll need to adapt or face falling behind.

In the United States, the average credit union customer is 47 – in Canada, 53. Legacy members are entering a phase of life in which their spending may be more restrained. To continue growing, credit unions must seek new ground: The Millennial consumer.

Most consumers have at least three credit cards from various sources. In addition, many people also carry one or two debits cards and a mix of gift and loyalty cards. A recent Gallup poll showed most Americans foresee the death of cash in their lifetimes, meaning all purchases will be made with credit and debit cards, as well as other forms of electronic payment. For the big issuers, this is rosy news, but for smaller institutions like credit unions, it can be stormy.