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Revolutionizing finance through innovation, truth, and cooperation.

Kim Lear | Founder, Inlay Insights
Filene's cutting-edge research and proven innovations empower you to unlock your credit union's future.
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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.

Report #660 |
Innovation

2025 FiLab Results: Casap

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on improving how credit unions manage fraud disputes, an operational and reputational pressure point that continues to intensify as fraud volumes rise. To address this long-standing challenge, FiLab partnered with Casap to test whether its fraud dispute automation platform can reduce manual burden, improve processing speed and strengthen member trust during high-stakes resolution moments.
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 |

Thinking Forward: Keeping Payments SIMPLE in a Rapidly Changing Landscape

For credit unions, staying relevant in this evolving landscape means understanding not just how payments work, but how people want to pay. Six key trends—Social, Invisible, Mobile, Personal, Live and Empowered—capture how consumer behavior is evolving and what it means for the future of member engagement. While examining these trends, we'll use examples from across the globe; these may show possible futures for America's credit unions.
Report #653 | Members
Payments Innovation

Global Payment Innovations: A Research Brief for U.S. Credit Unions

  • Ann Wessling
*25-Minute Read: Co-designed with the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), this brief aims to deliver an in-depth report that compares leading payment innovations worldwide, analyzes the technological and regulatory drivers behind these advancements, and derives actionable lessons for U.S. credit unions by examining models and regulatory environments from selected countries.

Report #635 | Members
Artificial Intelligence Innovation

A Blockchain and Digital Asset Primer for Credit Unions

*25-minute read—This blockchain primer provides an overview of the key aspects of blockchain technology and digital assets, and the various ways blockchain has been used to date. The primer also gives an overview of how decentralized finance is already being used in financial services and some of the ways credit unions can begin to leverage this technology.
Report #404 | | From the Archives Members

Blockchain Beyond Bitcoin: Insights for Credit Unions

  • Bruce Cahan

Blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies are revolutionizing the way people perceive and interact with money. Credit unions should focus on gleaning value from these technologies to grow their business.

Blog |
Board Governance Strategy and Planning

Strengthening Your Board for the Year Ahead: Curated Research for Credit Union Leaders

As your board wraps up strategic planning, the real work begins—staying informed and engaged with the issues that will shape your credit union's future. Filene's new Curated Research for CU Board Members page offers quick, powerful insights designed to help board members make informed and more confident decisions as you plan for the year ahead.
Report #645 | Members
Board Governance

Credit Union Boards, Govern Thyself

*15 Minute Read: Discover what today’s most experienced credit union board chairs and CEOs say boards must do to govern not just their credit unions—but themselves. This brief reveals powerful insights and best practices to help boards elevate their strategic impact through stronger self-governance.

Report #647 |
Innovation Strategy and Planning Attracting and Engaging Younger Members

FiLab: Credit Union Landscape Report

Disruption has shifted from a trend to reality—our new norm! As growth continues to slow and consumer expectations accelerate, CUs are being pushed to rethink how they operate, innovate and deliver distinct value. FiLab's new CU Landscape report offers a powerful snapshot of today's most pressing challenges—and the clearest opportunities to move forward. This overview is the first in a series to help CUs make sense of the disruption, prioritize what matters and discover pathways forward.

Latest Research from Filene

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Report #660 |
Innovation

2025 FiLab Results: Casap

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on improving how credit unions manage fraud disputes, an operational and reputational pressure point that continues to intensify as fraud volumes rise. To address this long-standing challenge, FiLab partnered with Casap to test whether its fraud dispute automation platform can reduce manual burden, improve processing speed and strengthen member trust during high-stakes resolution moments.
Report #659 | Members
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Strategy and Planning

Finfluencer Campaign Playbook

  • Katie Brown
  • Jason Shapiro
  • Addison Davis
Launching a finfluencer campaign no longer requires starting from scratch. This Finfluencer Campaign Playbook provides ready-to-use templates and tools that significantly reduce execution risk, eliminate the guesswork, and provide credit unions with field-tested frameworks developed through cohort collaboration with 13 credit unions.
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.
Report #655 |

The Role of Credit Unions in Affordable Housing Innovations

  • Mai Nguyen
  • Eileen Miamidian
  • Joshua Newton
  • Grant Ruroede
  • William Fulton
  • Kate Zegans
This five-part Housing Innovation Series provides an essential roadmap for addressing the critical lack of affordable housing and homeownership in communities. These reports detail a range of actionable financial strategies, focusing on innovative approaches to funding housing supply—such as specialized development financing, regional investment funds, and creative land acquisition—and explore new mortgage models and shared equity arrangements to expand long-term access and affordability.

Blog

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Events

2026 Events Calendar
Research Event |
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Artificial Intelligence

EDGE 2026

Dallas, TX

Registration is now open for Trellance's EDGE 2026 event, in partnership with CUDX and Filene. This event aims to inspire and ignite innovative thinking by showcasing the latest advancements, cutting-edge trends and emerging technologies, thus enabling attendees to envision and create the future of financial services.