Before we dive into our recap, we wanted to pause and shout out the Fileners across our Centers of Excellence, our FiLab, and our Advisory teams: a huge thank you to McKaye, Megan, Bella, Maddie, Caroline, Cortney, Anna, Jessica, Royce, Yessica, and Quinn, for your ideas, insights, and passion!
Impact matters, for your members, employees, and the greater community.
A credit union’s stakeholders are multifaceted, each with their unique needs and priorities. Understanding what is important to these groups and then delivering that impact is critical. Some highlights:
- Measuring Member Well-Being: Our Member Well-Being blog series featured Dr. Mat Despard, Filene Fellow for our newest Center of Excellence. The blogs explored what financial well-being really means, including how to best measure it. We found well-being combines finance with experience, and is best measured through surveys combined with transaction, account, and credit data. Click here to learn more!
- Delivering on Community Impact: In April, Filene’s FiLab launched a new program: Advancing Impact, with the goal helping credit unions serve their communities through people-first solutions. Watch Filene’s webinar to learn more about the tests that have been selected!
Technology is changing and its impacts are being felt industry-wide.
From AI to biometric security to stablecoins, technology is evolving and changing rapidly. This changing landscape was a huge area of focus in 2025, and we will continue researching it this coming year. Here’s some things to keep an eye on:
- Stablecoins: One of Filene’s most popular blogs from 2025 was a Q&A with Dr. Lamont Black, Filene Fellow from the Credit Union of the Future Center of Excellence. This is a nuanced topic we will continue to explore and build upon in the coming year – including a new speaking topic coming from the Advisory Team around Stablecoin and the Future of Payments. Want to learn more? Email the team here!
- AI: As AI continues to take centerstage on multiple discussions, Filene published survey results from the AI adoption journey, as reported by credit union leaders. Read more about leaders’ AI sentiments when it comes to employee adoption, AI education and strategy, and general optimism around the technology.
- Fintech innovation: This year, FiLab partnered with several fintechs to test various financial solutions available in the industry. While numerous tests are still underway, results from IDGo were published this past summer. Click here to read more about IDgo's potential to improve call center authentication.
Engaging members—especially younger members—is critical, and the right messaging matters.
The question of how to best engage members remains an evergreen question for credit unions, and now more than ever the focus has shifted to attracting and retaining Gen Z consumers. Across Filene, multiple pieces of research illuminate best practices:
- Supporting Gen Z Members: One of Filene’s newest reports examines the influence of overconsumption and the expansion of online gambling on Gen Z’s finances. The report then examines what credit unions can do to mitigate these risks and support younger members.
- Member Pulse: Member Pulse research has shown that Millennials and Gen Z members have extremely diverse needs and beliefs when it comes to finances and treating them as a homogenous group takes away from that nuance. Taking a step beyond demographics, Member Pulse is key to understanding the underlying attitudes and behaviors members have. Learn more about implementing Member Pulse at your credit union today!
- Finfluencer Test: This year FiLab tested creating targeted social media campaigns to boost Gen Z membership and increase usage of specific credit union products and services. Preliminary results look promising, with 88% of credit union testers reporting satisfaction and about 300 new followers gained across the cohort. A report is coming soon – stay tuned!
The trends we observed in 2025 are likely not going away and instead are going to become even more nuanced throughout the following year. Follow Filene’s research to keep up with new insights as they emerge, and if you aren’t a Filene member yet, learn more about membership here.
In the meantime, thank you to all our members and sponsors for your ongoing support, and here’s to another great year!
—AB
