Executive Summary
As nearly 11,200 Americans reach age 65 each day, demand for retirement guidance is accelerating. Rising costs, longer lifespans, and complex benefit rules have made retirement decisions harder to navigate, while credit unions face growing risk of deposit erosion and weakened member loyalty when they cannot meet members’ needs at this pivotal stage.
This report highlights testing the effectiveness of Silvur, a white-labeled retirement education platform, in supporting member engagement and asset retention among members approaching retirement by answering the following questions:
- How effective is Silvur in engaging members age 50 and older earlier in their retirement planning journey and increasing their confidence in retirement decision-making?
- Does leading with retirement education through Silvur deepen member relationships and share of the retirement wallet?
- Which Silvur tools and educational resources resonate most with members, and how does their use influence awareness and adoption of other credit union products and services?
Across a six-month pilot with four credit unions, members who used the platform reported meaningful gains in confidence: 88% reported feeling at least somewhat confident in their ability to make informed retirement decisions after using Silvur, and 51% said Silvur positively influenced how they view their credit union’s role in their retirement.
Credit Union Implications
Retirement is a high-stakes inflection point in the member relationship. Many credit unions already have retirement-related resources available, but the pilot found that 27% of baseline members were unsure what their institution offered. For members who cannot find guidance through their credit union, the default is often to look elsewhere, and those decisions can determine where assets and long-term financial relationships consolidate.
Testing results suggest that a digital retirement education platform like Silvur may help credit unions:
- Surface existing retirement resources to members who are unaware of them.
- Build credibility with members approaching retirement by offering structured, accessible guidance on Social Security and Medicare before a competitor does.
- Shift member perception of the credit union from a transactional provider to a more consultative financial partner, a precondition for deeper wallet share.
For institutions evaluating strategies to engage members entering and in retirement, the pilot findings offer early promise.
Download the full report to see how Silvur can increase your members' confidence to make informed retirement decisions.
A special thank you to our participating credit unions for their contributions to this research.
