Credit Unions: Financial Sustainability and Scale

Most credit unions know that the payments landscape is changing. Fewer have a strategy for what to do about it. The following post explores the insights Fellow Dr. Henry Kim shared at this year's Filene's Inner Circle Symposium. Read on to explore the four pillars that will define payments leadership in the years ahead, and what questions to ask your team now to prepare.

This benchmarking research provides a data-driven view of how credit unions approach member growth. Based on responses from 105 participants across 92 organizations—primarily larger, growth-oriented institutions—it identifies where momentum is building, where gaps remain, and where future innovation should focus. Findings cover four areas: current strategies and future direction, digital delivery and product innovation, social media, and employee experience as a driver of next-generation growth.

Review webinar materials from "Fintechs You Need to Know: Improving Member Financial Wellness with Silvur and Debbie," hosted April 23, 2026.

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on engaging the next generation of credit union members. To address this growing challenge, FiLab partnered with Debbie to test whether its rewards-based platform could help credit unions attract Gen Z and millennial members, deepen deposit activity, and build lasting financial habits through gamification and cash incentives.