Voices of Gen Z
Attracting and Engaging Younger Members
Less than 20% of Americans under the age of 40 use a credit union and the average credit union member is in their mid-50's. The aging credit union member has been a challenge in the industry for decades. Filene understands this issue and has the insights and resources you need to successfully attract, engage and retain the next generation of credit union members.
Why it matters
Millennials and Gen Z are crucial for the future of credit unions. However, at the current moment, these generations aren’t finding the financial institutions they need and credit unions are struggling to find ways to attract new, younger members. Credit unions need to get on the financial radar of Millennials and Gen Zers and create deep, lasting relationships with them.
Despite the current disconnect, there is overlap in the needs and beliefs of these generations and how credit unions conduct business, and credit unions should prioritize:
- Understanding the shared and individual experiences that have shaped these generations’ financial realities and goal
- Creating or modifying products and services to meet those needs
- Meeting Millennials and Gen Zers where they’re at, in terms of how credit unions show up and how members interact with them
RELATED CONTENT
Research in this topic
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Report #666 | | MembersThe Moment of Change: Benchmarking the Next Generation of Credit Union Growth
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. -
Report #664 |2025 FiLab Results: Debbie
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. -
Report #659 | | MembersFinfluencer Campaign Playbook
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Katie Brown
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Jason Shapiro
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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. -
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Report #658 |2025 FiLab Results: Finfluencer
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McKaye Black
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Bella Scott
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Jessica Gamache
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Katie Brown
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Jason Shapiro
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Kimberly Lear
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. -
McKaye Black
More opportunities
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Blog |Meeting the Moment: Well-Being, Payments, and Storytelling at the 2026 Inner Circle Symposium
The credit union industry is at an inflection point, and the conversations at the 2026 Inner Circle Symposium made that impossible to ignore. Eighty executives gathered to wrestle with three areas defining what comes next: member well-being, payments innovation, and storytelling. Here's what they found. -
Webinar |Strategy and Planning Payments Attracting and Engaging Younger Members Artificial Intelligence InnovationFilene's Major Predictions for Credit Unions in 2027
As the year closes, Filene leaders are sharing their boldest predictions to help credit union leaders cut through the noise and focus on what matters most heading into 2027. Join us for a forward-looking session packed with trend insights and practical guidance so you can end the year with clarity and start 2027 with confidence. -
Webinar |Seven Innovations. Real Tests. Real Results. How AI, New Platforms, and Bold Experiments Are Shaping the Future of Credit Unions
Filene's FiLab ran seven bold experiments testing AI, new platforms, and fresh ideas against the real challenges credit unions face today, and the results are finally in. Join us for an exclusive first look at what worked, what didn't, and what's ready to scale, plus a sneak peek at the innovative tests the FiLab community has selected for 2027. -
Webinar |Personalization That Pays Off: How Credit Union CMOs Are Turning Smarter Segmentation into Deeper Relationships and Higher Balances
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Stephen Arnold
Your members aren't all the same. Stop marketing like they are. Leading credit union CMOs reveal how they're using Member Pulse to drive smarter segmentation and personalized member engagement. The session delivers real-world strategies, no theory, just proven tactics that strengthen relationships, grow balances, and improve cross-sell performance. -
