Innovation

This report captures the impact of the Center of Excellence for Innovation & Incubation, led by Filene Fellow Dr. Jeffrey Robinson. Through testing and learning, the Center helped establish innovation as a core competency across the credit union industry, with two major contributions: the launch of the Credit Union Innovation Success Study and the evolution of FiLab, both ongoing mechanisms advancing innovation and delivering value to members.

One of the six solutions selected for the 2025 FiLab testing phase focused on supporting members through one of the most complex transitions they will face, retirement. Silvur is a white-labeled digital platform that guides members through Social Security, Medicare, and retirement income decisions, to test whether retirement education delivered through the credit union channel could deepen member relationships and support asset retention at a critical life stage.

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.

Credit cards remain one of the most powerful tools for deepening member relationships, yet most consumers still turn to big banks when choosing a card. Why? Because credit unions are often invisible in the digital comparison journey. Filene’s latest FiLab Fintech report explores how seven credit unions tested CardFit’s comparison platform to change that dynamic, and what they learned about engagement, targeting, and the hidden barriers standing between interest and approval.

AI agents are already choosing financial products for consumers, and most credit unions don't know they're not included in consideration. The infrastructure isn't coming; it's live. And the trust advantage credit unions spent decades building? It doesn't translate automatically. Here's what that means, and what to do about it.

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

What does it actually look like when a credit union gets fraud management right? FiLab ran independent pilots of two fintech solutions with real credit unions and one institution walked away with $875,000 in first-year savings, a 95% improvement in chargeback win rate, and dispute processing that went from 20 minutes to near-instant.

Credit union executives are fielding more fintech pitches than ever, but knowing which solution is right for your specific goals, infrastructure, and members is a question most institutions don't have the bandwidth to answer on their own. After years of hands-on testing alongside credit unions and fintech partners, FiLab has identified three considerations that consistently separate successful implementations from the ones that stall.