When Small Thinks Big

Kaison Darden, 20, from Wetumpka, Alabama, has just been announced as the Young & Free Alabama Spokester for Guardian Credit Union. And while her four-week journey from submitting an application, to becoming a finalist, and finally winning the role of Young & Free Alabama Spokester is an amazing story, more amazing is how a credit union with $250 million in assets brought such an involved program to their staff, members and community.

The Evolution of Sales, Social and Young Adults

Last week we launched our first ever loan campaign for Servus Credit Union's Young & Free Alberta. As we reach the program’s sixth anniversary, that seems almost impossible to believe, yet our philosophy with Young & Free has always been to connect with people on a personal level, using lots of social avenues, so that they remember your awesome credit union when they need that checking account, or loan or credit card.

New Credit Union Name or Pokemon Character?

Every month it seems that dozens of credit unions around the continent decide to shed their names and adopt newer, hipper, identities. The Financial Brand did a quick round up of some notable name changes, and it's interesting, to say the least. Almost all of the names sound incredibly Web 2.0. Let's play a game—from the list below, pick out which ones are credit union names and which ones are Pokemon! Ready? Here we go!

Filene i3 Road Trip

What happens when you put smart people on a bus, drive them to interesting places in Washington, DC and Virginia, introduce them to even smarter people, and challenge them to improve consumers' financial lives?

Jamming in Wisconsin

​I made my maiden voyage to Wisconsin last week. Known as the Credit Union Mecca, Madison is home to CUNA, CUNA Mutual, WOCCU, CUES and the Filene Research. Matt Davis gave me the grand tour while I was there. It was a pretty cool trip.

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

My beloved Jeep finally gave up on me, so I found myself needing to get a new set of wheels. Once I'd selected my lovely new ride it was time to do all of the necessary little things ou have to do when you switch vehicles—secure financing, get it inspected, etc. I made the decision to switch insurance companies because my rate tripled with my current company, and only doubled with another. I scheduled a good chunk of time (because these things always take hours) and gave them a ring to cancel my policy. 

My Favorite Commercial This Year... Is From Kmart?

I haven't been shopping in a Kmart in at least fifteen years. And it's been about ten years since I've seen one here in Texas—they've mostly closed up all their shops due to poor sales (and bankruptcy) in this region. owever, I do have a few words that I associate with Kmart. Low-budget. Bankrupt. Old-fashioned. Tired. How-are-they-still-in-business. Need I go on?

Meanwhile, I Still Live in A Two Bedroom Apartment

very few weeks a credit union that I've done some business with the past few years sends me a mailer or two. The message is almost always the same: Get Your Home Loan Through ABCDEFG Credit Union! Refinance Your Home Loan Through ABCDEFG Credit Union! The photo on the mailer is always of a smiling family, posing in front of their lovely McMansion as a dog frolics in their begonias in the background. hey look darn happy.