"If I Didn't Work At A Bank, I Would Never Visit A Branch"

Last month the website Forward Banker hosted a webinar about the decline of physical banking branches. During the interactive event, they received several comments from those watching.

"If I didn't work at a bank, I would never visit a branch."

One of the things that is so interesting about this comment is that it closely echoes the thoughts and feelings of Gen Y-ers, many who are content to do everything possible to stay out of branches. Equally as interesting is this response:

"The consumer didn't stop reading the news-they just stopped getting ink on their fingers. The newspaper industry ignored the future. Let's not do the same."

As we all know, newspaper readership has been steadily declining in recent years, mainly in part to an unwillingness to change. I think this statement is illuminating because it illustrates what the future of credit unions could be if we stay committed to ignoring the future.

As we shift into a complete digital age some things will gradually fade into obscurity - think of the last time you purchased a VHS or cassette tape. Why did you stop using those? Because there were better options available. We need to make sure that credit unions are the best options available for this (and the next) generation of consumers.

People will always need a place to put their money. It's just a question of where.

DeAndre

DeAndre Upshaw is a former Young & Free Texas Spokester. He's a marketing professional living in Dallas and a Beyonce enthusiast. DeAndre is the host and executive producer of The State of Awesome. Follow him on Twitter and check out his personal website.