Every year, thousands of eager, determined credit union professionals flock to the streets of Washington D.C. for the annual CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC). With more than 5,500 attendees, this year was no exception. Every credit union showed up with the same purpose: to celebrate each other and our movement – and to make our voices heard!

I have been fortunate enough to attend more than 10 GACs … but there was something particularly special about this year’s event. There was a spark that left me feeling inspired and proud to be a part of this community.

“We’re here to help with your car loan process.” – my auto loan provider.

I joined a local credit union to get an auto loan.

My auto lease was nearing its maturity. Since I like my car and drove less mileage than expected during my lease term, I decided to convert my lease to a purchase. I worked with my auto dealer who presented me with a great auto loan rate from a leading local credit union. I signed the papers and was happy to become a member of a second credit union.

So, what went wrong?

The beginning of a new year – especially a new decade – is a time of reflection. Looking back, 2019 was a tremendous year filled with insightful blog posts written by some of the industry’s finest thought leaders. We look forward to what new topics 2020 will bring – and in the meantime, would like to take a look at some of the top posts from 2019.

A look at the core players

More than 600 credit unions have changed core processors in the past five years. The pace of change and transformation happening in the financial services space makes selecting a technology partner more important than ever.

Each year, Callahan develops a valuable resource guide to help credit unions explore their core processing options.  Callahan strives to make this publication the go-to resource for credit union leaders seeking valuable analysis and actionable insights in a rapidly changing world. The 2020 Supplier Market Share Guide: Credit Union Core Processors provides a look at U.S. core providers supporting the credit union movement. Collectively, these core providers have helped America’s credit unions achieve strong performance.

Do you ever feel like you are caught up in a whirlwind? That happens every so often, when there is so much change that it is challenging to absorb it all. It is hard to know what is meaningful and attention-worthy, and how to distill the important nuggets into strategic decisions that best position you for the near term and beyond.

The payments world is experiencing one of those whirlwind periods: fintech innovation, mega-mergers, ramped up competition from non-financial brands, and new payment networks. One thing seems certain: the winds of change are not slowing, and thinking it is safe to wait for the storm to pass might be a dangerous plan.

I’m tired.

We just moved, and I grossly underestimated the work involved.

I had prepared for the pain of packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking everything we own; but I hadn’t accounted for the real work of establishing new relationships for everything we need. Things like utilities, Internet, garbage pickup, grocery store, dry cleaners, dentist, dermatologist, pharmacist, eye doctor, doctor doctor (sic), barber, hair stylist, manicurist, pedicurist – don’t judge, I require a lot of pruning to be presentable.

But what about a new financial institution? Do we really need one?