Skip to main content

Credit Union Strategic Planning Topics Credit Union 2.0



Ahhh, credit union strategic planning topic season. Let’s take off our pessimistic blinders, pull out our beanies and start thinking of the credit union world we want tomorrow. Soon, our credit union will disrupt the local banks. We will put them those evil bankers out of business and take over the world… cooperatively (of course).

If you are looking for quick strategic questions to ask your board at your credit union planning session, you are in the right place.

Credit Union Strategic Planning Topics About Growth
    strategic planing for credit union topics
  1. If you had to process 3x your normal loan or member growth volume, how would you?
  2. Where do you want to be in 3 years?
  3. What market trends support that vision?
  4. What client demands support that vision?
  5. What are the tactical plans to support that goal?
  6. What are the known risks?
  7. If you could rebuild the credit union 2.0, what would it look like?
  8. What are the top 10 questions we have about our credit union (analytics based)? What would you do differently if you knew the answer?

Credit Union Strategic Planning Topics for Critical Self-Evaluation

  1. What is the one thing your credit union was worst at this year? What needs to happen to fix it?
  2. What is one thing your credit was best at? How can you double down on it?
  3. What is the single metric that you least like hearing about this year? Why? What can you do to change it?
  4. Where do we use Analytics well?
  5. Are we moving or reacting fast enough in the marketplace?
  6. In each department, what should you start? What should you stop? What should you continue?
  7. What are our best service experience and memories?

Credit Union Strategic Planning Topics About Culture

  1. What are some examples of living your core values?
  2. What are some examples of failing to live your core values?
  3. If you could change one thing about the credit union, what would it be?
  4. What are the top 3 credit unions we admire and why?
  5. What does the perfect member look like? Where do they hang out? Who do they know?
  6. What makes an ideal board member?
  7. If you were the new CXO and were brought in tomorrow, what were three things you would fix immediately?

Credit Union Strategic Planning Wildcard Questions

  1. If a perfect competitor opened across the street tomorrow, what would they look like?
  2. If we were to rebuild our credit union with no branches, what would it look like?
  3. If the NCUA got merged into the FDIC, what would change?
  4. If your largest SEG went out of business, what would you change?
Any of these credit union strategic planning topics can help you and your board plan for a brighter, warmer future.

Credit Union 2.0 — Credit Union Strategic Planning Facilitators

Kirk Drake and Chris Otey take a unique approach to planning sessions. Their goals are to deal with some of the real issues facing credit unions. These include:
  • Who is your ideal member?
  • How do we improve board governance?
  • How do we get our board to look more like our membership?
  • How do we deal with the onslaught of fintechs and technology?
  • How do we change our culture to be more like a fintech?
As the author of Credit Union 2.0, head of a large technology CUSO, and founder of CU Wallet, Drake has great insights from both his time working at a credit union through his entrepreneurship and board experience.

As board chair of South Bay Credit Union and former CU Wallet and Fiserv executive, Chris has worked with hundreds of credit unions to help them deal with board governance, CUSOs, and other technology challenges.

Click here to book us for your next strategic planning session.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Cheers to 2026: Thank You for 25 Years"

        As we close out 2025, we want to take a moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every member and supporter of the National Council of Firefighter Credit Unions Inc (NCOFCU). For the past two and a half decades, your unwavering support and dedication have been instrumental in helping us achieve our vision of becoming the leading credit union association dedicated to serving first responders and their families.       Thanks to your commitment, we have prioritized education for your volunteer directors and staff, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to serve your credit union communities effectively. Together, we have elevated the operational excellence of credit unions through targeted training and support, making a real difference in the lives of first responders and their families.      Your involvement has been the cornerstone of our success, and we are truly grateful for the trust you have p...

Sunday Reading - What's the point of a consumer electronics show?

  What's the point of a consumer electronics show? Consumer electronics shows are large convention-type events where companies debut new technologies and products. The largest and most notable shows are CES in Las Vegas, a trade show every January, and IFA Berlin, which takes place annually in September. The events have historically introduced novel, cutting-edge products that later became household standards, like HDTVs, VCRs, DVDs, and gaming consoles ( see list ).   Over time, these shows evolved from product showcases ( see last year's coolest gadgets ) into complex industry ecosystems, serving as a meeting ground for startups, multinational technology companies, investors, and the media. Hardware launches, keynote speeches, and...

Auto Link, Home Link, and CalcuLink Unite Under New Parent Brand: Centergy Solutions

Auto Link, Home Link, and CalcuLink Unite Under New Parent Brand: Centergy Solutions Auto Link announced a major rebrand that unifies its three established product lines- Auto Link, Home Link, and CalcuLink- under one cohesive parent brand. The transition marks a strategic evolution designed to simplify the company’s ecosystem, strengthen product synergy, and enhance the overall experience for credit unions and the members they serve. The new Centergy Solutions brand reflects the company’s mission to deliver a more connected and integrated suite of digital tools across auto and home lending, auto and home buying, and financial decision-making. From an operational perspective, the unified brand also allows Centergy Solutions to accelerate innovation and improve platform alignment. Under the new parent brand: • Auto Link continues to support financial institutions with industry-leading digital auto lending tools that boost member engagement and loan volume. • Home Link provides consume...

What Trump’s ‘one big beautiful’ tax-and-spending package means for your money!

  Trump’s megabill will bring sweeping changes for household finances. President  Donald Trump  signed his “one big beautiful” tax-and-spending package on July 4 — legislation that will bring sweeping changes to Americans’ finances.  After the  Senate passed its version  on July 1, the House Republicans on July 3  voted to approve  the multi-trillion-dollar domestic policy legislation and send it to Trump’s desk for signature. The final bill makes permanent Trump’s  2017 tax cuts  while adding new relief, including a senior “bonus” to  offset Social Security taxes  and a  bigger state and local tax deduction . The plan also has tax breaks for  tip income , overtime pay and  auto loans , among other provisions.  The GOP’s marquee legislation will also enact deep spending cuts to social safety net programs such as  Medicaid  and food stamp benefits,  end tax credits tied to clean energy  an...

What Will 2026 Hold for CUs?

NEW YORK—As credit unions look to the new year, forecasters heading into 2026 see the U.S. economy cooling but not collapsing, with slower job growth, easing inflation and modest interest-rate cuts forming the backbone of a “soft-landing” outlook that still hinges on big unknowns: trade policy, geopolitics, fiscal decisions in Washington and whether households keep spending after several years of higher prices. Credit union leaders know they have a stake in all of that and more. In addition to the economic forecasts below, the CU Daily also other 2026-related previews, including: 2026 Forecast: The Auto Sales, Lending Trends to be Watching 2026 Forecast: What Companies are Saying About Hiring in New Yea r 2026 Forecast: FASB Puts Two Digital Asset Topics on its Agenda 2026 Forecast: How One Large Bank is Deploying Generative AI 2026 Forecast: Automobile Prices to Remain High as Loan Terms Get Longer 2026 Forecast: Is This a Model for How CUs Might Approach Workforce & AI? What the ...

Eight Credit Unions Pay $42 Million in Special Dividends to 1.1 Million Members

  By  Jim DuPlessis   | January 05, 2026 at 04:00 PM So far this season, CU Times has tallied 19 credit unions, which have announced $160.3 million in special dividends for members.       Eight more credit unions have reported special dividends, paying their 1.1 million members $42.1 million in December and January. The bulk of the dividends came from Police and Fire Federal Credit Union of Philadelphia and Eastman Credit Union of Kingsport, Tenn., which each announced $16 million in rewards approved by their boards. The late January payout from Eastman ($9.7 billion, 356,492 members) will bring its total special dividends to $225 million since 1998. A news release from the credit union said “the Extraordinary Dividend is never guaranteed, but the strong financial performance of ECU in 2025 enabled the Board of Directors to approve this year’s $16 million payout.” Eastman’s $16 million payout represents about $47 per member and 19 basis points of its averag...

Homeownership, 101

  Home Sweet Home   Homeownership, 101 Historically, homeownership has been considered a cornerstone of the American Dream. Today, about 65% of American households own a home , and roughly 5% own more than one. Homeowners view these residences as not only a place to live, but also a path to building substantial wealth. Centuries ago, homeownership became more common   as political systems evolved to allow individuals, rather than governments, to own land. In the US, the number of homeowners increased as mortgages became more accessible: Roughly 74% of today’s US homeowners used a mortgage to finance their home. Real estate makes up roughly half of the t...

Temporary Corporate Credit Union Share Guarantee Expires December 31, 2012

NCUA LETTER TO CREDIT UNIONS NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 DATE: March 2012 LETTER No.: 12-CU-03 TO: Federally Insured Credit Unions SUBJ: Temporary Corporate Credit Union Share Guarantee Expires December 31, 2012 Page Content ​ Dear Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officers: We are entering the final phase in the successful stabilization of the corporate credit union system. By the end of this year, all products and services offered by conserved corporate credit unions will be seamlessly transitioned to other providers – with no interruption of service to members. In the meantime, all ongoing corporate credit unions are meeting NCUA’s higher regulatory standards for capital, investments, and governance. ***READ COMPLETE LETTER; Temporary Corporate Credit Union Share Guarantee Expires December 3...

Become a Royal Credit Union

Welcome Royal Member Services Royal Member Services About Royal   We stand behind the most dependable automotive service plans in the business. We offer a range of automotive service plans for new and used vehicles that provide exceptional protection against repair costs while increasing dealer value on each and every sale. Our plans are backed by more than 50 years of dependability and customer satisfaction. We offer a world-class service organization, marketing, training, and a complete line of services. We have plans to fit most every vehicle and consumer budget. Call today and put Roya...

No New Pennies, New Rules: Treasury Sets Guidance For Cash Transactions

WASHINGTON—For credit unions and their members, the penny’s long goodbye is no longer theoretical—it’s operational. Just before Christmas the U.S. Treasury quietly released a detailed set of  Penny Production Cessation FAQs,  confirming that the federal government has stopped manufacturing new pennies and laying out how businesses, financial institutions, and consumers should prepare as the coin gradually slips out of everyday use. The move reflects a basic math problem: It now costs 3.69 cents to produce a single penny, nearly triple its cost a decade ago. Treasury estimates halting production will save taxpayers $56 million annually, while acknowledging that the coin’s purchasing power—and relevance—has steadily eroded in an economy dominated by electronic payments. What Changes At The Register—And What Doesn’t Despite the halt in production, pennies are not being eliminated. Roughly 114 billion pennies remain in circulation, and the Federal Reserve will continue recirculati...