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

NCUA Board Approves Final Rule on Dependent Care and Board Member Reimbursement

Alexandria, VA (June 8, 2026) ― The National Credit Union Administration today issued a final rule for Dependent Care and Board Member Reimbursement. The NCUA Board amended its regulations concerning the reimbursement of reasonable expenses for federal credit union officials to remove potential barriers to volunteer service. This final rule provides flexibility for a federal credit union’s board to adopt more family-friendly policies tailored to its size, region, and operations. Previously, dependent care costs had not been considered reasonable expenses under NCUA regulation 12 C.F.R. 701.33.  The final rule applies to all federal credit unions, including corporate federal credit unions. It will not apply to federally insured, state-chartered credit unions, which remain subject to state law. The final rule is effective 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register and takes into consideration public comments received from the proposed rule that was issued on Januar...

Update from TruStage - Forecast for CU, Economic Performance for Remainder of 2026, 2027

MADISON, Wis. — Credit unions are expected to post stronger loan, deposit , and asset growth in 2026 despite a slowing economy, persistent inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and continued pressure on consumers, according to TruStage’s latest  Credit Union Trends Report . The report, prepared by TruStage Chief Economist Steve Rick and based on December 2025 data, forecasts credit union loan growth will accelerate to 5.5% in 2026 from 4.6% in 2025, while savings growth is projected to increase to 6.5% from 5.5%. Asset growth is expected to improve to 6.2% in 2026 from 5.4% in 2025. Credit union membership growth is forecast to reach 1.8% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027. The CU Daily has separate reporting on credit union performance by category here .  According to TruStage, a changing global economic environment has altered its outlook for both the U.S. economy and the credit union system. The report noted disruptions stemming from the closing of the Strait of Hormuz have created su...

The Widely Cited Mortgage Lending Benchmark 45% DTI May No Longer Reflect How Lenders Evaluate Borrowers, Says Fed Bank

In an analysis of more than 30 million home-purchase mortgage applications filed between 2018 and 2024, researchers found that the long-discussed 43% debt-to-income ratio threshold has little apparent impact on mortgage approval decisions. Instead, denial rates begin to rise sharply once applicants exceed a debt-to-income ratio of 50%. The findings were published as part of a four-part series examining barriers facing prospective homebuyers. ‘Practical Lesson is Clear’ “For borrowers, the practical lesson is clear: A debt-to-income ratio of 45% is treated by lenders much like a ratio of 35%,” the researchers wrote. “But crossing 50% changes the game entirely.” The 43% debt-to-income ratio gained prominence under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which established it as a key threshold for so-called qualified mortgages. Loans meeting that standard provided lenders with legal protections against ability-to-repay lawsuits. However, in 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau replaced the rat...

The FedNow Service will launch in 2023 "Are you ready?"

The FedNow Service is a new instant payment service that the Federal Reserve Banks are developing to enable financial institutions of every size, and in every community across the U.S., to provide safe and efficient instant payment services in real-time, around the clock, every day of the year. Through financial institutions participating in the FedNow Service, businesses and individuals will be able to send and receive instant payments conveniently, and recipients will have full access to funds immediately, giving them greater flexibility to manage their money and make time-sensitive payments. Consistent with the Federal Reserve’s historical role of providing payment services alongside private-sector providers, the FedNow Service will provide choice in the market for clearing and settling instant payments as well as promote resiliency through redundancy. Financial institutions and their service providers will be able to use the service as a springboard to provide innovative instant p...

The 10-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Worth Bragging About

Sound like anyone we know? “Approximately half of its membership is 50 years old or older, says Star One marketing manager Susanna Fong. The 10-year mortgage is meant to entice those members close to retirement to bring their loans — including the remainder of a 30-year-mortgage — to the credit union.” How Star One’s 14-month-old mortgage product attracts both young professionals and soon-to-be retirees. By Erik Payne creditunions.com For borrowers nearing retirement, desirable mortgage options are limited. Long-term loans can extend into retirement years and cut into savings earmarked for food, travel, and other expenses. Short-term loans can make budgeting difficult for the remaining working years. Star One Credit Union ($7.2B, Sunnyvale, CA) understands that borrowers want to be free of loan obligations before they leave the workforce without breaking the bank to do so. So in January of 2014, the credit union introduced a promotional 10-year fixed-rate mortgage that charges no...

Reactions To Historic NAFCU/CUNA Merger

By Ray Birch CUToday WASHINGTON–Just what will the proposed merger between CUNA and NAFCU mean to individual credit unions? A survey of CUToday.info of CEOs across the country has found generally neutral to positive reactions, with many taking a wait-and-see approach, but others having concerns over a lack of “checks and balances,” compensation paid to association executives, and fewer resources for smaller credit unions. The CUToday.info poll of CEOs on the question of having just one national trade association representing the nation’s 4,800 credit unions also found many see benefits from the consolidation, such as a stronger and more unified voice in Washington, greater efficiencies and potentially lower overall costs for membership. CUToday.info has made multiple attempts to get additional comment from CUNA and NAFCU beyond the statements issued earlier this week and asking for more details on the merger and what lies ahead, but both trade groups have declined comment...

Emerging Risks and How to Mitigate Them

5 Emerging Risks and How to Mitigate Them With each technological advance emerges new risk. Think about it: Every technology upgrade, new mobile device and new payment method brings exposure that wasn’t identified previously. The real threat occurs when these risks aren’t anticipated or communicated within your organization. Here are five emerging risks every credit union should have on their radar right now: Social media. Employees posting comments on social media that are inaccurate or appear incomplete or disparaging can threaten your organization’s reputation. Be careful when taking disciplinary action, as the National Labor Relations Board can classify social media activity as “protected concerted activity.” Mistakes here can lead to retaliation, wrongful termination claims and expensive litigation. Internet of Things (IoT) era . The IoT offers new tools and technologies that provide constant connectivity. It also creates new opportunities for data compromises. Workplace ...

Cutting Through The Stablecoin Noise—What Credit Unions Actually Need To Know Now

By Ray Birch DOVER, Del.—By any measure, stablecoins have quickly become one of the most talked-about—and least understood—topics in credit union boardrooms. The pressure to “do something” is building, fueled by headlines, fintech momentum and a growing fear of being left behind. But according to InvestiFi CEO Kian Sarreshteh, that urgency may be misplaced. “There’s a lot of FOMO right now,” Sarreshteh said. “If I don’t adopt a stablecoin solution this year, I’m going to be left behind. I would argue pretty strongly that’s very far from the truth.” Instead of rushing to sign up for a Stablecoin pilot, Sarreshteh said credit unions should begin with a more fundamental question: what problem are you actually trying to solve? While stablecoins are often discussed as a potential challenger to traditional payment rails dominated by Visa and Mastercard, he believes that kind of mass-market disruption remains years away—especially in the U.S., where consumers already have fast, convenient opt...

Court Rules Bank’s Extended Overdraft Fee is Not ‘Interest’

CUT0day DENVER–A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10 th Circuit has ruled that one national bank’s extended overdraft fee is not “interest” under the National Bank Act (NBA). The court ruled in  Walker v. BOKF, National Association  that the extended overdraft fees charged by BOKF were not “interest” under the National Bank Act (NBA).  The Tenth Circuit’s ruling on what it called “an issue of first impression in this circuit” follows similar rulings by the First and Fifth Circuits, Consumer Finance Monitor reported. “The plaintiff had a checking account with BOKF.  When presented with an item that overdrew the plaintiff’s account, BOKF elected to pay the item and charged the plaintiff an initial overdraft fe...

Long COVID can be a life-changing disability

COVID has changed the employment landscape in the last few years and will continue to have an impact for years to come.  With over 81 million people diagnosed with COVID, according to the AMA, it is estimated that 10-30% of those patients will develop residual symptoms or medical complications, known as long COVID, for months or years to come. Long COVID can be a life-changing disability Employees may unknowingly be suffering from symptoms that can impact their ability to work such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, mental illness, chronic shortness of breath, migraines, and other complex medical issues.  COVID is not just a respiratory disease, but a multi-systemic inflammatory disease, and employers need to understand their social and legal obligations to their employees. Failure to understand these obligations can be costly to employers directly from discrimination lawsuits, workplace injuries or other liability for other accidents caused by employees or product l...