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Articles by Sam Plester
LendKey Named to CNBC's World's Top Fintech Companies 2026
Credit union lending partner recognized as one of 500 leading fintech companies globally CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- LendKey today announced it has been named to CNBC's World's Top Fintech Companies 2026 list, produced in partnership with global market research firm Statista. Now in its fourth edition, the ranking identifies 500 leading fintech companies across eight market segments worldwide.
LendKey and Member Student Lending Award $20,000 in Scholarships to Support College Students
Ten deserving students from credit unions across the country have been recognized for their academic excellence, leadership and community involvement. CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, July 30, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- LendKey and Member Student Lending, a credit union service organization (CUSO) offering private student loan and student loan refinance solutions, today announced the winners of their 2026 college scholarship program.
New research shows how education financing drove SoFi’s growth, and what credit unions can do to regain market share
One Fintech Opened More New Checking Accounts Last Year Than All U.S. Credit Unions Combined; Here’s How Credit Unions Can Fight Back Credit unions that maximize education lending as an acquisition strategy can build the kind of deep, lasting member relationships with young borrowers that SoFi has proven are possible.” — Vince Passione CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, June 15, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- LendKey announced the release of How Credit Unions Can Steal SoFi's Playbook: A Guide to...
LendKey’s ALIRO Platform Facilitates $20M Loan Sale Between Center Parc Credit Union and Great Lakes Credit Union
Transaction demonstrates ALIRO’s power to unlock post-origination liquidity and connect credit unions with high-quality consumer loan assets A $20M participation can often take around eight weeks to go through, so making that happen in ten days was impressive.” — John Anderson, Chief Lending Officer at Center Parc Credit Union CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, June 9, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- LendKey, the pioneer of digital network lending, today announced that its ALIRO platform successfully...
LendKey Named a 2026 Top Workplace, Recognized for Its People-First Culture and Mission-Driven Work
Award reflects positive employee experiences at one of fintech’s most purpose-driven companies CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES, May 26, 2026 / EINPresswire.com/ -- LendKey has been honored with a Top Workplaces 2026 award by The Enquirer Media, owner of The Cincinnati Enquirer, marking the company’s second consecutive year receiving this national recognition.
LendKey and Member Student Lending Announce Fourth Annual $20,000 Scholarship Program
Ten high-achieving undergraduate students will each receive a $2,000 scholarship, with applications open May 1–31.
The CUInsight Network podcast: Collaborative solutions - CUNA Strategic Services
Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Lauren Culp, President & CEO of CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. My guest on today’s show is Barb Lowman, President at CUNA Strategic Services (CSS).
It’s Not Too Many Meetings, It’s a Preparation Thing
4 minutes Preparation, not meeting overload, is the key to effective team performance. How often have you said, “I’m in too many meetings,” or thought, “This meeting could have been an email”? What causes people to feel like this? Of course, a variety of reasons get all the attention. This post will not regurgitate those too often–blamed dynamics. Instead, we’ll point to a few difficult-to-swallow yet remediable dynamics.
Stand Up and Lead Others to Value Everyone
8 minutes 8 concrete ways to do the right thing and reap the business benefits. Only 4% of the members of Gen Z are credit union members, according to an article by CUESolutions provider Velera (formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions) and pymnts.com. “And that’s a problem,” the headline of the article asserts. Why is that a problem?
Leveraging Technology to Streamline Credit Union Lending
4 minutes Six ways a modern loan origination system can optimize your lending processes. This article is sponsored by CUESolutions provider Origence. Credit unions have long been recognized as leaders in consumer trust, maintaining a reputation as safe and reliable partners for their members. To uphold this trust and stay aligned with evolving consumer expectations for seamless digital interactions, credit unions must prioritize technological advancements.
Lending Perspectives: Empowering Members to Help the Planet and Their Pockets
3 minutes The evolution of green products at Australia’s Community First Credit Union Credit unions only exist for the benefit of members, but empowering members requires more than good intention. Similarly, the creation of corporate green objectives includes more than meeting compliance initiatives or producing sustainability reports, and Community First has more than 16 years of experience of delivering practical benefits to members in this area.
From Tornados to Rainbows: A 2024 Forecast
4 minutes Becoming efficient with card and check consultative tools will help your credit union manage the storm. This blog post is sponsored by Allied Solutions. The financial services industry faced intense challenges in 2023, such as high interest rates, staffing shortages and liquidity, to name a few.
CFO Focus: How A Broken SERP Was Repaired
6 minutes When designed properly, an executive benefit plan should offer unique advantages tailored to the needs and expectations of the executive while flexibly providing incentives that align with personal and organizational objectives. This is sponsored by CUES Supplier member Elite Capital Management Group. I recently had a conversation with a credit union CEO who I’ll call “Sam” for the purposes of this article.
Next-Gen Know How: Strategies for More Meaningful and Effective One-on-One Meetings
Managing people takes a lot of time, energy and effort. Maximizing the time you spend with employee will help you increase engagement and productivity on your team while ensuring you have time to juggle the responsibilities of leadership. Most managers spend their one-on-one meetings with employees reviewing tasks. While this may be necessary at times, there are ways to better utilize this precious time for coaching, developing skills and building career paths.
A Community-Based Perspective on Payments Strategy
Credit union and bank executives share their top concerns and opportunities and make the case for faster payments. This article is sponsored by CUES Supplier member Jack Henry™. We talk a lot about silos these days—data silos, department silos, even industry silos—and the barriers they create to improving efficiency. The necessary first step for removing silos, cross-communication, is often the hardest to take.
The Potential of the FedNow Service for Credit Unions
Skip to main content 3 minutes Credit unions can gain a better understanding of the FedNow Service with this comprehensive guide. Sponsored by CUES Supplier member Alacriti, We know a thing or two about connecting credit unions to the FedNow® Service. Our experiences and expertise shaped the creation of a FedNow guide, addressing common misconceptions and questions.
Six Ways Employers Can Support the Mental Health of Autistic Employees
6 minutes With more than 5 million autistic adults in the U.S., at least one of your corworkers is likely autistic. This is reprinted with permission from the original. As a job coach at auticon US, a majority-autistic company, my role includes supporting the mental health and well-being of our autistic employees.
A Rude Awakening for Canadian Credit Unions
5 minutes Senior leaders must start thinking strategically about their organizations’ value proposition if they want to stay relevant in today’s economic and regulatory environment. What value would leave the world if you closed your credit union tomorrow? This is a question that is often hard for executive teams to answer.
Conexus CU Invests in High-Tech Startups
12 minutes Unusual focus on venture capital investments helps credit union lead tech innovation. If you were asked to identify the most likely spots in Canada for a burgeoning high-tech sector, likely Saskatchewan wouldn’t be first on your list. Or even on your list, perhaps. Over the last 30 years, we’ve come to see that a thriving tech sector requires brains, connections and cash. Lots of all three.
4 Ways to Streamline Credit Union Contract Negotiations
4 minutes Are you still using a manual approach to contract management? Sponsored by CobbleStone Software Credit unions face unique challenges that require unique and innovative solutions, particularly when it comes to contract negotiations. The success of these negotiations hinges not only on securing favorable terms but also on managing these agreements efficiently throughout their contract lifecycle. This is where contract management software emerges as a pivotal tool.
Fighting Predatory Lenders in Canada
12 minutes Canadian credit unions welcome payday loan regulations while looking for alternatives to serve members. The federal government is tightening Canada’s regulations around payday loans to restrict the amount of interest that can be charged. Credit unions have been developing responses to help members understand the impact of the changes and what lending alternatives are available. The government’s aim is to protect financially vulnerable Canadians from predatory lending.
How to Minimize Delinquencies While Increasing Member Engagement
4 minutes Credit unions should embrace financial wellness platforms that automate debt management and payments. Financial wellness tools, member engagement and deposit growth strategies in a microeconomic environment are dominating discussions for financial institutions, especially credit unions. Loan demand is slowing as interest rates rise. Delinquency rates are also ticking upwards amid inflation, . Many consumers are wiping out their savings to pay for bills.
Building a Better Bench Helps CUs Sail Forward
Stacey Collins, SPHR, CCXP It’s a game of Tetris in my head all day long. I’m trying to figure out how I can best coordinate and connect the right people to get the work done. One of today’s greatest workforce challenges is the need to become more proficient at managing change. A traditional change model is the top-down approach.
Payments Plan | CU Management
When members use Apple Pay, the credit card becomes much more of the plumbing than the front facade of the house. You’re behind the walls instead of front and center with your brand and logo. It is important to start with a comprehensive payments strategy, says Shanon McLachlan, president of Credit Union Solutions at CUES Supplier member Jack Henry, Monett, Missouri. “All CUs should have a payments strategy.
Fix Friction to Make Work Less Miserable and More Productive
Let's give the gift of time to our employees so that they have time to be curious and generous. In this video, Hayagreeva “Huggy” Rao, Ph.D., defines good friction and bad friction. Rao is the Atholl McBean Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at Stanford University and the author of several books, most recently, The Friction Project, on which this video is based.
Gen Z Cares About Financial Wellness, But Not Checking Accounts So Much
Let’s face it. Checking accounts are for grandmothers. The last things many young people want from your credit union are an ATM card and a checking account. But as young people navigate everything from mobile payments to buy now, pay later and “get paid early” offers, it’s little wonder that some of them get lost trying to manage their money and struggle on the road toward traditional objectives of successful personal financial management, let alone personal financial wellness.
Was That Constructive Feedback?
We all know about the “feedback sandwich,” the idea that you start a feedback session with a compliment, move to the area of concern, then end with another compliment. But some experts are saying it’s time to take the feedback sandwich off the menu. Why doesn’t this traditional approach work every time? Some leaders find that the area that needs improvement gets lost between the compliments.
Billboards of Inclusion Project Boosts Black-Owned Local Business and Non-profit
4 minutes Financial Plus CU helps close the gap for two minority-owned organizations with exposure aimed at bringing them more customers. Being a true corporate citizen means being in touch with your community. As credit unions, we have the unique ability to build meaningful relationships with local businesses and organizations within the communities we serve. How better to show our dedication than investing in their success?
Earned Wage Access Emerging as a Competitive Requirement
6 minutes Earned wage advances, in contrast, can become problematic when offered to either members or staff. CUES member Elizabeth Sharpe recently shared with the CUES Net member community that a couple of her members had moved their accounts to Chime “because of the early availability of their funds.
Good Governance: A Case Study in Board Diversity Education | CU Management
5 minutes Diversity and inclusion play an important role in enhancing decision-making. CUES caught up with Shelly Berryman to learn about SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union’s efforts to educate its top leadership—its board members—about diversity, equity and inclusion. Berryman is VP/board and committee relations of $29 billion SchoolsFirst FCU, Tustin, California. A. As educators, our board members have a natural thirst for learning.
Purposeful Talent Development: How to Create the Right Curriculum for Your Managers' Learning
3 minutes Teaching managers how to do their jobs better is often overlooked—but shouldn’t be. At CUES we’ve been talking a lot lately about the pressure credit union managers feel between the performance focus of leadership and the day-to-day needs of their direct reports. We’ve considered how managers’ development is often overlooked, especially when high-performing individual contributors are promoted to management but not trained in the success skills required for that new role.
Human-Centered Leadership
Skip to main content Welcome Back! It looks like you are already a CUES member or subscriber. Sign in now to access all the content included in your subscription. Log In Already a CUES member or subscriber? Log in. Access more content when you subscribe. No credit card. No membership. No obligation. Email Address
HR Answers: 6 Common Leave Administration Pitfalls
6 minutes Leaves of absence can be complex; read on to avoid issues in these areas when administering FMLA or other types of leaves. This article is reprinted with permission from Trüpp. Read the original blog post here. If you have ever administered a leave of absence, you probably understand how complicated the procedures and timelines can be. Details such as employee count, type of leave or employee location can impact the leave administration process.
Leadership Matters: 5 Ways to Prepare for Tough Conversations
5 minutes While you can’t control how others receive your message, you can boost your chances of a positive outcome by being clear, curious and calm. It seems like there are innumerable tough conversations to be had in the workplace—for situations like mediocre performance reviews, cancelled projects, peer feedback and so on. The five tips below will help you prepare ahead of time, so you’re positioned for better outcomes more often.
On Strategy: 3 Strategic Thinking Approaches
5 minutes Focus on problem-solving for your key stakeholders Portions of this article are excerpted from George’s recent book, Banking on a Human Scale. Every credit union has a similar origin story: in 19XX, a group of {insert a common bond group} became frustrated with their lack of access to affordable financial services.
Don’t Let Altruism Become a Setback to Equitable Executive Benefits
4 minutes Many credit union executives are altruistic and selfless, which can stop them from asking for the compensation they need and want. Many of the executives who lead today’s credit unions have been in the industry for decades. As such, they are full-time, passionate advocates of the people-over-profits philosophy. This is a great thing for the membership, staff and community. It can, however, have some drawbacks for the executive’s own financial well-being.
Lending Perspectives: 5 Habits of Top-Producing Loan Officers
3 minutes Insights from a credit union VP/consumer and home lending In the competitive world of lending, becoming a top-producing loan officer requires more than just originating new loans and taking applications. It demands a combination of skills, strategies and habits that elevate member service and drive success. Here are five key habits I’ve learned as VP/consumer & home lending at Travis Credit Union that set top-performing loan officers apart.
Managing ADA Accommodation Requests
6 minutes A framework for qualifying requests and implementing accommodations determined to be appropriate Download a PDF version of this guide. This article provides employers with a framework for qualifying accommodation requests, applying the interactive process and implementing an accommodation if it is determined that one is appropriate. Please note that state and local laws with unique requirements may apply in addition to the ADA.
Six Strategies to Boost ROI and Expand Membership with CRM
4 minutes Customer relationship management could be the solution not only for game-changing results but a completely reshaped playing field. Sponsored by Solutions Metrix Your credit union juggles a lot: attracting new members, retaining existing ones, ensuring profitable investments, all while building community. Mastering it all can surely be daunting, especially in an ever-changing and competitive financial landscape.
Focusing on Executive Retention Is Important in Any Economy
5 minutes Find success by refreshing your compensation philosophy and building out your executive compensation toolbox. Sponsored by Aon The Great Resignation has caused severe retention issues at many firms at every level. Voluntary turnover was up 41% in 2022 and up to two-thirds of workers are looking for a new job. While the labor market showed signs of cooling in 2023, retaining and motivating your top executives is important in any economic climate or cycle.
Diversity Insight: Chartway Keeps Delivering on Its Motto, ‘People First, Always’ | CU Management
7 minutes Celebrating a Juntos Avanzamos designation and increased team member engagement, the CU’s leaders continue to foster a workplace of inclusion. It's my privilege to reflect on Chartway Credit Union’s ongoing efforts to embrace and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion within our organization.
Use Mentorship to Develop Future Leaders—and Yourself | CU Management
In this video, CUES member Emma Hayes, CUDE, I-CUDE, CDP, MEd., chief Learning and experience officer at $49 billion SECU, Raleigh, North Carolina, describes her experiences being mentored and being a mentor, plus why mentorships are so important and what she recommends doing if you're forming a mentorship. Download a transcript of the audio.
Getting Into the Business Business
10 minutes Can CUs profitably gain loans, deposits and fee income by serving business members? U.S. businesses often operate out of buildings financed by credit union commercial real estate loans. Those businesses also need loans to grow, buy equipment and inventory, and satisfy working capital demands, but CUs rarely get those loans; they’re also missing out on deposits and the fees those businesses pay for cash management services.
6 Key Factors in Workforce Planning
11 minutes HR leaders need to be strategic in assessing and developing talent. Great employees are the “secret sauce” that distinguishes credit unions from their competitors. Deploying those employees wisely takes strategic workforce planning, with a focus on assessing and developing talent to align human resources with current and future organizational goals.
Headwinds Challenge Business Membership Growth
2 minutes Credit unions may be ready to serve business members, but fintechs and other non-traditional financial institutions aren't going to make it easy.
Credit Unions and Community Banks Gain Credit Card Issuing Momentum
10 minutes CUs and community banks have an opportunity to strategically leverage consumer interest and increase their market — if they provide the features consumers demand. National banks dominate the consumer credit card industry to the extent that their position is unlikely to be challenged for the foreseeable future.
The Unfolding Impact of Rates and Retirements
3 minutes These trends are likely to have a major impact on financial services for years to come. Sponsored by Fiserv Changes over the last decade have placed tremendous pressure on financial institutions. The rise of fintech competitors, shifting demographics as baby boomers are replaced by millennials, long-tail implications of the pandemic and now a radically different economic environment have created challenges for every financial institution.
How to Address Increasingly Sophisticated Phishing and Identity Theft Scams
5 minutes Is your credit union using these six fraud-preventing measures? In the 2023 Annual Data Breach Report from Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 3,205 publicly reported data compromises that impacted an estimated 353,027,892 individuals. This report also highlights a 78% increase in events over 2022 and a 16% decrease in victims as fraud attacks become more refined and targeted.
Good Governance: The Benefits of Online Voting for Credit Unions
3 minutes Use it to boost member participation and pave the way for frictionless elections. Most credit unions now offer convenient and secure mobile online banking for their members, as well as many other time-saving technologies—so it comes as no surprise that members appreciate the ability to vote in credit union elections as quickly and easily as they manage their finances.
Purposeful Talent Development: Career Paths Are More Important Now Than Ever
3 minutes They've been a good idea for a long time; now there’s a new reason to give them a fresh look. Career paths create a way that employers can show employees that they are not stuck in a dead-end job and instead have opportunities to learn, develop and grow. Career pathing starts with employees identifying their career goals, this information is then cross-referenced with their current position and the skills necessary for success in both positions.
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