Real Solutions - A National Credit Union Foundation Program

In a recent Business Times article, Professor Emeritus Lewis Mandell shuns standard financial literacy education. He says: "I'm very pessimistic. I have been doing research continuously, tracking levels of financial literacy which have not gotten any better, and also attempting to measure the impact of educational programmes. The research gives no reason for optimism."

From the New America Foundation comes their Youth Savings Accounts event: Low-income youth -- one of the world's largest and most vulnerable populations -- need new tools to achieve social and economic development. A small yet growing number of practitioners, policymakers, and scholars are exploring whether savings services could be one such tool.

Hi there. Some of you, those that are my favorite, sat in on my webinar today on social media and culture.

For future sessions, let’s focus where you need the most help. The next session is on developing a strategy. What are your questions, troubles, or wins, would you like me to address? Hook me up in the comments…

It’s time to be real about social media. Throwing up a Facebook page, jumping into a blog, or blasting updates via Twitter because you heard you’re supposed to will exhaust you and annoy your members. To do it well (or decide if you should do it at all), you need to understanding, strategy, and the right tools to implement…(read more)

Credit unions care about kids. We support all kinds of children’s charities, provide financial educational opportunities, support little league, athletic and after school programs. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty fourteen million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four…(read more)

If you missed last month’s session with Filene’s Ben Rogers, don’t fret. Jeff Purvis sits down with Filene’s once-Young Adult Driver, now-Director of Research (congrats on the promotion, Ben) to discuss Filene’s latest findings on how to build accountability, measure success, and create a culture of listening, growth, and improvement around your Gen Y initiatives.

Click “Read more” below to dig into the details.

California has been hard hit by the current economic downturn. Credit unions and their members have been impacted. USA Federal Credit Union’s President and CEO Mary Cunningham used the recession as a learning experience for herself and team by learning through adversity. USAFCU has taken a proactive approach to protect institutional reserves but also expand and grow. With an average member age of 53, the credit union leadership recognized that, like many credit unions, they were not attracting younger members. Join us to hear from Mary how her credit union has aggressively pursued member growth by attracting and serving younger members.

Click the play button to listen to this informative podcast. It may take a minute or two to load before playing.

We welcome your comments, too.

If you happened to miss the first webinar for CU Tomorrow, all is not lost. The National Credit Union Foundation caught up with Ben Rogers, Filene Research Institute’s, former driver of the 30 Under 30 Group to share what CU Tomorrow is all about; why should credit unions reach out to young adults and provide insight into solutions for attracting youth and young adults, as well as younger professionals and volunteers.

Click the play button to listen to this intriguing podcast. It may take a minute or two to load before playing.

Click for the details and a link to the handouts.

What do credit unions and young adults have in common?

Far too little, unfortunately, for comfort.

What: Starting this Thursday at 3:00 PM Eastern, REAL Solutions will present the latest research on young adults’ financial habits and needs. This Thursday’s meeting will introduce the CU Tomorrow project from the Filene Research Institute and offer an introduction to how credit unions can capitalize on the changing financial marketplace to reach out to young adults with products and services, not just financial education.

Click for the details, a link to the presentation materials, and call-in instructions.

Did you know that the average college graduate carries more than $20,000 in debt?

Did you know that less than a quarter of credit union directors are younger than 50, and only 6% are younger than 40?

Did you know that young credit union professionals value innovation and relationships more than salary?

We’ve partnered with the Filene Research Institute to bring research findings and useful advice to REAL Solutions credit unions. More than a jumble of data, this series of webinars brings insights to the range of challenges facing credit unions and promises solutions for attracting younger members, younger professionals, and younger volunteers.

Click through for the details.