Do the Arithmetic

Unlike most credit union publications, Credit Union Times hasn’t increased its annual rate for paid subscriptions (despite substantial boosts in paper, printing, postage, shipping, and editorial costs) for over 10 years. The $120 annual subscription rate, with generous discounts for multiple subs, has held firm for over a decade. And no price increase is on the horizon. When that subscription price was first set, the average size of each weekly issue averaged between 16 and 20 pages. Today the smallest weekly issue is 44 pages. Most are much larger. All the way up to the record 128 pager last July 23rd. Increasingly more pages per weekly issue, of course, mean much more timely information for readers for the same cost. To put that in perspective, if Credit Union Times were a monthly, last April’s weekly issues would translate into a single 292 page monthly issue; last July’s into a 296 page issue. On a per page basis, CU publications range from about 10 cents to $2.50 per page. On average, Credit Union Times comes out at about four cents per page, or less. Some publications targeted at the credit union market break down to between $5 and $10 or more per issue for a fraction of the number of pages and editorial content. One monthly newsletter charges $124 per year. Using that pricing formula with Credit Union Times, an annual subscription would be priced at over $500. Credit Union Times has proven to be the most cost effective way to keep CU directors and staff well informed. Do the arithmetic.