Out-of-the-box mortgages, student loans and retirement plans are just a few highlights of Filene Research Institute's new publication, "Key Findings: Blueprints for Innovation," a summary of the credit union innovation ideas developed by members of Filene's i3 program.
The Madison, Wis., think tank's i3 program, which stands for the "three i's" of ideas, innovation and implementation, was designed to identify, evaluate and implement innovative concepts and projects at credit unions. The program's members are credit union professionals from across North America who are in roles of responsibility but have not yet reached the CEO level.
"Key Findings: Blueprints for Innovation" represents six months of idea development by i3 members, which they began in October 2011 and presented at Filene's May 2012 i3 meeting in San Francisco, Filene said.
The publication spotlights eight concepts developed to help credit unions, consumers and communities succeed in spite of the challenges they face, Filene said.
They include: "Working Together Mortgage," a product that lets first-time home buyers utilize the equity of a relative's home; "Pick a Dream," a goal-based saving and borrowing program; "Cover Me," which protects consumers from overdrafts via text message; the technology-based "Retirement Positioning System" and "Student Loan with Benefits," an all-in-one student loan and job offering.
The full report may be downloaded by Filene members or purchased by non-members at filene.org.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
