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Remember when financial calculators were just ... calculators? Those days are behind us. Today's financial calculators can be reimagined into expert advisors that live right on a credit union's website or mobile app.

Here's a common problem: People often hesitate to apply or stop midway through a loan application because they're unsure if they'll qualify. They might not want to chat with a bot, call a contact center or book a meeting just to get basic information. The solution lies in making that first interaction more meaningful and more personal.

Modern technology can transform the humble financial calculator – that often lived at the bottom of a page or in a secondary tab – into a top-of-the-page engagement led by AI-powered intelligence. As users interact with these enhanced calculators, inputting their financial details, the AI can perform three critical functions:

1. Assess loan likelihood: Based on the user's inputs, it can indicate how likely they are to qualify for the loan they're interested in, using sophisticated algorithms that consider multiple factors simultaneously.

2. Provide a personalized overview: The system analyzes potential qualification factors in real-time, explaining which aspects of their financial profile strengthen or potentially weaken their application. This transparency helps users understand their position before committing to a full application.

3. Create customized conversion paths: Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the system tailors the next steps based on each user's unique situation. Someone with a strong likelihood of approval might be fast-tracked to an application, while others receive guidance on improving their qualification chances.

The technology can go further by adding another layer of AI that writes an analysis based on the user's inputs and the initial assessment. This analysis explains the conclusion and suggests next steps, creating a bridge between education, intent and conversion.

The goal is to provide the most personalized pathway for each individual, giving them confidence that they're making the right decision for their financial wellness. And it's all happening in real-time, right there on the credit union's digital platform. This personalized guidance helps reduce application abandonment rates while increasing member satisfaction.

Credit unions implementing these advanced calculators are seeing positive results, including higher engagement rates and improved conversion metrics. The technology can be embedded easily, and custom calculators can be created and deployed quickly, often in a matter of hours. This means credit unions can rapidly adapt to new products and changing market conditions.

But the benefits go beyond just the user experience. These systems can securely track interactions (without storing personally identifiable information), providing credit unions with valuable insights. For instance, a credit union might discover through detailed analytics that most of their personal loan inquiries are coming from a particular city, along with valuable details about the typical terms, credit scores, incomes and demographics of interested individuals.

This data has the potential to reshape how credit unions understand and serve their communities. Imagine being able to tailor products and marketing strategies based on real-time, granular data about what your members actually need and want – all while creating a personalized "market of one" experience directly on your website. Over time, credit unions can build detailed shopper personas based on calculator interactions, comparing these profiles against actual funded loans to better understand which digital journeys lead to successful conversions. This intelligence helps institutions refine their digital strategies and product offerings while identifying opportunities to better serve specific member segments.

Looking ahead to future applications, the possibilities are exciting. While credit unions and community banks, with their focus on member relationships, are natural fits for this technology, the applications could extend across the financial services industry. From lending to deposits, home lenders to car dealerships, any institution offering financial products could benefit from this kind of intelligent, interactive experience.

In essence, we're not just reimagining calculators; we're reimagining the entire journey from financial curiosity to confident decision-making. And we're doing it in a way that benefits both the individual and the institution. That's what I call a win-win.

Tim Pranger

Tim Pranger is the Founder of Appli, Inc., a Sandy, Utah-based provider of AI-driven financial calculators for banks and credit unions.

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