6 insightful credit union blogs for increased success.
As the owner of a credit union, it is important to stay well-informed in the industry and credit union marketing in general. In addition to attending conferences and reading news, it can be incredibly helpful to read credit union blogs regularly.
A credit union blog can provide you with convenient resources and explain new industry trends that could help your credit union grow. As you look for a credit union blog, make sure it is reputable and that any information included in it is factual. Many of the best blogs will come from organizations that revolve around or serve credit unions, as they want to provide content that is useful for their members or clients, such as tips, hints and even information about upcoming credit union conferences.
To help you get started with taking advantage of credit union blogs’ information, consider the following six best blogs that will lead your credit union to success. Together, they span a range of topics, such as leadership advice, loans, marketing, protecting members, cybersecurity, and general ways to improve your credit union. Although some blogs are from organizations that you may have membership in, none of the blogs require a membership to view the content.
1. Berger Leadership Blog
The Berger Leadership Blog is a useful blog from the NAFCU (National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions). This blog is specifically geared toward owners and other executives of credit unions. It provides tips on improving your leadership, with the advice coming directly from Dan Berger, the president, and CEO of NAFCU.
This credit union blog is particularly useful for owners who want to hone their leadership skills, as those skills are essential for a credit union’s success. It is updated every single week and features a range of topics related to leadership. With 24 pages of old blog posts dating back to the beginning of 2014, there is an abundance of content to help you run your credit union.
To get the most from this credit union blog, pay attention to both the new and the older posts. If you are facing a challenge or need leadership advice on a specific aspect of running a credit union, sort the blog posts using the dozens of categories to the side, some of which include change, challenge, decision-making, current affairs, and planning.
2. Compliance Blog (NAFCU)
The Compliance Blog is another one from the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions. As the name implies, this credit union blog is geared toward ensuring compliance with regulations. This particular blog is designed to appeal to your compliance officers, not yourself, as a credit union owner. Despite this, it is smart to follow the blog since, as the credit union owner, you are ultimately responsible for your compliance officers and other employees’ actions.
The Regulatory Compliance Staff writes this blog at NAFCU, whose job revolves around staying up to date with regulations. As such, you will find the latest information here. The blog combines advice and news, with a heavier focus on the former and the latter interspersed.
You can gain even more benefits by reading some of the older posts in the Compliance Blog, but do not expect to read them all, as there are 170 pages of posts. They go back to 2007, making this among the oldest credit union blogs you will find still active.
As with the other blogs from NAFCU, the Compliance Blog lets you look at relevant categories. In this case, some key categories include board and governance, business lending, examination & enforcement, privacy, and home-secured lending.
3. NACUSO Blog
The NACUSO blog is run by the National Association of Credit Union Service Organizations. Blog posts are going back to 2015. While some company-specific blog posts are mixed in that highlight NACUSO’s achievements, numerous posts will help you as a credit union owner. Although NACUSO focuses on credit union service organizations, most of the posts also apply to credit unions.
Some of the relevant topics from recent posts include letting go of credit union myths, improving net income in credit unions, why your credit union may be struggling, and if mergers benefit members. There are also occasional stories from the industry to provide you with ideas or reading lists. As you read the blog, you will find ideas for improving your credit union and overcoming challenges, including those related to current events.
4. CUNA (Credit Union National Association) Blog
The CUNA blog comes from the Credit Union National Association and is a combination of news and blog posts. This lets you stay up to date on industry news and gain the tips and insights you want from a blog. There is also a podcast on the same page, which you may want to listen to. As CUNA prides itself on being a champion of credit unions that advocate for all the credit unions in the country, you can count on the topics relevant to your needs.
Some of the topics in this credit union blog that you may find helpful include mentorship tips, information security awareness best practices, marketing, engagement, combatting cyberattacks via collaboration, and more. Even if you are not a member of CUNA, you can view most of the blog posts.
5. NAFCU Services Blog
As the name implies, the NAFCU Services Blog is another useful credit union blog from the NAFCU. This blog shares insight from the credit union industry, both from the services department at NAFCU and from some of its Preferred Partners.
You will find such topics as how the pandemic has changed payments, life insurance myths, changes to improve member protection, trending fraud crimes, and how you can fight them. There are dozens of categories that you can search as you browse past blogs, including education, mortgage servicing, organizational change, and learning.
As with the other NAFCU blogs, this one has an abundance of older posts with insights that are still useful and relevant. There are 24 pages of blog posts going back to March 2011, so you could easily fill your time looking for advice from years past. Of course, if you look at some of the older posts, be sure to use your analytic skills to confirm the relevant information and suggestions.
6. Musings from the CU Suite
Musings from the CU Suite is a unique blog from NAFCU. Instead of traditional blog posts on a range of topics, it gives you a range of articles, books, and other resources that you should read as a credit union owner. The blog is compiled by Anthony Demangone, the EVP and COO of NAFCU. He makes it a point to read resources that can help him improve as an executive, manager, colleague, or employer. From those books and articles, he chooses the most useful and beneficial ones.
The blog then lists a “Weekend Reading Pile” that includes a handful of those top resources for the week. Instead of using this credit union blog as a direct source of information and ideas, as you do with most blogs, you should use it as an idea of what to read to gain more information, ideas, and insight.
The blog began in 2012 and has 64 pages of posts, so you should find a great deal of interesting reading content. There are also several categories to browse: management, retirement, learning, leadership, current affairs, and board of directors.
Why credit union blogs are relevant to your business
Reading credit union blogs directed at owners like you will help with your credit union’s overall management. You will gain insights into marketing products, remaining compliant, offering loans and lines of credit, and more. Essentially, reading the top credit union blogs will give you insider tips from others who run or work with other credit unions, giving you valuable information and ideas to lead your credit union to success.
By combining credit union blogs with a range of focuses, you can ensure that you get insights into your credit union’s various aspects, from overall management and leadership to members’ loans.
Most of the credit union blogs on this list have dozens of older posts, which can also be useful when you have the time to take a deeper look. At the very least, you should make time in your busy schedule to read or skim the new posts from at least some of the credit union blogs on the list.
To get the most from the credit union blogs, take the time to apply what you learn, and combine it with other resources. Podium, for example, offers a valuable tool to help you engage with your members, maintaining communication via messaging and Webchat.
