July 24, 2023
Credit unions stand out amongst other financial institutions for a wealth of reasons, particularly credit unions’ commitment to building solid relationships with members. A credit union’s investment in members’ economic well-being is a significant component of these relationships. Credit unions must have the right tools and resources to promote financial well-being.
Promoting financial wellness is critical in today’s rocky economic environment. Many Americans are unsure where the economy is going and what tomorrow will bring. In May 2023, half of U.S. adults in households earning less than $60,000 annually were stressed about their personal finances. That only decreased slightly to 40% for households in the $60,000-$100,000 bracket.
A poll conducted in March 2023 found that 36% of adults feel the national economy is causing them anxiety. What does this mean? Many adults are not confident they can keep up with their expenses and live a comfortable life.
According to Forbes, financial wellness will improve what your members can afford and dramatically impact their overall mental health.
Simply put: provide financial literacy resources for your members. From articles about finding the best interest rate for your situation to infographics with budgeting tips, your members need easy access to this information.
Many resources are available if you’re not looking to reinvent the wheel. SavvyMoney, a popular credit scoring app that integrates with Sharetec, offers its partners various Financial Education tools. SavvyMoney’s robust repository of financial education articles & resources can be repurposed by your credit unions for webinars, email blasts, and social media. All of SavvyMoney’s content is relevant and up-to-date, ensuring that the information you provide your members is what they have at the top of their minds.
The NCUA’s Financial Education Resource Guide is a comprehensive booklet that provides your credit union access to various financial wellness materials. A resource highlight includes their consumer tips videos. If you want to quickly educate your members on financial tips and money management misconceptions, embed a link to one of their videos, including:
Is there a topic of importance that’s too substantial for a quick social media post or email blast? Host a one-time webinar or webinar series. Webinars are an excellent tool for your members, but if you work with different organizations and businesses in the community (schools, senior communities, etc.), registration can be extended to non-members. Inviting non-members will show your commitment to bettering the financial well-being of the community as a whole and can act as a membership growth tool, too.
Unsure of where to begin? You can use the financial wellness resources provided by SavvyMoney as a jumping-off point – if you are a SavvyMoney partner – or can use these ideas as a springboard:
When you host a webinar, ensure automatic recording is turned on. Recorded webinars can be sent to members to watch on-demand and will help your credit union build up its video repository.
Make your members more aware of financial literacy by giving them a financial tip of the month. This tip can be posted throughout the credit union – a handy sign at the teller line – on social media, member email blasts, or your member website or app.
If you’re struggling with a monthly tip, one recommendation is to search trending financial topics on Tiktok. This platform is chock-full of financial influencers who provide quick tips on today’s most relevant financial and economic issues. Tiktokers can inspire you for your recommendation of the month – and may also help you score points with younger members.
Even if you have the best content created about financial wellness, you need to ensure that you’re showcasing those materials where your members are. Your credit union can leverage the digital experience to promote financial education.
Not all learners can take away valuable insight from articles, presentations, and videos, particularly those in the younger age bracket (think younger Gen Z and upcoming Gen Alpha). They need to interact with content! While many different financial games can be downloaded from the Google Play and Apple stores, here are two from MyCreditUnion.gov that can be accessed via web browser:
Another excellent option for the under-ten crowd is Savings Spree. This award-winning game, available for smartphones, teaches players both short and long-term savings skills – and is affordable at $5.99 in the Google Play and Apple Store.
One of our favorite financial literacy tools is SavvyMoney, a credit scoring tool that integrates seamlessly with the Sharetec core. SavvyMoney displays a member’s real-time credit score and provides insight into how they can improve their score and what offers they qualify for. SavvyMoney is an excellent fit for credit unions of all sizes, as members from every background can benefit from knowing their financial position and how it could impact their ability to obtain loans.
If you’re currently on Sharetec and want to learn more about SavvyMoney – or are looking to switch to a core that offers innovative third-party connections like this one – contact us today! The Sharetec Team can also be reached by simply emailing simplicity@sharetec.com.
