What service enabled credit union financial advisors to realize a 71% surge in new clients per month and an impressive 23% higher profit margin? It was CUSO Financial Services TeamAssist, and those numbers earned it a place among the 2023 Credit Union Times Luminary finalists for Product Innovation.

In this episode of the Meet the Luminaries podcast series, Brian Bichler, Co-Head of Financial Institution Channel for CUSO Financial Services, looks at what being named a Luminaries finalist means for the Atria Wealth Solutions company.

You'll also hear:

• Which challenges CUSO Financial had to overcome to create a successful service;
• How data sets and other best practices were incorporated into the development; and
• Where CUSO Financial is setting their sights on for the future.

With the increasing challenges of vehichle affordability, those in underserved credit segments find themselves without access to financing, and thus better job and education prospects. Open Lending's mission has been to expand automobile access for near-prime borrowers, and through their market-leading AI and machine learning Lenders Protection platform fueled with the most comprehensive data in the industry they empower lenders to meet yield targets while also serving the near-prime segment. It also got them a Credit Union Times Luminaries nomination for Product Innovation.

In this episode of the Meet the Luminaries podcast series, Kevin Filan, senior vice president of marketing at Open Lending, looks at what the nomination means for the company.

You'll also learn:

● How data shows that credit unions miss out when not meeting the financing needs of near-prime consumers;

● What five important recommendations credit unions should know about a lending enablement partner; and

● Why Open Lending is making improvements to better serve both credit union and near-prime borrowers.

A returning member to the Credit Union Times luminaries class, Dan Stoltz, president and CEO of Minnesota-based SPIRE Credit Union was once again recognized for his executive excellence. The reasons are pretty clear: steering the credit union from the brink during the Great Recession, he now leads one of the fastest-growing credit unions in the nation, doubling its assets from 2009 to 2017.

In this latest episode of the Meet the Luminaries podcast series, hear from Stoltz what was behind this turnaround.

You'll also hear:

• How they overcame a $12 million loss from the Great Recession;

• Which practices they employ to continue their proactive engagement with their community, and

• What big changes are ahead for the credit union.