In September 2023, Vizo Financial launched the Empowerment Grants Program, pledging $1 million in funding to support credit union foundations in building financial wellness programs over the span of five years.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and in the latest episode of our Financial Minds: Meet the Experts podcast, Jaime talks with Leigh Philibosian of the MD|DC Foundation and Vizo Financial Empowerment Grant recipients, Sandra Park and Andrey Gidaspov from the FedChoice Charitable Foundation of FedChoice FCU about the positive impact credit unions and communities are seeing with the support of these grants.

Tune in as they discuss topics that include:

• How the empowerment grants helped the FedChoice Charitable Foundation bring real change to their communities
• The impact the grants have had on credit unions and communities they serve
• Details about the grant application process
• Feedback and responses from grant recipients

Ready to get inspired and learn more information about the Empowerment Grant funds that are available through The Credit Union Foundation of MD|DC? Grab your headphones and check out this episode!

Learn More & Connect:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

The Credit Union Foundation of MD|DC: www.cufound.org

FedChoice Charitable Foundation: www.fedchoicegives.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fedchoice-charitable-foundation/

As our president/CEO, Fred Eisel, said, “we achieved a three-peat!” This is in reference to Vizo Financial’s third consecutive year winning the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award, an honor bestowed to only a handful of organizations worldwide.

With employee engagement and strengths-based strategies backing this incredible accomplishment, Jaime wanted to invite Joe Bertotto, the Corporate’s SVP/chief culture officer, to share the secrets of what makes an exceptional workplace.

Listen in as they discuss:

· Culture-building strategies that have been proven successful

· Ways to develop and measure employee engagement across all levels of the organization

· The role of leadership and communication in fostering effective workplace culture

· Ideas for enhancing company culture as workplace trends and environments evolve

· How Vizo Financial has celebrated the win across the organization

Want to bring some of these ideas back to your credit union? Tune in for this episode to celebrate with us and gain the building blocks of an exceptional organization!

Connect with us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

With uncertainty surrounding the economy, how can credit unions navigate potential changes and ease member concerns?

On the Financial Minds: Meet the Experts podcast this week, Jaime interviews Scott Wood, SVP/chief investment officer, and Tim Sustak, SVP/chief treasury officer, at Vizo Financial. Scott and Tim share their thoughts on upcoming economic considerations you need to know.

They’ll explore topics that include:

• How potential tax cuts under the new administration could impact national debt
• Ways the proposed tariffs could impact the economy
• Impacts on the future job market and unemployment system following federal and private sector job cuts
• Factors the FOMC is evaluating leading up to next week’s meeting
• The likelihood of a government recession in the coming months
• Key takeaways from the 2025 GAC

To hear this economic update episode, grab your notepad and press play!

Connect with us: Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/ Instagram: @vizofinancial

Does your credit union offer ACH services to members? If so, then you know how important the ACH Rules laid out by Nacha are to ensuring efficient processing and compliance with industry regulations. Each year, there are changes and updates to those ever-important ACH Rules…but do you know all of them and why they’re being made?

If you’re looking for more insights into the ACH Rules, you’re in luck, because Jaime’s guest on the Financial Minds: Meet the Experts podcast this week is Vizo Financial and MY CU Services’ EFT product manager, Andi Crockett. Not only is Andi sharing her knowledge of the ACH Rules, but she’s providing a breakdown of how they will impact your credit union’s processing.

Tune in as they examine:

• A review of the 2024 ACH Rules changes and why it was such a big year for updates
• Upcoming changes for 2025 and what lies ahead for 2026
• How your credit union can prepare for ACH Rules changes
• Ways you can get involved in providing Rules feedback to Nacha

Take the time to view this episode and brush up on those ACH Rules!

Connect with us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

MY CU Services: www.mycuservices.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-cu-services/

What makes a credit union successful? While things like a stable balance sheet and member satisfaction might initially come to mind, three things that can make or break any business are effective leadership, culture and strengths.

That’s precisely why Jaime has invited Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, published author and Vizo Financial’s SVP/chief culture officer, Joe Bertotto, to the Financial Minds: Meet the Experts podcast to share his expertise on these critical components of workplace culture.

Listen in as they discuss:

• “Healthy” culture and what that means for employee engagement and retention
• The use of strengths-based leadership to create high-performing teams
• What well-being in the workplace looks like
• How leaders can create and sustain a sense of purpose within their teams
• How to maintain good culture in remote and hybrid work environments
• Whether you’re a long-time or emerging leader in your credit union, this episode is full of incredible insights that can help you build a culture of positivity and productivity. Don’t miss it!

Connect with us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

One thing all credit unions have in common, regardless of asset size or field of membership, is the need for a core processing solution. As an essential piece of our operations, the right core solution can be hard to find. But what CUaxis brings to the table is more than just a core solution – it’s a community of support and common core users.

In this episode of Financial Minds: Meet the Experts, Jaime is joined by Ashley Aubele, core solutions account manager of CUaxis, to talk about all the ways this exclusive credit union community is bridging gaps and embracing collaboration through a core solution that goes beyond the norm.

They’ll be discussing:

• The premise and the mission of CUaxis
• Highlights, features and benefits of the CUaxis community and its CU*BASE core system
• What makes CU*BASE a unique core solution for credit unions of all shapes and sizes
• Where credit unions can learn more about this one-of-a-kind core community

If core options and collaboration with credit union peers are on your mind, this episode is for you!

Learn More about CUaxis: www.cuaxis.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cuaxis/

Connect with Us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

Education. Collaboration. People helping people. These are just a few of the many cooperative principles that have built the foundation of the credit union movement. And it’s easy to see why they are so important, as each one drives the idea of pooling our resources to keep learning and growing together. But how do we maintain that engagement among credit unions in a fast-paced and ever-evolving world?

Jaime has invited Jordan Burroughs, VP of member engagement with the MD|DC Credit Union Association, and Nick DeFrancesco, member engagement consultant with the CrossState Credit Union Association, to discuss just that. In this episode, they’re diving deep into the many ways credit unions can keep engagement top of mind.

They’ll be sharing:

· How to keep credit union staff at all levels engaged

· League education and event offerings

· The renaissance in chapter meetings, and why this is a big deal

· Where to find engagement opportunities based on different CU groups

· The importance of coming together to further our mission of collaboration

Want to discover more ways to engage in the credit union movement? Consider this can’t-miss episode step one!

Learn More:

Education & Events page

League & Association Education page

Connect with Us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

MD|DC Credit Union Association: www.mddccua.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/maryland-&-dc-credit-union-association/

CrossState Credit Union Association: www.crossstate.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crossstatecua/

Sunday is almost here…are you ready for Super Bowl LIX? We know some people who certainly are, and they’re joining Jaime on this week’s episode of Financial Minds: Meet the Experts! SVP/chief engagement officer, Rodney May, and corporate account managers, Robyn Cooper, Steve Houser, Joe Reiner and Ty Snavely, are sharing their insights on the most anticipated football game of the season between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

They’re huddling up to discuss:

· Which team they think will be victorious (answers may vary)

· Game strategies (because they’re pros)

· Player potential and who might grab the MVP title (answers may vary…again)

· Individual ratings of which Super Bowl traditions are most important: the game, the food and the commercials (based on a totally scientific scale, of course)

Listen or watch this fun-filled episode now to get in on all the Super Bowl banter!

Connect with us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

What are your credit union’s top goals for 2025? If one of them is member growth strategy, this episode of Financial Minds: Meet the Experts is a MUST! Jaime is sitting down with Daniel Berry, president/CEO of Duke University FCU, to talk about growing credit union membership in an increasingly competitive financial world and how one solution has helped Daniel’s institution not only expand, but create efficiencies in harnessing engagement. That solution is Vertice AI.

Join Jaime and Daniel as they explore:

· How Vertice AI plays a key role in helping the credit union better understand their members

· Real examples of successful campaigns utilizing Vertice AI’s analytics and insights tools

· What the relationship between the credit union and Vertice AI looks like

· What the cooperative partnership between Vizo Financial and Vertice AI means for credit unions

You don’t want to miss out on this discussion to learn how Vertice AI is transforming the member growth journey for credit unions, especially through their exclusive partnership with Vizo Financial. We hope you’ll tune in!

Learn More:

Visit our website: https://vfccu.org/solutions_mobile/vertice-ai.html

Connect with Us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial

It’s almost here! The first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of 2025 is scheduled for next week. And you know what that means – Jaime is sitting down with our dynamic duo, Scott Wood, Vizo Financial’s SVP/chief investment officer, and Tim Sustak, Vizo Financial’s SVP/chief treasury officer, to kick off season four of the podcast with a look at the economy.

They’re chatting about:

· Whether the Fed will choose to hold rates or continue with their cuts

· How the yield curve could impact credit union balance sheets

· The impact of Bank Term Funding Program repayments on liquidity

· What the lending landscape looks like for credit unions

This episode is packed full of important economic information, so make sure to tune in!

Connect with us:

Vizo Financial: www.vfccu.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vizo-financial/

Instagram: @vizofinancial