Attracting new members is the lifeblood of any financial institution. Your membership does not face a uniform economic reality, and their financial needs differ from one to the next. This educational webinar series will explore how credit unions can focus on meeting the needs of all the unique segments of their membership.

These days, the world seems to be buzzing about personalization. By breaking down your membership into manageable segments, you can increase your ability to personalize your services, address particular areas of concern, and extend your reach within each particula r group. Specifically targeting unique member segments can ultimately benefit your bottom line, improve service, and the entirety of membership will reap the benefits!

1. Focus On: Women (February 14, 2008)
Empowering Female Members for Financial Success
Women comprise over half the United States population and now represent the majority of credit union members, surpassing men in 1993. Over 52% of the total national credit union membership is comprised of women, compared to only 47% in 1987. There is also overwhelming evidence to support the contention that women are confronted by different economic realities than men. These differences give rise to unique financial needs that credit unions are in an ideal position to address!

2. Focus On: First Generation (March 20, 2008)
New Faces in the Crowd: Successful Strategies for Serving 1st Generation Americans
As of 2006, one in every eight residents in the United States was foreign born, the highest proportion since 1920. Every state in the country, as well has Washington D.C. has seen their immigrant population rise since 2000. Find out why it is important to serve this rapidly growing portion of the population with unique needs that many of us have not faced before. Credit unions can play a significant role in helping new immigrants to achieve the American Dream.

3. The Gen Y Opportunity: Attracting and Retaining Younger Members (May 1, 2008)
The average age of a credit union member is 47, and it is not news to anyone that attracting younger members is crucial to our future success. This event will be hosted by a member of Gen Y and will tackle this elusive demographic from several angles and examine what this generation actually responds to. 

4. Serving the Unbanked as a Business Opportunity (June 5, 2008)
Most estimates suggest that there are over 10 million households in the country that are unbanked. We will examine the services such as check cashing and payday lending that these individuals may be using for their financial transactions and discuss different programs and approaches that credit unions are using to reach these potential members. This is an issue that all credit unions have to deal with, whether we approach the unbanked in our communities, or in our own SEGs, there are plenty of people that still have not heard about the credit union message. Let’s talk about how to reach them.

5. Effectively Targeting Members with Unique Needs: Baby Boomers (July 17, 2008)
Its official: in 2008, the first of the Baby Boomer generation reached the age that they can begin to receive social security benefits. This is a generation that has defined itself by change and refuses to be pigeonholed. With some members embracing early retirement, some continuing to work full time, and others somewhere in the middle, how do we address their diverse concerns? It goes without saying that we can’t forget our core group of members.