Topics are determined by the Group on a quarterly basis.  Additionally, Consortium members can conduct up to two surveys from the Consortium Archive per year. 

Recent survey topics include the following: 

	Increasing e-Statement Penetration		Reaching Your Members Through E-Mail
	Opportunities for Improving Online Member Education		Increasing Bill Pay Penetration
	Identity Theft: Ways to Address Member Fears		Meeting Auto Loan Needs of Online Members
	Increasing Usage of Online Loan Applications		Website Design and Navigation: Evaluate and Improve Your Site
	Financial Service Usage		Mortgages: How Well Are You Meeting Your Member's Mortgage Needs
	Serving Small Businesses Online

Increasing e-Statement Penetration

• Many credit unions are experiencing flat adoption rates as they strive to increase eStatement adoption. How have recent concerns about identity theft impacted their likelihood to use eStatements? How are members currently using paper statements? What are the barriers to switching? Are members aware of identity theft benefits?

Opportunities for Improving Online Member Education

• Consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to conduct research before obtaining financial services. What websites are they using? How do they evaluate their credit union's website, and what other tools do they need?
  
• Do your members feel that your website is well equipped to help them with their financial service decision-making process? While online calculators are considered a standard part of any financial institution website, what are the best practices?

Identity Theft: Ways to Address Member Fears

• Consumer awareness of and concerns regarding Identity Theft are on the rise, due to heightened publicity about phishing scams and software viruses. But how has this increased awareness impacted behavior, and/or impressions about the credit union website?
  
• This survey will help you identify education opportunities, uncover potential perceptual issues surrounding the credit union's security, and investigate services or tools to help members.

Increasing Usage of Online Loan Applications

• This study will enable you to improve the likelihood that online members will use your online applications, as understand the experiences of previous users. You'll also be able to benchmark your online loan application performance and see how other credit unions are positioning this important tool. The survey covers:
• For members who have used an online loan application, how did they feel about the process? Were their expectations met? Would they apply online again with the CU in the future?
  For members who have not tried an online loan application, what are the barriers? Have members ever abandoned an online application? Why

Financial Service Usage

• One of the first steps towards increasing your relationship with members is understanding the types of financial service products they are using elsewhere, and then understanding what online tools can make it easier or increase the chance that they will switch. How can your website make it easier for members to move their accounts/loans to your credit union?
  
• This survey included aspects such as:
  • Accounts/services used at the credit union and other online financial service providers, and interest in transferring accounts/loans to the credit union
  • Comparison of your site to other financial service sites used, in terms of information research, transaction capability, and ease of us

• More credit unions are focused on small businesses due to the sheer size and opportunity for expanded relationships that this market brings. The online channel offers many advantages that can be leveraged for small business owners, who oftentimes need to keep a close watch on cash flow and don't have time to visit a branch. This survey focuses on understanding the small business market within the online member segment, and investigates the opportunity for using the self-service online channel to meet their needs.

Reaching Your Members Through E-Mail

• " We're all aware that e-mail is a useful tool for reaching your online members. But how do you ensure that your email communications are enhancing member relationships, and providing members with the information they need? How can you make your e-mail marketing more effective?
  
• This survey focuses on outbound e-mail communications such as general marketing emails and e-alerts. This survey is designed to increase your understanding of member preferences and needs regarding e-mail communications, including topics, frequency and format.

• Bill pay is one of the most rapidly growing online services, with adoption rates doubling over the past two years. Although estimates from various sources very widely, by the end of 2004, most agree that approximately 25% of households are expected to use electronic bill pay. Yet, other than the few success stories like Bank of America, many financial institutions are experiencing difficulties in convincing members to sign up for, and use their bill pay service.
  
• The purpose of this survey is to explore reasons why online members sign up or do not sign up for their credit union's bill pay service. You'll gain a better understanding of the motivations for and barriers to using your bill pay service, in order to leverage these aspects for future marketing. Another objective is to investigate potential usage segments for targeted promotions.

• Credit unions are facing a highly competitive market for auto lending, as dealer-financing incentives continue to be aggressively marketed. The internet's role in researching auto purchase information continues to increase.
  
• This survey provides feedback, which will help credit unions better target online members for auto loans. The primary purpose of the survey is to better understand the auto loan activities and perceptions of online members, and the types of online resources they use for their information needs.

Website Design and Navigation: Evaluate and Improve Your Site

• This survey measures the effectiveness of your credit union Website and online banking program in order to better target areas of improvement. Members evaluate the site's design, navigation and ease of use, and provide feedback on the types of features they typically use on your site.
  
• Members also provide feedback on the types of additional features they want added to your Website and online banking program in order to prioritize enhancements to your site.

• This survey was designed to help understand your member's mortgage selection activities during this period of high activity. It highlights information channels used, and evaluation of mortgage services for both purchase and refinancing mortgages.
  
• The survey asked for information regarding the member's most recent mortgage, including the mortgage lender used, reasons why, and their information search. Member comments provided direct feedback on their reasons for selecting another mortgage lender as well as ideas for improving the application process.