Lending is Dead: Long Live Lending
- CU Strategic Planning
- Nov 5
- 1 min read
When Joe Brancucci spoke at the ACU Lending Council Conference this week, his message resonated deeply with credit union leaders: lending, as we’ve known it, can’t survive by staying the same.
Traditional lending systems were built for a world of predictable paychecks, stable careers, and conventional credit histories, and that world that no longer exists. Members today are entrepreneurs, gig workers, and families rebuilding after setbacks. They don’t just need loans; they need institutions that believe in their potential.
Luckily, that gets right to the heart of why credit unions exist. And that’s the focus of our new Executive Insight Report, Lending Is Dead: Long Live Lending.
In this report, Joe reflects on how credit unions can move from being merely relevant to truly compelling by shifting from product to purpose, policy to possibility, and control to empowerment. Drawing on examples from both credit unions and fintech innovators, he outlines what it takes to rebuild lending around people — not paperwork. The report also includes a workbook with discussion prompts and exercises to help lending and leadership teams turn insight into everyday practice.
If you’re rethinking what lending means in today’s economy and how your credit union can make it both sustainable and human, this report is a valuable place to start.
