What Matters Most for Credit Unions in 2026

With thousands of credit union-related conversations under his belt, CU Broadcast host Mike Lawson has his finger on the pulse of the industry like few others.  So we asked him point blank: after everything you heard in 2025, what should be top of mind for credit union leaders heading into next year? His answer? A wake-up call. In this episode, Mike Lawson and host Joshua Barclay dissect the uncomfortable truths facing credit unions—from an aging membership base that threatens the movement's long-term survival, to mega-mergers that risk eroding the "people helping people" DNA that makes credit unions different.  We talk about what's actually working to attract younger members (hint: it's not just TikTok), why some credit unions are quietly dropping "credit union" from their names, and how AI is creating an arms race between fraudsters and the institutions trying to stop them. This podcast episode is sponsored by BusinessNext, the all-in-one CRM made for credit unions and community banks.  If you want to see the BusinessNext CRM in action, you can watch a demo video by clicking this link.