Personalization – The Path to Member Loyalty

Imagine asking your members when they last received a message from your credit union that felt like it was written just for them. If you’re afraid their answer might be “never,” you’re not alone, and you should keep reading.

For many credit unions, “spray and pray” is still an apt description of messaging strategy, but we need to recognize that the world has changed. Netflix and Spotify intuitively know what users want to watch or listen to next, and I’m pretty sure Amazon just delivered something I didn’t even know I wanted until it got here. This is the world we live in, and for the younger generations of members we wish to serve, it’s the only world they know. If this is what consumers expect from their streaming and shopping services, why wouldn’t they expect the same level of personalization in their relationship with a credit union?

If deep personalization isn’t on your credit union’s strategic road map, it really should be. We’ve all heard the McKinsey statistic that 71 percent of consumers expect personalization from the organizations they do business with, and 76 percent are frustrated when they don’t get it. The last thing we want to be is a source of frustration for our membership!     

Bring Our History of Personalization Into the Future

Personalization has defined how we operate as credit unions forever. When asked why they love their credit union, many people respond saying, “I’m not just a number there, they know my name.” We’ve owned personalization when it comes to serving people face-to-face, and we traditionally score higher than banks in consumer satisfaction surveys because of it.

That gap is narrowing, though, as banks lean into personalization and enhance their ability to make people feel known, not like a number. Credit unions are the OG when it comes to people helping people. If we want to retain that mantle in this digital-first world, personalization is the pathway to success.

This effort doesn’t just build relationships; it fits our mission of meeting members’ financial needs by being at the right place, at the right time, with the solution that makes their lives better. It’s about seeing their life events, behaviors and goals, and then providing meaningful, timely suggestions:

• A member’s auto loan is nearly paid off? Offer a low-rate refinance or savings plan for the freed-up funds.
• A checking account balance has grown? Suggest moving funds to a higher-yield savings product.
• A member’s credit utilization spikes? Provide a tip on balance transfer options or a low-rate credit line.

How to Create “Segment-of-One” Experiences

These aren’t just marketing opportunities, they’re loyalty builders. When members feel seen and understood, they’re less likely to shop around for rates and more likely to view your credit union as a partner in their financial success. Until recently, delivering this type of personalization was limited to large banks with massive data teams. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) and affordable data analytics tools make it possible for credit unions of all sizes to offer “segment-of-one” experiences.

Key use cases include:

• Predictive lending offers: Detect when a member might be ready for a home equity loan or car upgrade.
• Customized savings journeys: Suggest personalized goals (e.g., emergency funds or vacation savings) based on past spending.
• Proactive alerts: Send helpful nudges when spending patterns signal a budgeting opportunity.

The beauty of AI is that it doesn’t replace the human touch, it enhances it, freeing staff from guesswork and allowing them to focus on the moments that matter. It also means you don’t have to go through an enterprise-wide data overhaul to get better at personalization. With the right tools, it can be a light lift.

Get Personal, Build Loyalty, See Growth

When your credit union can anticipate needs and deliver tailored solutions, you become a highly trusted financial partner within the communities you serve. At Vizo Financial, we’ve partnered with Vertice AI to support credit unions that want to leverage their data in pursuit of personalization. Theirs is a robust solution that can accelerate your credit union’s effort to leverage personalization in support of growth. Let us know if you would like to learn more about it. 

Now, time to see about that Amazon delivery…

Jeremy Jenkins is the VP of data analytics for Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union. In this role, he consults with credit unions to help them leverage AI-driven technology solutions brought forward by the Corporate and its technology partners. In 2025, he returned to the Vizo Financial after serving as the president/CEO of Lanco Federal Credit Union in Lancaster, Pa., since 2020. Prior to his time with Lanco FCU, he held various roles at the Corporate, including corporate account manager and member relations director.