3rd Credit Union Research Workshop
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Cooperatives, America’s Credit Unions and Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business are organizing the third annual Credit Union Research Workshop to promote collaboration, stimulate discussion and share research related to credit unions (not-for-profit financial cooperatives). The Workshop will include the presentation and discussion of three academic papers followed by a policy panel and conversation facilitated by the Filene Research Institute.
To facilitate widespread participation and reduce costs, the event is free and will be held virtually from 10am to 1pm (CST) on Friday, January 31st, 2025.
Agenda:
10:00am – 11:45am: Research Workshop
Spillover from Silicon Valley Bank?: Deposit Stability at Credit Unions by Anna-Leigh Stone (Samford University)
Discussant: Andres Mesa Toro (University of Navarra)
Credit Union Expansion and Bifurcation in Local Bank Lending by Jiakai Chen (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Teng Wang (Federal Reserve) and Tim Zhang (University of Texas at San Antonio)
Discussant: David Stillerman (American University)
The Impact of Credit Union Competition on Bank Loan Rates, 2010 - 2019 by Robert Feinberg (American University) and Kara Reynolds (American University)
Discussant: Samuel Rosen (Temple University)
11:45am – 12:00pm: Break
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Panel and discussion organized and facilitated by the Filene Research Institute, with Taylor Nelms & Caroline Vahrenkamp: The Pursuit of Scale vs. Competitive Differentiation?
Credit union strategy conversations are increasingly orienting around the tension between growth and differentiation. As credit unions face increasing pressure to scale, they must also navigate the challenge of standing out in a highly competitive and commoditized financial services landscape. In this panel and discussion, we will explore the dynamic tension credit union leaders must navigate between pursuing growth and establishing and maintaining a distinct value proposition and organization identity.
When does growth create value, and when might it erode what makes a credit union unique? When does it make sense not to grow?
How can credit unions effectively differentiate to meet the needs of communities today? What kinds of communities can serve as sources of growth for credit unions today (vs. when credit unions were founded)?
How does this tension manifest for credit unions of different asset sizes and charter types? What are the implications for members and consumers as credit unions seek to balance scale and differentiation?
Registration:
To register for the event, please use the following link and enter your name and e-mail address. The event link and further details will be shared to registered participants in January: https://forms.gle/zRMGAnicRAtuWcuS9
Organizing Committee:
Jordan van Rijn, PhD Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Andres Shahidinejad, PhD Assistant Professor, D’Amore McKim School of Business & Department of Economics, Northeastern University
Dawit Zenebe, PhD Senior Economist, America's Credit Unions