Posts by Adrian Davies
Credit Unions and Banks: what’s the difference?
Last reviewed May 2026 Quick answer A credit union is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative. A bank is shareholder-owned and profit-driven. Both offer savings and loans, both are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and both protect your money up to £120,000 under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). When it comes to borrowing and…
Read MoreStrengthening the Credit Committee
Credit committees are built on something banks have never managed to replicate: a group of people who know their community. Who believe every application deserves a fair hearing. That’s a genuine strength. However focusing too much on assessing individual applications misses a much bigger strategic opportunity. Credit committees with aggregated data can consider the wider…
Read MoreLoan recycling: the hidden reason credit union loan books stall
Some credit unions are processing millions in lending each year but aren’t growing at all. The reason is loan recycling. Successfully addressing this is a direct route to sustainable growth. Why the loan recycling rate matters more than you think The loan recycling rate measures what proportion of a credit union’s opening loan book was…
Read MoreNo more marketing without measurement
Credit union marketing analytics are improving – but the gap between spend and insight remains significant. Social media campaigns, email outreach, partnerships, broker channels and community events are just some examples of marketing activities. But campaigns cost money and staff time. Critically, when loans arrive, there’s little insight into their origin. As a result, it’s…
Read MoreHow Northern Ireland Credit Unions Can Win Younger Members
The average age of a credit union loan applicant in Northern Ireland is 44 years. In Great Britain, it’s 38. That six-year gap isn’t just a statistic; it’s a warning sign. A membership that skews older isn’t standing still. Older members borrow less, save more, and eventually stop needing financial services altogether. A credit union…
Read MoreWhy members walk away (and how to stop them)
Every loan application that doesn’t complete is a missed opportunity, for the member who needed credit, and for the credit union trying to grow its loan book. Withdrawal rate is the metric that captures this attrition. Critically, for many credit unions it’s quietly undermining growth in ways that don’t always get the attention they deserve.…
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