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Why do 77% of borrowers say loan payment protection provides meaningful financial security, while only 22% have purchased it? According to Alexia Johnson of Securian Financial, the biggest barrier is not a lack of need. It is a lack of trust, understanding, and relevant education during the lending process. Alexia joins Credit Union Conversations host […]

How can credit unions use AI and digital lending tools without losing the human relationships that set them apart? Al Gregory, Chief Lending Officer at Securityplus Federal Credit Union, joins Mark Ritter to explain why technology should support, not replace, experienced judgment in commercial lending. Al shares his path from bank teller to CUSO CEO […]

This one starts as a lending podcast and ends as a full-blown rock history lesson. After Ed Marra briefly recaps his professional start in paralegal studies and early commercial lending work, Mark Ritter lets him run with his true passion, classic rock, growing up on The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Johnny Cash, then building a […]

Mark Ritter sits down with Eben Sheaffer on Credit Union Conversations, talking credit union lending. Eben shares his journey from Wall Street finance to CDFI leadership, explaining how working capital financing and adaptive reuse lending are reshaping underserved communities across the country. From a groundbreaking securitization in equipment financing to revitalizing Detroit through impact-driven loans, […]

What happens when a mid-sized credit union outgrows its comfort zone? Andrew Wilson of Navigator Credit Union joins host Mark Ritter to unpack the strategy behind explosive net income growth, a booming mortgage lending portfolio, and a scrappy new commercial lending division built almost from scratch. Wilson gets candid about surviving NCUA Exams, building trust […]

From bartending in Estes Park to golf lessons to running a multimillion-dollar CUSO, Michael Nagl’s story proves that the best leaders take unexpected roads. He and Mark Ritter dig into mortgage-lending boom-and-bust cycles, why member service still beats automation, and how a niche auto-leasing program now serves credit unions nationwide. They also swap stories about […]

Careers in the credit union industry can take unexpected turns, as Kendall Boyle proves in this episode of Credit Union Conversations. From wedding-planning chaos to underwriting spreadsheets, Kendall’s career path is anything but ordinary. Host Mark Ritter chats with the MBFS portfolio analyst about surviving hospitality burnout, thriving in remote work, and finding calm through […]

What does it take to leave a prestigious law career, join the most hated government program in history, and then launch a fintech startup with no clients, no marketing materials, and no industry relationships? Ian Lampl did exactly that. Host Mark Ritter welcomes Ian, founder and CEO of LoanStreet, to discuss the evolution of loan […]

Are your current vendor relationships helping you solve real problems or just cluttering your technology stack? In this episode, Mark Ritter sits down with Melissa Kopp, Chief Revenue Officer for the League of Credit Unions and its affiliate Leverage, to discuss how credit union fintech partnerships are shifting from standard product pitching to collaborative problem […]

What does it really take to grow a business lending CUSO in 2026? Mark Ritter and Jeff Lyons pull back the curtain on eight years of organizational evolution, honest reflections on artificial intelligence, and where credit union technology is finally delivering results. From Microsoft Copilot upgrades that went from frustrating to impressive, to AI-assisted hiring […]