In a recent article, Forbes speaks to the need to earn the trust of Hispanic consumers so that your brand will dominate. This is extremely relevant for credit unions seeking to be the financial institution of choice for the Hispanic community.

How do you begin to earn the trust of the community? The key is definitely "earning" the trust, because it won't just be given to you.

With one in two Hispanics in the U.S. being unbanked or underserved, many Hispanics aren't aware of credit unions and are using other providers to do their finances.

Therefore, you must act differently to reach this market.

It won't happen overnight, but by keeping the following three ideas in mind, you can begin to build trust in your community:

• Go to Where the Community Is. Partner with organizations that are already serving the market and work together to bring awareness about who you are and what you provide. 
• Use Financial Education as a Tool. Hispanics are thirsty for financial services, but they may not be aware of what all of their options are. Inform your community about important topics like the credit union difference and how to avoid predatory service providers.
• Offer a Seamless Member Experience in Their Language of Choice. It's not enough to have marketing materials in Spanish if you don't have the bilingual and bicultural personnel to serve your Spanish-preferring Hispanic members. Ensure you are recruiting, hiring and retaining bilingual and bicultural personnel.

7th Annual Latino Credit Union Conference: June 15-17

Mark your calendars! The Network of Latino Credit Unions & Professionals (NLCUP), CUNA and Coopera are excited to announce NLCUP's 7th Latino Credit Union Conference on June 15-17, 2012, which will be held in conjunction with the America's Credit Union Conference, June 17-20 in San Diego.

This conference is designed to help Latino credit union professionals gain exposure in the larger credit union movement and forge connections between fellow Latino credit union leaders.

This year's conference theme, "Creating Opportunity ~ Creando Oportunidad," will feature renowned journalist, author and performer Ruben Martinez and high-profile, nationally syndicated journalist Ruben Navarette, Jr.

In addition, the conference will offer constructive workshops and events in partnership with major system players.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Look for Coopera at these Upcoming Events

• Latino Credit Union Conference (June 15-17, San Diego)
• Download the conference registration form!
   
• America's Credit Union Conference & Expo (June 17-20, San Diego)
   
• CUNA's Community Credit Union and Growth Conference (October 23-26, Denver)

2012 Free Webinar Schedule

All webinars take place at 1:30 p.m. CST.

• 4/18/12: What's Different About Serving Hispanics? Register today! 
• 5/16/12: Financial Education for Hispanics - What's Important to Them? Register today!
• 6/27/12: Are Hispanics Accessing Financial Information Online? Register today!
• 7/18/12: How to Deliver Financial Education to Hispanics Register today!
• 8/22/12: How Do You Know How Well You're Doing in Serving the Hispanic Community?
• 9/19/12: What Language Do I Market to Hispanics In?
• 10/17/12: Creating a Strategic Plan to Serve the Hispanic Community
• 11/14/12: What It Takes to Successfully Serve the Hispanic Community 

Archived Webinars

• Stop Spinning Your Hispanic Outreach Wheels Series
• The Road Map and the Needs Assessment (Available through April 19, 2012)
• The HON Demographic and Branch Analysis (Available through May 23, 2012)
• Changing Your Organizational Culture (Available through June 14, 2012)
• How Hispanic Members Contribute to Your Bottom Line (Available through September 28, 2012)

El Poder es Tuyo Updates

Coming soon on El Poder es Tuyo:

• 4/16 Use Smarts to Thwart Fraud
• 4/23 ID Theft Tops Consumer Complaint List - Again
• 4/30 Debit Cards: Use Caution During Some Transactions
• 5/7 Small Biz Owners: Organization Tips

About Us

Coopera partners with credit unions of all sizes throughout the country, as well as with national and international credit union systems, to help credit unions grow by reaching and serving the Hispanic community.

Coopera is owned by Affiliates Management Company, holding company of the Iowa Credit Union League, and is a strategic alliance partner of the Credit Union National Association. For more information visit CooperaConsulting.com.