The Real Cost of Acquiring Members in 2026, Revealed

Credit unions and banks are facing a new reality: acquiring and retaining members has become significantly more expensive and more complex. Rising competition from fintechs, higher digital advertising costs, and shifting consumer expectations are forcing financial institutions to rethink how they measure and optimize member acquisition. Yet many institutions still lack clear benchmarks for what it truly costs to acquire a new member in today's market.

An upcoming industry webinar, "Measure Your MAC: 2026 Member Acquisition Cost Trends," will unveil the full 2026 Member Acquisition Cost report, bringing together new analysis of what financial institutions are actually spending to acquire members. The report compiles data from publicly available NCUA filings, public company disclosures, and surveys of banking and credit union executives, offering one of the most comprehensive looks at acquisition costs across the industry.

During the webinar, attendees will get a first look at the findings from the and hear from industry leaders about how financial institutions can improve acquisition efficiency. The session will include:

• The unveiling of the 2026 Member Acquisition Cost Report and key insights, presented by Rachel Lauren, COO and Co-Founder of Debbie, highlighting industry benchmarks, emerging trends, and what the data reveals about acquisition costs across banks and credit unions.
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• Best practices for optimizing digital account opening and improving conversion, presented by Nicholas Hinrichsen, CEO or Clutch, covering strategies financial institutions can use to reduce friction in the onboarding process and improve acquisition efficiency.
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• A real-world case study from Andrew Doepping at Lafayette Federal Credit Union, sharing how the institution approaches member acquisition, digital growth, and measuring the return on marketing investments.