Credit Union Seeks Rants From Gen Y

When was the last time your bank, credit union or financial institution asked you to sound off about their customer service, fees, or the banking industry? United Federal Credit Union (St. Joseph, Mich.) started an effort last year to do just that.  Got a beef with your bank? Mad about overdraft fees? Uncertain about your financial future? This credit union wants people to bring it on. And they are providing the virtual means to do so. 

This project is called “Matter,” and the microsite’s URL, “TheAntiBank.com,” provides a clue that this is not just an ordinary financial web site. Rather, they have asked Gen Y consumers to boldly state their feelings, rants and complaints about all things financial.

The “Matters” site announces: “You have a voice and a vote. But we also know you have ideas. So tell us. We’ve created this special forum as a place where you can share your thoughts on how to make our collective working experience the best it can be.”

Check out what people have candidly posted at the rant page.

A review and debate of this effort was profiled by the Financial Brand blog.

Granted, the “Matters” project is almost a year old, and it’s hard to tell if they’ve been able to sustain the initial momentum such as that seen in the meteoric rise of the recent (but unrelated) “Move Your Money” effort.

Regardless, “Matters” definitely tapped into younger consumers’ shaken confidence with their financial future and distrust of big banks, and has provided a virtual way to sound off. And that’s a lot more effort than some bigger-bank executives have put forth, especially those who are fearful to dip their toes in the social media waters for fear someone might leave a negative comment.