SEATTLE — The $3 billion Kinecta Credit Union is at last getting a handle on membership retention, cutting account closings in half.

Reason for that kind of success: it relies on inexpensive employee incentives coupled with a dedicated corps of "retention specialists" housed in the branches and at a CU Contact Center.

Addressing the annual Marketing Association of Credit Unions conference here, Kathryn Davis, vice president of sales and marketing at the Manhattan Beach, Calif. CU, explained that its program grew out of necessity considering Kinecta was witnessing 1,500 membership closings a month.