MADISON, Wis. — With the average age being 47 for members nationwide, credit unions aren't attracting younger members or retaining older members, but both population segments are still critical to growing membership, several experts recently shared.

Heather Thiltgen, program manager for MemberCONNECT at CUNA Mutual Group, told an audience at the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association Leadership Conference that credit unions must have "well-thought-out and well-executed" strategies for growing and retaining important segments of their membership base to stem the current membership tide.

Thiltgen, along with Brian Riffle of USSCO Federal Credit Union and Jeff Hunt, an Atlanta-based certified financial planner, suggested using technology, products and services to attract younger members, deepening relationships with indirect borrowers through personal contact and cross-selling to make them fully engaged members and capturing or retaining the baby boomers.