Credit Unions First (CUF), an insurance and risk management company, today announced a new strategic partnership with Innovative Business Solutions, a CUSO known for its commercial lending, business deposit, treasury, and SBA loan services. The partnership pairs two organizations built around the same core belief: credit unions grow stronger when they collaborate rather than go it alone.
Together, Credit Unions First and Innovative Business Solutions will give credit unions a more complete path to building out their business services ‚ from insurance and risk management to commercial lending, deposits, and treasury support ‚ through a single, trusted network of partners.
"This collaboration reflects exactly what we believe at Credit Unions First: that credit unions grow stronger when trusted organizations come together around a shared purpose. By aligning with Innovative Business Solutions, we're giving credit unions a more seamless path to the insurance, lending, and treasury support they need to serve their members well," said Melanie Munsey, CEO of Credit Unions First.
"At IBS, we believe in the power of collaboration and bringing together organizations that share a common purpose; helping credit unions thrive " said Nicol Matthews, Chief Operating Officer of Innovative Business Solutions.
The partnership follows a recent CUInsight article by Nicol Matthews, "It's Not What You Build, It's Who You Build It With," which argued that CUSOs are most valuable not as standalone vendors but as an extension of the credit union movement's cooperative philosophy, connecting institutions to shared expertise, scalable solutions, and a broader network of influence. Matthews specifically named Credit Unions First among the CUSOs helping to drive that collaboration forward in insurance services.
That philosophy is exactly what this partnership puts into practice. Rather than credit unions piecing together disconnected vendors for insurance, lending, deposits, and treasury needs, Credit Unions First and Innovative Business Solutions are aligning to offer a coordinated, relationship-driven approach.
Credit Unions First is an early-stage CUSO specializing in insurance and risk management solutions for credit unions, helping institutions protect their members, their portfolios, and their communities. Learn more at https://creditunionsfirst.org).
Innovative Business Solutions (IBS) provides commercial lending, business deposit, treasury, SBA loan, and consulting/coaching services to credit unions, helping institutions build and grow business services programs with a compliance-driven, end-to-end approach. Learn more at (https://ibscu.com).