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Research Report

The Zillennial Opportunity: Credit Unions’ Traditional Investing Imperative in the Crypto Age

Unlock the $2 Trillion Zillennial Investing Opportunity

 

Credit unions are losing deposits—but gaining a massive opportunity. New research from Cornerstone and InvestiFi reveals how Zillennials (Gen Z + Millennials) are redefining the way money moves, grows, and stays.

The shift is already happening:

  • $2 trillion+ moved from traditional accounts to fintech investing platforms since 2020
  • 56% of new checking accounts now go to fintechs—not banks or credit unions
  • Only 1 in 5 Zillennials uses a credit union for checking—6 in 10 use fintechs

 

This isn’t churn—it’s a migration of the financial relationship. And the competition isn’t Merrill Lynch—it’s Robinhood and Coinbase.

 

The institutions that win won’t just protect deposits—they’ll capture the next dollar earned.

What You’ll Learn in This Report

  • Why Zillennials are rapidly moving deposits out of credit unions
  • How fintechs like Robinhood and Coinbase out-compete credit unions
  • Why integrated traditional + crypto investing is now mandatory
  • The strategic importance of stablecoins after the Genius Act

Report Stats At a Glance

39%

 

of credit union members with fintech investment accounts keep at least half their investable assets there, up from 30% in 2024.

34%

 

of Zillennials moved money out of bank accounts to invest in cryptocurrency.

67%

 

of Zillennials want a modern all-in-one app that combines banking, crypto, stocks, ETFs, robo-advisory, and stablecoins.

Ready to See Real Results With Your Financial Institution?

Solutions from Cornerstone Advisors

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Artificial Intelligence

Turn AI into measurable business outcomes. Cornerstone's Artificial Intelligence Accelerator helps banks and credit unions move from experimentation to execution by aligning strategy, governance, data, and technology. Prioritize high-impact use cases, optimize existing AI investments, and deploy scalable solutions that deliver lasting operational and financial results.

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Digital

We help you drive measurable value from your digital investments. Our expert team partners with you to deliver end-to-end support across your key digital initiatives—from strategy to execution. Whether you're modernizing legacy platforms, optimizing digital contracts or scaling new technologies, we ensure every step is aligned to your business objectives. With decades of experience and deep industry insights, we help you make smarter digital decisions and turn your technology partnerships into a true competitive advantage.

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Performance

Cornerstone’s Performance solutions provide a wide range of consulting expertise to help clients identify opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity across their entire organization, whether it’s enhancing the digital experience or optimizing payments. We leverage these services with our proprietary tools, including Performance Vault and Analytics Vault. Armed with unparalleled insider data analytics and benchmarking intel, your bank or credit union will gain the confidence to make sound, data-driven decisions.

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Strategic Planning

Our Strategic Planning services will help your leadership answer the big questions—where are we, where could we be, how do we get there and what’s the impact. Our seasoned consultants will work with you to develop a strategic plan that will empower your organization to achieve tangible “right now” results, as well as build a roadmap for ongoing value creation and success.

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About Cornerstone Advisors

For over 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has delivered gritty insights, bold strategies and data-driven solutions to build smarter banks, credit unions and fintechs. From technology system selection and implementation to contract negotiations, vendor management, performance improvement programs, strategic planning, merger integration and enterprise program management, Cornerstone combines its expertise with proprietary data and research to help financial institutions thrive in today’s challenging environment. For more information, visit www.crnrstone.com, connect with us on LinkedIn and Youtube, and subscribe to GonzoBanker® for our opinionated take on all things banking.