My mom taught English for 30 years. Unsurprisingly, my childhood home was filled with books. I grew up reading Mother West Wind and enthusiastically previewing books that piqued my curiosity—whether they had colorful covers or were tattered and worn editions I saw my mother return to again and again. However, like many students of my generation, another force added momentum to my passion for reading: Pizza. In elementary school, we were presented with the “BOOK IT! Program.” If we read a certain number of books, we could earn free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut.
I grew up in Hillsdale, Michigan. My family has had a farm there for over 100 years. During my formative years, with one movie theater and Netflix years from inception, we saw movies months, if not years, after their release. I remember vividly the day that Wendy’s opened. We stood in a long line excitedly awaiting our turn to experience the “Super Bar.” Pizza Hut was one of the few early fast pizza options, and I was a big fan. The opportunity to steer clear of my family’s rotation of dinner options like tater tot casserole and goulash filled me with delight.
My passion for pizza has evolved to handcrafted recipes in the years since. In my professional life, learning comes from reading as well as through privileged time with credit union leaders throughout the year. Most of us feel a strong passion and commitment to financial literacy as a community. A focus on enhanced personal finance education extends beyond our movement as some states are now creating curriculum requirements focused on enhancing financial well-being knowledge. In my home state of Michigan, in June of 2022, a bipartisan bill added a half-credit personal finance course as a high school graduation requirement.
While many of us believe in financial literacy and devote copious resources from our organizations to enhance financial wellness, knowledge alone does not equate to shifts in behavior. In “Knowing and Not Doing: The Disconnect Between Knowledge and Action in Everyday Life,” Rocci describes the divide between knowing and doing: “Despite having the knowledge of what is beneficial or necessary, many of us find ourselves unable to translate this awareness into action. This paradoxical situation is not just a matter of personal weakness or lack of willpower but is deeply rooted in our psychological makeup.”
We all have examples of this in our daily lives. I am acutely aware that drinking an abundant amount of Diet Coke daily is not my healthiest choice. And yet, when 11 AM nears, and I’ve enjoyed my last coffee of the day, I am enthusiastic about having my first Diet Coke. I tell myself it is one of my few bad habits. I encourage myself to consider drinking one less Diet Coke the next day. I even cheer myself on for drinking water more frequently over the past year. I do not have one less Diet Coke. Knowledge does not change behavior.
As my remembrance of the BOOK IT Program demonstrates, three things do change behavior: games, rewards, and peer connections. According to Chen and Liang’s "Play hard, study hard? The influence of gamification on students’ study engagement", "Research shows that students in gamified courses outperformed because they can concentrate on their studies. For example, college students in a gamified cell biology class outperformed their lecture-based counterparts by 40% (Kim et al., 2018)."
Beyond games, rewards also help shift behavior. Carter writes in “The Psychology of Incentives: How to Use Rewards to Drive Behavior Change” that “Rewards hold a significant influence on how people behave. Whether it’s motivating someone to adopt healthier habits, encouraging employees to excel at work, or inspiring societal shifts, the strategic use of rewards is a primary factor in changing behavior.”
Finally, peers matter. The National Institutes of Health’s article “The Power of Peers: Who Influences Your Health” shares that “activity in certain brain areas changes when other people are around. That can affect what you choose to do. But this work also suggest that you can harness the power of social relationships to gain healthier habits and motivate others to do the same.”
What if, as a movement, we came together to make 2025 the year we answered the call of everyday Americans? Let’s marry our passion for financial literacy with what we know to be true of human behavior and align on a simple 52-week savings challenge. Imagine if each member of every credit union across the country started saving $1 in the first week of January and increased that challenge by one dollar per week. Each member would have $1,378 by the end of the year.
Why a 52-week challenge in 2025?
- It’s easy: Whether done through automation or tracking on an Excel spreadsheet, we have everything we need to bring this to life in ALL of our credit unions. We all have a special savings account that can be leveraged to support our members’ savings efforts.
- It’s achievable: One of the reasons we resist change is it feels too hard. This challenge can be met by nearly every one of our members. By breaking behavior change into small, attainable goals, we make it something people feel they can take on and reach.
- It matters: Creating a habit of saving can be like the habit of exercise, the habit of rest, and the habit of social connection; having done it once, we will be encouraged by the experience to repeat it, and repeating it leads to even stronger outcomes. Our fellow Americans are feeling significant financial pain. Brookings, “How economic concerns are shaping the youth vote in 2024” by Sanchez, Luthra, and Parasher emphasizes the impact on those between 18 to 29 (those that credit unions very much need to attract and retain): “In short, young voters are experiencing a complexity of economic stress. This includes a dramatic rise in the cost of rent and mortgages that has led many to move back in with their parents; a drastic increase in the cost of higher education that has saddled them with college debt; and limited job opportunities, even for those with college degrees.” Imagine in January 2026 if those between 18 and 29 were talking about having saved $1,378 with their credit union.
- It’s collaborative: While any one of us can do this alone, we are better together. If over 4,500 credit unions challenge our members to save together, we can elevate our cooperative principle of collaboration. Through action, this demonstrates the credit union difference to human beings and allows them to be a part of it in a tangible way that enhances their lives.
- It builds a story: We can no longer wait to tell our story. According to Pew Research Center’s “Views of the nation’s economy,” “Majorities of Americans continue to express a high level of concern about the price of food and consumer goods (72% say they are very concerned about this) and the cost of housing (64%). About half (51%) say they are very concerned about the price of gasoline and energy. More than eight-in-ten say they are at least somewhat concerned about each of these economic issues.” Credit unions must play a role in supporting those that we serve and our entire country. While there are many answers and ways we can bring solutions and ideas to life, this is one we can take action on now. As we do, we can tell both an individual and collective story of progress each month. At the end of the challenge, we can share stories of how these changes impacted our members and how they will carry forward. Together, we can demonstrate the credit union difference with tangible results.
I still love to read. I’ve passed the reading habit to my daughter MacKenzie, who devours books. The habits we create as we invest in change impact us and those we love. We have the power to change the world through credit unions. You are doing it daily. Let’s amplify that impact with this 52-week challenge and listen to the stories of our members and their children for years to come. Our time is now.
