Aaron Passman

It's no secret that for any credit union to grow in 2013 it is necessary to market to a younger demographic. Similarly, it's no secret that means investing in technology and other delivery channels, especially mobile. But that's not enough.

Credit unions' quickest path to growth in 2013 begins at home.

Beating auto dealers and captive finance companies will be key to auto loan growth in 2013, and one vendor has introduced a solution to help CUs do just that.

For Jersey Shore FCU, much of its focus in 2013 will be on looking to rebuild its auto loan portfolio, as well as what is projected to be more than a year-long effort to recover from Hurricane Sandy.

One person believes that the new year offers tremendous opportunities for credit unions to grow their unsecured lending portfolios around credit cards.

Expect continued consolidation of loan origination systems this year.

It may be a new year, but for credit unions it's going to mean an old focus in order to grow: make more loans.

Mobile will continue its growth as a dominant channel in 2013, but one observer says consumer habits will increasingly be shifting from smart phone usage to increased tablet usage.

Credit unions would be well advised to tackle the awareness gap in 2013.

Mobility, product differentiation-and Advil-will be key for credit unions in 2013, as they compete not just against the big banks, but also other CUs and new entrants into a changing payments landscape.

Credit unions may expand into Libya following a four-day visit by World Council of Credit Unions CEO Brian Branch as part of a fact-finding mission focused on establishing credit union services there.

The concept of Islamic banking may be unfamiliar to many Americans, but the World Council of Credit Unions is no stranger to it.

PAHO/WHO FCU here continues to see success with its annual holiday loan promo, this year offering as much as $9,000 at 0.99% for one year, and booking more than 110 loans since Nov. 1.

In-branch transactions may be on the decline, but the west coast and southeast are seeing a boom in branch growth.

West Virginia Central CU exceeded its goal to boost loan volumes by $8 million this year and sent employees to Disney World as a reward.

At Glacier Hills CU here, what started as a challenge to save members $1 million in interest over the course of 2012 is expected to top out at more than $3.2 million.

A joint branch operation pairing two CUs here has successfully filled a hole in each institution's coverage area and slowly increased traffic since opening this summer.

Michigan State University FCU plans to bring back its "startUP Challenge" again in 2013 after awarding $25,000 in the first year.

A spokesperson for the union workers who picketed the construction of a new branch of UFCW FCU here says that the non-union-built building is done, and those workers are done with the credit union.

"Socky Saves," a smartphone app designed by CommunityAmerica CU to teach kids the importance of saving, has garnered more than 500 downloads since launching less than three months ago.