Geear Wins HubSpot’s Impact Award for Technical Expertise (North America)
Chris Leone
Feb 26, 2026
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How Under-45 Consumers Decide Which Financial Institution Is “Best” (and Why Credit Unions Lose Non-Members but Can Win Primary Status)
The data referenced below is from research conducted by Geear among 1,000 customers on their banking preferences. The survey was conducted end of 2025. The data below is sourced from a Geear study involving 1,000 customers, which investigated their banking preferences. This research was completed at the end of 2025.
Summary:
- Under-45 non-members default to traditional banks for nearly every high-priority factor (customer service, accessibility, branches, variety, community), while online-only banks win the digital experience categories (mobile app, online experience). Credit unions do not lead a single factor in 2022 or 2025 for this segment (per the slide’s “most often rated as best”).
- Credit unions gain ground once someone is already a CU member, but not primary (Non-PFI): in 2025, credit unions become “best” for customer service, and also lead on variety of offerings and financial education. While online-only banks remain “best” for mobile app and online experience.
- Primary credit union relationships (PFI) are strong, but no longer safe: in 2025, online-only banks match credit unions for “best” accessibility and continue to dominate “best” online experience; credit unions still lead most human/community factors.
- Surprising insight: In the Non-PFI segment, traditional banks are rated “least often as best” for mobile app in 2025. A sign that even “big banks” can lose perceived digital leadership if the experience lags or expectations rise.
- The strategic takeaway: Credit union growth in under-45 audiences is a two-front strategy. (1) break the “big bank default” among non-members, and (2) defend PFI members from online-only competitors by upgrading the accessibility and mobile moments that shape everyday satisfaction.
➡️ Click Here to Download the full report now
Chris Leone
Feb 9, 2026
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How Credit Unions Can Improve Their Visibility in AI LLMs
A recent study by Geear found that consumers under 45 use Large Language Models (LLMs) as the second-most-used channel when researching financial institutions, trailing only search engines. As Gemini and ChatGPT become daily research tools, credit union and bank marketers are naturally asking: “How do we ensure our brand appears in these results?”
Chris Leone
Feb 4, 2026
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Online-Only Bank Adoption Is Rising. Older Consumers Are Catching Up: What Credit Unions Should Do Next
Chris Leone
Feb 2, 2026
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How Much Traffic is ChatGPT Sending to Credit Union Websites?
Ever since ChatGPT launched to the public in late 2022, people have been speculating that the days of traditional search engine dominance were numbered.
Chris Leone
Dec 1, 2025
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How Often Do People Use AI to Find A Bank or Credit Union?
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have changed the way people find information online. But the actual impact these large language model tools (LLMs) are having on businesses is still unclear. Credit unions in particular are left wondering where and how these AI tools factor into the member experience.
In a recently published survey conducted by Geear of 1,000 consumers, we found that people turn to LLMs as their first step when looking for an FI nearly 10% of the time. By comparison, search engines are used first ~30% of the time.
Chris Leone
Dec 1, 2025
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Credit Union PPC: A Smarter Framework for AI-First Advertising
Christina Odom
Oct 22, 2025
How to Use AI to Uncover Hidden Credit Union Market Trends That Affect Your Campaigns
When a performance dip doesn’t show up in the analytics, it’s time to look beyond the funnel. That’s where AI stepped in and helped us uncover a story that every credit union marketer should know.
Brian Laffey
Jun 23, 2025
How Credit Unions Can Still See Results with Social Media Advertising in 2026
Should you still have a Social Media ad budget?
Have AI bots taken over, or do real people still regularly engage across Meta ad inventory?
Is Meta still a trusted digital advertising platform for credit unions?
We strongly recommend factoring social media into your marketing plan, but stay informed and vigilant, keeping up with frequent shifts and updates.
Christina Odom
Jun 16, 2025
What Is MCP and Why It’s a Potential Game-Changer for Credit Union Marketers Using HubSpot
I’ve worked in digital marketing since 2007, and I’ve never seen a technology disrupt the way we do marketing as quickly as AI. The latest innovation, which is flying under the radar, may be one of the biggest steps forward we’ve seen since the launch of ChatGPT. It’s called MCP.
So what is MCP? And why should credit union marketers care?
Let’s break down what it is, what it can do, and why it makes tools like HubSpot more important than ever for a credit union.
Chris Leone
May 19, 2025
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