Mick Olson, President and CEO of TopLine Financial Credit Union, joins 22 Minutes in Lending host Vince Passione to talk growth, strategy, and the overlooked opportunity of education lending. With $1.1B in assets and 70,000+ members, TopLine has proven education loans can be profitable, member-friendly, and a pipeline for lifelong relationships. So why do so many credit unions still sit on the sidelines? Mick breaks down the misconceptions, the risk-sharing model that works, and how TopLine turned hesitation into a growth driver.

Key Takeaways:

01:10 – From $35 to $1.1B, TopLine’s 90-year glow-up from seven AT&T employees to 70K members.
03:27 – Cutting the average member age by a decade, with education lending in the mix.
04:49 – Post-conversion lines out the door prove face-to-face isn’t dead.
07:44 – Where unsecured and education loans fit without blowing up balance sheet risk.
10:27 – Why LendKey’s structure finally made education lending a yes.
11:33 – The mindset holding credit unions back from education lending.
13:26 – Federal cuts will spike private loan demand, and why credit unions can’t ignore it.
16:06 – How TopLine pairs culture, brand, and a balanced product mix to stand out.
18:13 – Why the tax exemption fight is always there, and the questions credit unions can ask to stay ready.
19:02 – Why credit union’s need their own regulator.
20:14 – TopLine’s five-year focus: more education, more counseling, more real help for members living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Resources Mentioned:

TopLine Financial Credit Union: https://www.toplinecu.com/

Member Student Lending: https://www.memberstudentlending.com/

LendKey: https://www.lendkey.com/

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