Strategy Circle #1 · July 20, 2026

The member's four moments

We look at four moments in a member's journey, choose where the friction matters most, and name the one question we carry into August.

How does the hour work?

Two conversations. First we find where the journey gets stuck for the member. Then we describe what a better experience would look like and how we would know.
The team frames the question. Ray decides what advances into August.
Fifty minutes is enough to narrow the focus and sharpen the question. Reaching the answer is August's work.

Held for August (when the market study is in): branch investment and the merger approach. If either comes up today, it gets an owner and an August slot, not a debate.

Held through conversion

The team took a major operational risk in June. The June Google rating and May financial measures held.

4.42

Google rating, June

Held through the conversion month itself, weighted across all 18 branches.

Susan / Marketing, June 2026

9.83%

Loan growth vs peers

Both peer groups sat near 5.6%. The strength Abound carried into conversion.

Ray / Peer comparison, 3Q25

Green

Financial guardrails

Net worth 15.85% (floor 13%). Operating expense 2.39% YTD (ceiling 2.54%). ROA 1.07% YTD.

Jake / Finance, June 2026

+7%

Deposits per member, Q1

Shares grew 9.3% while the member count was cleaned of inactive accounts ahead of the conversion (confirmed by finance, not attrition), so deposits per member rose.

Jake / Q1 2026 call report

These measures give the team room to aim the next decisions from a position of strength.

The pattern in the numbers

Three datasets, three owners, one shape.

Joining

Online applications become funded accounts at 36%, compared with 59% across all channels. Online also runs faster and uses more automation.

Shelley / Digital account opening, June 2026

Lending

Branch disburses 72% of approved consumer loans within 30 days. Digital disburses 27%, while digital application volume keeps growing.

Abigail / Consumer lending, June 2026

Deepening

Checking-first members add a product within three months at 19%, compared with 41% for credit-card-first members. Indirect members hold 1.0 products against 1.5 for non-indirect members.

Ray / Product table and Q1 analytics

The product table does not state its denominator or time window.

Across joining, lending, and early relationship development, access and demand do not consistently become funded completion or continued use. In the first conversation, we choose which of the member's four moments matters most to fix.

Conversation 1 · Where does the journey get stuck?

Four moments in a member's journey. Where do effort, delay, or repetition keep a member from getting more value?

Opening an account

Online applications fund at 36%, against 59% across all channels.

Beginning to use it

The account goes active and earns direct deposit. This moment has the least post-conversion data so far.

Borrowing

Digital disburses 27% of approved consumer loans within 30 days, against 72% at the branch.

Returning for another need

Checking-first members add a product within three months at 19%, against 41% for credit-card-first members.

What does the group see?

Member moment	Evidence or experience	Unknown

Carrying into conversation 2

Conversation 2 · What does better look like?

Picture that moment fixed. What would be better for the member, and how would we know?

A better experience gives the member ______. Abound would expect to see them ______.

What is better for the member?

What would we see them do?

What would have to be true?

The "primary relationship" question lives here. Direct deposit may be one signal that Abound is the member's transaction hub. It is not the whole relationship. Ask what it shows, what it does not, and what member outcome should sit beside it.

The question we carry into August

One leadership question, sharp enough for the August planning meeting to answer.

The question

What do we need to learn before August?

Need to learn	Owner	By when

The question, decisions, and owners go to you in writing within a day, and feed the August planning meeting.