Affordability is at the forefront of every member’s mind these days, and it’s not hard to see why.

As of 2026, 42% of households are living on survival budgets. Credit union members, your members, are struggling to pay bills and stay afloat. Of course, there are ways the credit union can help them, with financial literacy programs, refinancing loans, etc., but often what your members need most is not a lesson on how to budget, but more money in their pockets.

There are government programs that can provide them with that money, but they are often hard to find and even harder to apply for. Working Americans often lack the time or know-how to complete the paperwork required. As a result, “every year more than $140 billion in government benefits that Congress has authorized goes unclaimed—including tax credits for working families, health insurance coverage for low-income adults and children, unemployment benefits, and disability supports…in part due to the administrative burdens associated with applying for them,” according to a report from the White House.

But what if credit unions could better bridge the gap between their members and those unused benefits, putting money in the hands of those who need it most while simultaneously deepening their relationships with their members? According to The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, “Fully enrolling all eligible Americans in all of the main social welfare programs could move 15 million people, including five million children, out of poverty.”

Conceptually, for the credit union to be at the center of that would be hugely transformational. It would give the credit union a strong people-first brand and better its relationships with its members. In reality, though, credit unions lack the manpower and time required to help every member sift through eligible programs and assist them in applying for them. Thankfully, there’s a new startup CUSO whose mission is to achieve just that: Starlight.

Enter Starlight

Founded in 2023 by Shreenath Regunathan, Starlight is a CUSO that aims to serve as that bridge between members and money by connecting members with government benefits and local assistance programs they qualify for, with their credit union owners and partners operating at the center of the conversation. Starlight’s mission is to “help everyday Americans build toward financial health…by modernizing the social safety net—unlocking the $140B in unclaimed government benefits that can support households through hard times.” Starlight and Shreenath were recently featured in NACUSO’s Next Big Idea Competition.

Shreenath Regunathan

A white-labeled service, Starlight can not only tell members what government and local programs they qualify for based on location and household information, but also assist them in filling out the application and getting it across the finish line, removing the main barriers that often keep members from accessing these benefits. Credit unions can even add in their own programs and local non-profits or assistance programs they’re aware of to make it even more personalized for their membership.

Since its official launch in 2024, Starlight has unlocked $15M+ in potential benefits for members, with an average of $1,000 per year per qualifying member. Starlight also reports that member retention rates have doubled among supported members.

“When we started talking to credit unions, we realized that there’s a huge opportunity to help accelerate the credit union mission. Because credit unions actually do care about serving all members, irrespective of their financial health,” said Shreenath, when asked why he chose to partner with credit unions. “Especially when you think about people who are living paycheck to paycheck, which is about 60% of the U.S., the right product for them might not historically be in financial institutions. So, how do you reach 80 million people and give them the money they need? It became a question of, ‘How can we accelerate that?’ And credit unions have a very strong mission alignment with what Starlight does.”

Increasing credit union bandwidth

With Starlight, credit unions can take a more proactive approach to connect with and support their members. While many credit unions may have an employee who tracks benefit programs and can chat with members about them, as Shreenath notes, it is impossible for credit unions to put these one or two employees in front of every member at the credit union, let alone have that employee work with the member on the application process.

Additionally, often require members to come to them, and can be hidden behind several checkpoints, meaning only a few members reach the point where they can chat with said employee. With Starlight, credit unions can expand their reach and connect with any and all members who may need these services, at any time, even if the credit union is short on manpower or resources.

“We think of Starlight as accelerating the scope of what you do with your membership every day while also increasing the number of touch points, building a stronger relationship with them and a stronger brand,” said Shreenath. “To that end, a lot of what we’re doing is thinking about how we can mirror a supportive frontline staff member in the way they might act with a member in person, and digitize, present, and deliver that effectively.”

That increase in scope will allow every member in the credit union access to the benefits support Starlight offers, from finding every program they qualify for to filling out and submitting the application. And as Shreenath notes, research shows that having one-on-one navigation guidance actually helps people complete and submit applications for benefits—the largest barrier for most—and gets them across that finish line.

So instead of locking benefits support into one credit union employee who meets with select members here and there, credit unions can loudly broadcast how they can help members get the money they need. Current credit unions using Starlight, Shreenath shared, have marketed the service through email, text, in-branch notices, on QR codes on top of the screens above the ATMs, and on top of the statements.

“Some of our credit unions have gotten really creative in letting members know this opportunity is available to them.”

Strengthening member relationships

Ultimately, Starlight can be used as both an engagement tool for existing members and an acquisition tool for new members by providing options and services to potential or current members who may not be financially ready for the credit union’s current suite of offerings. Especially since, as Shreenath puts it, the right products for these members rarely exist at traditional financial institutions.

“Credit unions have an auto loan, they‘ve got a checking account, and high-yield savings, but these members are not ready for high-yield savings because they have no savings. And they’re not ready for a car loan because they have a car, or they can’t afford a loan because of their credit,” noted Shreenath. “Financial institutions don’t have the right product for half of America today, because there’s an entire void of products for people who are struggling financially.”

So, then what can you do to engage and retain these members and actually serve them and help them? By directing members toward services that can meet them where they are. By doing so, Starlight becomes a tool to keep in your back pocket that can reframe and recenter conversations with members.

“If the lending team is about to deny someone a loan, how about if you actually convert that moment into saying, ‘Can I help you find some money anyway?'” said Shreenath. “If you’re in collections or about to email a member to get them to pay you, what are your first messages? What if, instead of asking for money right out of the gate, you said, ‘Can I help you first?’ It shifts the conversation and changes the brand perception and tone.”

When you can offer real, monetary solutions to your members or those in your communities who are struggling the most, at the moment they need it most, out of a true desire to help the member, the credit union establishes itself as a financial institution that truly is a people-first partner in practice, not just in mission. And the byproduct of that is a stronger credit union brand, member loyalty, and connection.

Once the member is financially sound, thanks to the benefits they were connected with, they’ll be ready and able to move on to those other products, such as that new car loan or high-yield savings account, and the credit union that walked them down this road to success will surely be the partner they turn to for those products.

The future for Starlight

In the midst of the current affordability crisis and beyond, members need financial support, even if they aren’t ready for that auto loan yet. Starlight gives credit unions the opportunity to bridge the gap between members and the benefits that can make all the difference, building a strong member relationship and credit union brand in the process.

You can learn more about Starlight, their mission, and how to partner with them on the Starlight website.