Episode Details

“We want to lead with education. We want to lead with useful information.” - Buck Austin

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Buck Austin, Senior Content Marketing Manager at InvestiFi. He joins me to talk about investing and how it can feel intimidating for people who assume they need a lot of money or years of financial expertise before getting started. He shares how credit unions can help change that perception by putting education ahead of the sales pitch. He shares his path from journalism and sports reporting to financial counseling during the 2008 financial crisis, where he worked directly with people facing difficult financial moments. We learn how that experience shaped his belief that meaningful financial education can build confidence, reduce fear, and help people make informed decisions long before they open an investment account.

During our conversation, we explore how InvestiFi is working with credit unions to make investing feel more approachable, with Buck explaining why educational resources, fractional investing, and low minimum investment amounts can encourage first-time investors to take those important first steps without feeling overwhelmed. We also discuss why younger consumers are often caught between social media advice and trustworthy guidance and how credit unions are uniquely positioned to become a reliable source of investing education.

As we wrap up the episode, Buck shares what he's learned about leadership from a mentor who made every employee feel seen, why ongoing engagement matters more than one-time educational experiences, and how InvestiFi is creating opportunities for members to ask questions instead of simply consuming information. We also go through the show's usual round of rapid-fire questions, with Buck reflecting on his love of jazz records, favorite travel destinations, and the importance of stepping away from your desk to recharge. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Buck Austin!

Connect with Kamila:
Buck Austin, Senior Content Marketing Manager at InvestiFi
investifi.co
Buck: LinkedIn
InvestiFi: LinkedIn

Show notes from this episode:
Shout-out: BCU
Shout-out: Mike Valentine
Shout-out: The National Credit Union Foundation
Shout-out: Christopher Morris
Shout-out: Instagram
Place mentioned: Hawaii
Place mentioned: New Orleans, LA
Place mentioned: Chicago, IL
Place mentioned: Detroit, MI
Place mentioned: Cleveland, OH
Book mentioned: