During a recent visit to Utah State University campus, I was reminded how much things have changed since my days as a college student. Not only did the students seem much younger than I remembered, but almost every person I walked by had their smart phone in hand – they were talking, texting and checking out the latest updates on their apps.

A survey conducted last year revealed that users carry out on average 221 tasks per day on their smart phones. More than 50 percent of the 2,000 users surveyed indicated they use their smart phones for mobile banking services at least once a day.

Early in my Goldenwest career, member transactions were conducted in our branch lobbies or in the drive-thru lanes. Members were limited to transactions during branch hours only. During the 80s we introduced ATMs and the audio branch which added a new element of convenience to our financial services. In the 90s, financial services were revolutionized with the launch of online banking. However, it was the introduction of smart phones and tablets in the past ten years – and now wearable technology – that has redefined the entire financial services industry with 24/7 on-the-go mobile banking.

In May of this year, Goldenwest monthly mobile transfers exceeded monthly online transfers for the first time. Our mobile banking transfers continue to grow rapidly, posting a 68 percent increase in the past 12 months.

Remote deposit is another example of a mobile banking service quickly adopted by our members. Since launching remote deposit two years ago, we have accepted 148,043 checks for more than $52 million in deposits through the Goldenwest mobile app.

We’re on the verge of a Goldenwest app update which will feature Card Controls – giving you the power to temporarily enable and disable your Visa cards. Members will have the option to mark their Visa cards as lost or stolen, and set up travel notifications all within the Card Controls feature Goldenwest app. There is no need to download a separate app – everything will be in one place!

As excited as we are about offering the latest in mobile banking technology to our members, we enjoy serving you personally in our branches. Our branch network continues to grow with a new full-service USU Credit Union office inside Lee’s Marketplace on 1400 North in Logan opening in the coming weeks. If you’ve been on the Utah State University campus in Logan recently, you may have noticed a project under construction at 700 North 900 East near the Taggart Student Center. We are excited to partner with Utah State University on a new building that will house offices for the Alumni Association as well as our USU Credit Union branch.

Our employee of the month is Paul Baker. Paul is an outstanding individual who started his Goldenwest career more than 17 years ago, and was named Assistant Vice President of Mortgage Services earlier this year. His contributions have had a tremendous impact towards the success and growth our mortgage department in the past decade.

It’s hard to believe two-thirds of 2015 are behind us. We’ve experienced much success, and we’re looking at a strong finish for the year. I welcome your comments on this blog post, or via email at president@gwcu.org. For the latest in credit union news, follow me on Twitter @GoldenwestCUCEO. I look forward to hearing from you!