Sentry School of Business and Economics student Michael Brierton was among elite undergraduate students from around the Universities of Wisconsin at the 21st annual Research in the Rotunda at the State Capitol in Madison on April 2. [View Photos]
Supported by Sentry School faculty member Prof. Scott Wallace, Brierton presented “Comparative Study of Credit Unions and Banks in Wisconsin” to legislators, regents, faculty and fellow student researchers. Brierton, of Junction City, also serves as a senior research assistant under Wallace in the UWSP Center for Business and Economic Insight (CBEI), providing analysis of the economy at the national, state and regional levels.
Abstract: This research examines the history and role of Credit Unions in Wisconsin. I will be highlighting how they have diverged from their original intention, and now occupy a role similar to banks in Wisconsin’s economic landscape. Credit unions are now larger than ever and have increasingly begun purchasing and merging with banks and other financial institutions. I will be comparing the services they offer, their posted rates, and how they serve their local community compared to regional and community banks. By analyzing these factors, my research seeks to understand if the evolving roles of credit unions serve the Wisconsin economy as they were initially intended to, and if changes to the financial institution landscape in Wisconsin are necessary.