Direct Federal grows digital loan applications by over 20 percent

Founded over 65 years ago, Direct Federal is a credit union that understands the importance of supporting its members and providing a great customer experience. There’s a reason why 30,000 members (and growing) trust Direct Federal with their finances, it’s because they deliver on the promise of great rates, easy access, and remarkable service. 

Direct Federal has been undergoing rapid digital transformation, upgrading their website and moving their applications to a digital-first approach. As part of this shift to digital, the company needed to upgrade to financial calculators that would seamlessly integrate on their website, connect with digital applications, provide a great experience for existing members — and ultimately move the metrics.

Kassandra Martin
Brand & Digital Strategy at Direct Federal Credit Union

Moving from outdated technology to calculators that delivered results

At a time when digital transformation is imperative, Direct Federal was faced with dated financial calculators that were difficult to use, impossible to update, and not delivering results. 

Prior to switching to Chimney calculators, they were unable to:

• Fix calculator issues or make updates
• Match their brand look and feel
• Improve the digital experience for prospects and members
• Increase brand awareness and grow traffic in at the top of the funnel
• Gain valuable insights and measure ROI

They knew the current situation wasn’t working. They also knew they needed a solution that was SEO-friendly, designed with today’s best practices in mind, and ADA compliant. That’s when they found Chimney.

After deciding to move forward with Chimney, the process of switching was easy. They didn’t have to undergo rigorous onboarding, or heavy technical integrations — everything worked seamlessly through Chimney's team and software (Calculator Management Platform).

Kassandra Martin
Brand and Digital Strategy Manager at Direct Federal Credit Union

Since making the switch to Chimney calculators, Direct Federal has been able to

• Seamlessly make real time updates through the Chimney platform
• Match interests rates to their current offers
• Effectively grow traffic at the top of the funnel through paid search
• Quickly and easily measure ROI using Chimney analytics and tracking integrations

Calculators that move the metrics

Direct Federal went live with four Chimney calculators and has since expanded to six calculators across four key categories. The results speak for themselves, as they’re outpacing all new application targets, with calculators playing a key role in that growth.

Key results 

Auto Calculator: Our auto loan calculator drove over 300 clicks through the funnel, and compared to what our goal was we’re up 21% YTD for applications.

Mortgage Calculator: 120 people have clicked into the funnel, and they’ve seen a 71% increase in mortgage applications.