The transfer of wealth between generations is becoming an increasingly important issue for financial institutions, particularly as credit unions look to maintain relationships with members beyond a single generation.
The transition is particularly significant as assets move from older Americans to their heirs. Visa Business and Economic Insights estimates that $36 trillion in baby boomers’ wealth could transfer to younger generations over the next 20 years, creating an opportunity for financial institutions to retain both the assets and the relationships associated with them.
Credit unions are already serving a large member base that will be part of that transition. The National Credit Union Administration reported 145.8 million members at federally insured credit unions in the first quarter of 2026.
For these institutions, the death of a member can therefore become more than an estate-processing event. It can also determine whether inherited assets remain within the credit union or leave with the beneficiary.
That is the problem Ribbon is addressing.
Ribbon adds a new way to inherit a membership
Ribbon is a fintech company that provides credit unions with an inheritance and estate platform designed to streamline beneficiary claims while helping institutions retain deposits and build relationships with younger members.
The company’s latest feature takes that process into the digital account-opening experience.
Saeid Kian, co-founder and CEO of Ribbon, announced that the ability to “Inherit a Membership” is now available across digital account opening platforms using Ribbon’s Inheritance Platform.
Instead of sending inherited funds by check or requiring a beneficiary to complete a separate process for an ACH transfer, the new workflow allows the inheritor to receive the funds through a new credit union membership.
The new workflow can allow beneficiaries to receive an inheritance through a participating credit union in as little as three clicks.
The feature was developed in response to feedback from focus groups with grieving families. According to Kian, the ability to inherit a membership was among the top requests from participants, who wanted to avoid waiting for checks in the mail or dealing with additional paperwork while navigating the loss of a family member.
The company’s broader platform is designed to help credit unions manage inheritance workflows while retaining deposits and continuing relationships with members across generations.
With the new feature, that relationship can begin at the moment an inheritance is transferred. Rather than treating the beneficiary simply as the recipient of funds from a closed account, the credit union can turn the inheritance process into a path toward a new membership.
As trillions of dollars move between generations, that distinction could become increasingly important for credit unions. The inheritance process is not only about where the money goes after a member dies, but also about whether the financial relationship ends with them.
