Desert Valleys FCU

A small credit union with a big, AI-driven advantage

Desert Valleys FCU chose Zest AI to future-proof their lending process: faster approvals, smarter decisions, and expanded access all make for a great member experience that will last. And as a small credit union, Desert Valleys saw Zest AI as the tech partner who will lift burdens, especially when it comes to regulatory compliance and lending across the credit spectrum.

At a glance

Problem

Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union needed a reliable technology partner to close resource gaps, modernize their lending process, and expand fair credit access without adding compliance burdens their small team couldn't absorb.

SOLUTION

Desert Valleys partnered with Zest AI to deploy AI-automated underwriting built for smaller credit unions, gaining faster decisioning, more accurate risk insights, and comprehensive Model Risk Management and fair lending documentation out of the box.

RESULTS

In their first three months, Desert Valleys saw over $1 million in loan growth, with broader expectations of 60% resource efficiency gains, a 20% increase in approvals without added risk, and a 40% increase in approvals across protected classes.

For smaller credit unions*, a reliable technology partner who fills resource gaps and invests in your credit union’s success is crucial. Zest AI is ready to hit the ground running to boost your under underwriting efficiency, accuracy, and fair access to credit — simply.

As an early adopter, Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union has already been experiencing meaningful changes in their first few months in going live with Zest AI.

Desert Valleys FCU: A small credit union with a big, AI-driven advantage

Desert Valleys FCU chose Zest to future-proof their lending process. With faster approvals, smarter decisions, and expanded access for their members, Desert Valleys can lend confidently and efficiently, while best serving their community.

In their early stages with Zest, their team witnessed:

More accurate insights than the current industry standard
Faster decisioning time
Support and documentation that removed compliance and fair lending burdens
In the first three months, Desert Valleys saw over $1M in loan growth

Credit unions like Desert Valleys FCU can expect:

60% resource efficiency gains †
20% increase in approvals with no added risk †
40% increase in approvals across protected classes †

Compliant and transparent

Regulators call Zest the gold standard of end to end model explainability. With our robust Model Risk Management (MRM) and Fair Lending documentation, credit unions like Desert Valleys quickly meet their regulatory and compliance needs, removing resource burdens and confidently assuring fair lending.

Smaller credit unions now have the ability to truly give members a fair shot, reduce manual reviews, and gain momentum with trusted AI automated underwriting geared towards their needs.

_{*Smaller credit unions are defined as having $100M in total consumer portfolio or less.}

_{*Total consumer portfolio includes personal loans, credit cards, and auto.}

_{†Based on preliminary model results. Individual credit union results may vary}

Desert Valleys FCU

Assets

$64M

Members

5000

LOS

Share One Systems

Credit Bureau

Experian

Products Used

Credit Underwriting

“Zest AI brought an incredible amount of data-driven analytics to support our compliance with the Fair Credit Act. We knew we were compliant, but there’s a big difference between saying you’re doing it right and having the documentation that you’re doing it right. Zest gave us incredibly comprehensive reporting and documentation that instilled confidence and lessened the compliance burden, which is huge for smaller credit unions.”

Eric A. Bruen

President/CEO, Desert Valleys FCU

Desert Valleys FCU