CU Certified

What CU Certified does

CU Certified is a private U.S. company, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Bedford, New Hampshire, that administers vehicle service contract (VSC) programs exclusively for credit unions. The company's core offering is a best-in-class automobile mechanical breakdown coverage product, supplemented by three add-on modules: Road Hazard Tire & Wheel coverage, GAP protection, and Powersports coverage for ATVs, UTVs, personal watercraft, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. The program's defining feature is a 100% underwriting profit-participation model that returns all underwriting profits to participating credit unions, positioning CU Certified as the first program in the industry to offer this structure. The company also provides a structured ten-step training program delivered over six months to credit union staff, designed to increase ancillary product non-interest income by 20%-30%.

The business operates on a B2B2C go-to-market motion, distributing products exclusively through credit union branch networks and loan officer touchpoints during the vehicle financing process. CU Certified generates revenue via transaction fees on VSC premiums and ancillary product sales; the fee-free structure for credit unions (no setup, training, or additional labor costs) is funded by retaining a share of premiums before returning underwriting profits to partners. The company is privately held with 1-10 employees, has not raised institutional capital, and names only three credit union partners in its public materials: Down East Credit Union (the inaugural implementation partner with $164M in assets, contributing approximately 10 bps of ROA), York County FCU, and Community Credit Union. The program received NACUSO's Top Ten Best Ideas recognition in 2016 and is currently operated by a four-person team led by Managing Partner Kenneth Clark.

The company's competitive positioning rests on its profit-sharing structure rather than proprietary technology. The core administration platform is described in functional terms (claims handling, contract issuance) without reference to any differentiated software architecture, data assets, or AI/ML capabilities. Growth signals are modest: a product portfolio that has been broadened over time, a training program that functions as both an onboarding tool and a retention mechanism, and industry credibility from the NACUSO award. Evidence of scale, revenue, partner count beyond the three named institutions, and external funding is absent from the available data, limiting the ability to triangulate growth trajectory or valuation.

Name

CU Certified

Legal name

CU Certified

Website

https://cucertifiedauto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CU Certified administers vehicle service contract programs exclusively for U.S. credit unions, returning 100% of underwriting profits to participating partners through a fee-free B2B2C model that distributes via credit union branch networks and loan officers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Service Contract Premiums: CU Certified generates revenue through vehicle service contract premiums paid by credit union members. The company returns 100% of the underwriting profit to participating credit unions through profit participation programs, creating a unique model where credit unions benefit from the underwriting profits typically captured by administrators.
2. Ancillary Product Sales: Revenue from additional products including Road Hazard Tire & Wheel coverage, GAP insurance, and Powersports coverage sold alongside the core vehicle service contract.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CU Certified provides a fee-free vehicle service contract (extended warranty) program to credit unions, including a core auto mechanical breakdown contract, GAP coverage, Road Hazard Tire & Wheel coverage, and Powersports coverage. The company administers these products, processes claims, and delivers a structured ten-step training program to credit union staff to drive non-interest income. A defining feature of the program is that 100% of underwriting profit is returned to the participating credit union rather than retained by an administrator.

Product overview

CU Certified is a fee-free vehicle service contract program for credit unions that offers four core products: the CU Certified Vehicle Service Contract (the primary best-in-class mechanical breakdown coverage with $0 deductible), supplemented by three add-on modules (Road Hazard Tire & Wheel, GAP protection, and Powersports coverage). Each product qualifies for 100% profit participation for participating credit unions. The program also includes a professional training and development service to help credit unions implement and maximize the program, with a proven methodology that typically increases ancillary non-interest income by 20%-30%.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CU Certified Vehicle Service Contract Best-in-class automobile mechanical breakdown coverage (extended warranty) for credit union members, featuring a $0 'Real' deductible, national acceptance, 24-hour roadside assistance, trip interruption, rental reimbursement, towing, and inclusion of diagnostics, taxes, fluids, and filters in covered repairs. Sold by credit unions to their members during vehicle financing.
• CU Certified Road Hazard Tire & Wheel Add-on coverage protecting credit union members against road damage to tires and wheels, covering up to $1,000 per incident (aggregate $4,000) with $0 deductible for potholes, nails, broken glass, and road debris.
• CU Certified GAP GAP insurance paying the deficiency balance between the contract holder's loan balance and the insurance company's actual cash value if the vehicle is totaled or stolen and unrecovered for thirty days; also covers the member's insurance deductible up to $1,000.
• CU Certified Powersports Mechanical breakdown coverage for powersports units including ATVs, UTVs, personal watercraft, motorcycles, and snowmobiles, paying for replacement of covered parts and labor.
• CU Certified Training Program Professional development program for credit union loan officers and staff delivered over six months, comprising a ten-step curriculum with one-on-one training sessions, live loan closings, and loan simulation evaluations, designed to increase ancillary product non-interest income by 20%-30%.

Quantifiable outcome

• Partners see 20%-30% increase in ancillary product non-interest income after completing ten-step training program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Down East Credit UnionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Down East Credit Union was the first credit union partner to ask why credit unions shouldn't enjoy the same benefits auto dealers enjoy when selling vehicle service contracts. They co-created the CU Certified program concept and were the inaugural implementation partner. The program contributed approximately 10 basis points of ROA for their $164 million asset credit union.
• York County FCUcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYork County FCU partnered with CU Certified, building a relationship focused on open communication and collaborative outcomes. They offer CU Certified vehicle service contracts to their credit union members.
• Community Credit UnioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Credit Union implemented the CU Certified program and reported positive experiences with claims being paid out and members being taken care of. The CEO noted CU Certified is very responsive to member needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• AUL Corp: AUL Corp is an established vehicle service contract administrator providing extended mechanical breakdown coverage through auto dealer and lender channels — competitive with CU Certified on the core VSC product line and adjacent ancillary coverages.
• Safe-Guard Products International: Safe-Guard Products International is a major administrator of vehicle service contracts, GAP, and tire & wheel protection products sold through auto dealers and finance companies — directly comparable to CU Certified's product mix, with established lender channel exposure.
• Member Benefits Inc. Member Benefits is a credit-union-focused distributor of insurance, benefit, and protection products to U.S. credit unions and their members. It competes head-to-head with CU Certified in marketing ancillary and protection products through the same credit union channel.
• EasyCare (APCO Holdings): EasyCare, part of APCO Holdings, is a long-standing F&I product provider offering vehicle service contracts, GAP, tire & wheel, and key replacement products through auto dealers and lender partners — overlapping with CU Certified's product portfolio and ancillary positioning.
• Allied Solutions: Allied Solutions is one of the largest distributors of insurance and ancillary products — including GAP, vehicle service contracts/mechanical breakdown coverage, and debt protection — to credit unions and banks in the U.S. It directly overlaps with CU Certified's product mix and primary distribution channel.
• JM&A Group: JM&A Group is a major provider of F&I products — including vehicle service contracts, GAP, and tire & wheel coverage — sold through automotive dealer networks, with an overlapping product structure to CU Certified's portfolio, but primarily through dealers rather than credit unions.

Broad incumbents

• CarShield: CarShield is one of the largest consumer-facing vehicle service contract administrators in the U.S., operating primarily direct-to-consumer — overlapping with CU Certified's core VSC product but in a very different distribution model.
• Assurant: Assurant is one of the largest U.S. vehicle service contract and ancillary protection administrators, with a sizeable finance-channel business that overlaps with CU Certified's offering — F&I-adjacent coverages including VSC, GAP, and tire & wheel — but distributed across multiple channels.
• Endurance Warranty (Protect My Car): Endurance is a major direct-to-consumer extended warranty / VSC administrator offering mechanical breakdown coverage similar to CU Certified's core product, but distributed consumer-direct rather than through credit unions.
• TruStage (CUNA Mutual Group): TruStage is the consumer brand of CUNA Mutual Group, the leading insurance and financial services company built for and owned by credit unions. It offers auto/credit protection and ancillary products that intersect with CU Certified's offering, but across a much broader product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CUCertified
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/superior-lending-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CU Certified