Eric Church will step down Oct. 5, handing the $1.4 billion Maryland credit union to current President James Wheeler. Eric Church, who has led First Financial Federal Credit Union for more than a decade and [...]
Written By: Ryan Ross President & CEO University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union There is something worth noting about how this market now behaves. Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed printed 6.76% yesterday, up [...]
New-home mortgage applications fell for a fifth straight month in August, even as the Tennessee credit union adds a 12-person team and three offices to its mortgage business. Mortgage demand for newly built homes [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS At a national conference in Philadelphia, industry speakers said members are judging financial institutions against every other digital experience they encounter — while smaller credit unions may still have an advantage that technology cannot easily replicate. [...]
The nation’s federally insured credit unions reached $2.5 trillion in assets in the second quarter as membership and lending continued to expand. The nation’s credit unions continued to grow in the second quarter, with [...]
The Virginia credit union will add two branches as First Bank trims its footprint, continuing a run of credit union expansion through whole-bank and branch deals. ABNB Federal Credit Union has cleared the regulatory hurdles for [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council President Trump’s call at the RNC midterm convention to lower costs for American families deserves support. But an affordability [...]
William J. Mellin will leave the New York Credit Union Association at year-end after presiding over a period of sharp growth in the state’s credit union sector. William Mellin, who has led the New York Credit [...]
John Marshall Bancorp and Eagle Financial Services are combining their community banking operations in a transaction expected to close early next year. Two Virginia community banks are joining forces in a stock deal that [...]
Written By: Corey Wrinn Managing Director Rivel Banking Research Rivel Banking Research conducts primary market research and focus groups for financial institutions nationwide, delivering real feedback from consumers and businesses in your [...]
The credit union trade group wants Congress to use the 2027 defense authorization process to advance three measures affecting liquidity, lending terms and veteran-owned businesses. The Defense Credit Union Council is pressing congressional leaders to [...]
The combination of Sierra Central and First U.S. Community would create a 114,000-member institution with 23 branches across the region. Sierra Central Credit Union and First U.S. Community Credit Union plan to merge, creating a Northern [...]
Annalesa Vernon will take over in January after Shane London’s 14-year tenure helped nearly triple the Utah credit union’s assets. Deseret First Credit Union will have a new chief executive in January, with Annalesa [...]
Federal regulators say financial institutions can explain suspected fraud and account restrictions without violating suspicious activity report confidentiality, as long as they do not disclose the existence of a SAR. Federal banking and financial-crime [...]
Written By: Kirk Kordeleski Partner PARC Street Partners Credit unions have spent more than 100 years building something extraordinarily valuable: trust. We are member-owned. We have no outside shareholders demanding a return. [...]
Two company executives — Mitch Rosenbaum and Alex Berman — have been named finalists for Credit Union Times’ 2026 Luminaries Awards. Tyfone will have two executives represented at this year’s Credit Union Times Luminaries [...]
The agency accused employees in Indiana, Alaska and Arizona of using member or credit union funds for personal benefit. The National Credit Union Administration issued three prohibition orders in August against former credit union [...]
Werner will step down next spring after nearly 14 years leading the Philadelphia credit union through a period of growth, expansion and technological change. Rob Werner, president and chief executive of Ardent Credit Union, plans to [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council For too long, Washington has treated the debate over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as though policymakers must choose [...]
Canvas and Keesler Federal are deepening university partnerships, using athletics to build brands, reach students and strengthen ties in their home markets. Credit unions in Colorado and Mississippi are putting a more visible stamp [...]
FINTECH NEWS Executives at two community credit unions say artificial intelligence may change how members interact with their institutions, but trust, lending and local relationships remain powerful advantages. Artificial intelligence is changing [...]
Federal prosecutors accuse a former Pennsylvania credit union director of using an elderly woman’s retirement savings to buy property and equipment for himself and his family. A former board member of a Pennsylvania federal [...]
Written By: Scott Simpson President & CEO America’s Credit Unions Every day, credit unions serve their members and protect their money. While many regulations aim to provide a vital safety net, outdated [...]
The deal would create a more than $28 billion-asset credit union serving more than 1.6 million members and give Greater Nevada members access to a larger branch network. America First Credit Union and Greater [...]
The Pensacola credit union is seeking to acquire Madison County Community Bank while preparing to rebrand as TruWorth Credit Union. Gulf Winds Credit Union is pursuing two major changes at once: a proposed acquisition [...]
Harry Zhu will succeed Gary Swindler, who is retiring after 37 years at the $5.1 billion Washington credit union. Washington State Employees Credit Union has chosen Harry Zhu as its next president and chief executive, turning [...]
The Asheville, N.C., bank plans to acquire Blue Ridge Bankshares in an all-stock deal that would create a more than $7 billion regional lender with over 60 locations across the Southeast. HomeTrust Bancshares has agreed to [...]
Written By: Joshua Herman CEO CU WealthNext Ireland has one of the most successful credit union industries in the world. A larger share of its people belong to a credit union than [...]
The Eugene, Ore., credit union has signed a nonbinding agreement to sell its 53,000-square-foot headquarters to Costco while it remains largely remote. Oregon Community Credit Union plans to sell its headquarters to Costco and [...]
Bipartisan legislation would give federally chartered credit unions more latitude to invest, potentially changing how they manage their balance sheets and price financial products. A bipartisan pair of House lawmakers is seeking to give [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council Washington has never been a place free of political hardball. Industries lobby, coalitions fracture, and lawmakers use leverage to [...]
State regulators say the proposed acquisition of Hicksville Bank by Interra Credit Union is not unsafe or unsound, despite opposition from Ohio’s banking industry. Ohio regulators have cleared a significant hurdle for Interra Credit [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS At a Philadelphia industry summit, executives and regulators described a cautious approach to artificial intelligence: use it to make employees more productive, but keep people in control. For Jason Mertz-Prickett, the chief executive [...]
Written By: Michael Macchiarola Chief Executive Officer Olden Lane Credit unions have spent decades building something fintechs cannot buy: trust, member ownership, local credibility, and a service culture that still resonates in an [...]
Vanessa McGarry takes over as CEO of GeoVista Credit Union after spending four decades at the Hinesville institution alongside retiring leader Elaine Tuten. After 52 years at the helm of GeoVista Credit Union, Elaine [...]
His move to the PCAOB ends his tenure at the credit union regulator, as a successor awaits his oath of office. Kyle Hauptman was sworn in Monday as a member of the Public Company [...]
The Free Speech Coalition says widespread account closures have left workers and businesses searching for a financial institution of their own. The Free Speech Coalition, the trade association for the U.S. adult entertainment industry, [...]
The latest liquidation by federal regulators adds to a growing list of newly chartered credit unions that have failed within just a few years of opening. The National Credit Union Administration has liquidated African [...]
The merger would create a $2 billion community bank with 21 offices across the New York metropolitan area, expanding its footprint from Queens to Long Island and northern New Jersey. Alma Bank has agreed to acquire [...]
Written By: Phil Sutliff Senior Banking Executive/Founder Main Street & Co. Sit through enough strategic planning sessions, and you will start to believe the entire banking industry boils down to a single [...]
The Rome-based credit union will add 27 counties to its field of membership as earnings more than double in the first half of 2026. AmeriCU Credit Union, a $3 billion institution based in Rome, [...]
The proposed combination would create a six-state organization representing 458 credit unions with $528.4 billion in assets and 36.2 million members. Two major regional credit union trade groups are moving toward a merger that would create [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council Congress has a choice to make. It can strengthen America’s financial preparedness before the next crisis arrives, or it [...]
FINTECH NEWS Credit union leaders say fintech apps are changing how young people learn about money, forcing traditional institutions to rethink how — and when — they build lifelong member relationships. For generations, opening [...]
An Alabama credit union has completed the state's first transaction under a mortgage program designed to help homeowners escape the "lock-in effect" created by higher interest rates, a challenge that has reshaped the housing market in recent years. [...]
Written By: Michael Jamesson Principal Jamesson Associates The relative stability in global relations we enjoyed in the post-WWII period, followed by the Pax Americana dating from the fall of the Soviet Union, [...]
The longtime Bangor Savings Bank executive will succeed Bob Montgomery-Rice, who is retiring after more than two decades with the Maine institution. Bangor Savings Bank will turn to one of its longtime executives to [...]
State Employees nears $60 billion in assets as Boeing Employees’ earnings decline, underscoring a mixed picture for the industry. Two of the nation’s largest credit unions continued to grow their memberships and assets in [...]
The Bakersfield credit union is using a mobile-phone partnership to cut members’ bills while creating a new digital path for attracting customers across California. Safe 1 Credit Union is betting that a service most people use [...]
The acquisition of Indiana-based Finward Bancorp would expand First Financial’s Chicago-area deposits to more than $4 billion as regional banks continue to seek scale through consolidation. First Financial Bancorp. has agreed to acquire Finward [...]
The new CEO says physical locations still matter, even as Wisconsin's largest credit unions expand through acquisitions and digital banking. Roughly nine months after taking the helm of one of the Midwest's largest credit unions, Timothy [...]
Written By: Alan Bergstrom Founder Bergstrom Consulting Services Over the next two decades, the financial services industry will experience one of the largest intergenerational transfers of wealth in history. Boomers are the [...]
The partnership reflects a growing push by credit unions to use college sports sponsorships to reach younger consumers and expand their brands. Citadel Credit Union is making a prominent play for visibility in Philadelphia, [...]
The planned acquisition of Willamette Valley Bank would give the Washington credit union its first Oregon retail branches as credit union-bank mergers continue despite a slower pace this year. Gesa Credit Union is expanding [...]
A Pennsylvania credit union is leading a national effort that argues financial stability can play a critical role in preventing veteran suicide before a crisis begins. A small central Pennsylvania credit union is spearheading [...]
Police are searching for two masked suspects who fled with cash and customers' belongings after a daytime robbery at a Security Service Federal Credit Union branch. Two masked men armed with weapons robbed a [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council For years, Washington has debated digital assets while consumers, financial institutions and innovators have been left to navigate a [...]
Mark Dunkley will succeed retiring President and CEO Dee Crisp as the Austin credit union looks to build on steady growth in Central Texas. Government Employees Federal Credit Union has appointed longtime executive Mark Dunkley as [...]
The trade group says Congress must ensure credit unions can compete alongside banks as lawmakers finalize legislation to regulate digital assets. As Congress moves closer to establishing a federal framework for digital assets, the [...]
Written By: Geoff Bacino Founder & CEO Bacino & Associates The much-anticipated Supreme Court decision in the Slaughter v. Trump case was released. The Court agreed that the President has the authority [...]
As its membership expands beyond its public health roots, the Arlington-based institution is rebranding as Bienestar Federal Credit Union while betting on growth in a competitive financial services market. After more than seven decades [...]
New locations in California and Pennsylvania underscore how many institutions are still investing in physical banking even as digital services expand. Three credit unions on opposite sides of the country are expanding their branch networks, betting [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS Only four acquisitions have been announced in the first half of 2026, though advisers say a stronger second half may be on the horizon as more community banks seek buyers. The pace [...]
The regulator cited unsafe and unsound practices as it took control of WeDevelopment Federal Credit Union, the fourth conservatorship of the year. The National Credit Union Administration has placed WeDevelopment Federal Credit Union in [...]
Banks and credit unions are presenting a rare united front, arguing that federal law — not state legislation — should govern interchange fees charged by federally chartered credit unions. Credit unions and banks, often [...]
Written By: Barry Wides CPA, Managing Director Artisan Advisors For the past several months, housing/banking reform legislation has been working its way through Congress. The US House of Representatives on June 23 passed [...]
The Iowa credit union is opening new branches across the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburbs as it builds on its 2023 entry into Minnesota. Veridian Credit Union is accelerating its expansion in the Twin Cities, opening a new [...]
The Massachusetts banking company is buying Primary Bank while overhauling its ownership structure in a sweeping expansion plan. Hometown Financial Group is making its biggest strategic move in years, agreeing to acquire New Hampshire-based Primary Bank [...]
Mike Tucker retires after overseeing years of rapid growth, handing leadership of the Parkersburg institution to longtime executive Cindy Turner. After more than three decades leading one of West Virginia's largest credit unions, Mike [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council This Fourth of July, America will celebrate more than a date on the calendar. We will celebrate an idea [...]
Following allegations of a $95 million embezzlement at a Mississippi credit union, community bankers are urging Congress to require federally chartered credit unions to disclose the same tax filings as most other tax-exempt organizations. [...]
Written By: Tim Scholten President & Founder Visible Progress LLC For many community banks, growing noninterest income has become a strategic priority. Deposit competition is intense, margins remain under pressure, and technology [...]
Rock Valley Credit Union will absorb neighboring Rockford Municipal Employees Credit Union, expanding services for members while preserving the smaller institution's legacy. Two northern Illinois credit unions have completed a merger that leaders say [...]
The $7.7 billion credit union plans to open five Madison-area branches by the end of 2027, extending a broader expansion campaign that includes acquisitions and new markets across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Landmark Credit [...]
The combination would create a nearly $5 billion community banking company spanning four fast-growing Southern states as regional banks continue pursuing scale. Community banking consolidation continued across the Southeast last week as Georgia-based Colony [...]
The $9 billion Kansas credit union’s long-term partnership with the University of Arkansas reflects a growing push by financial cooperatives into high-profile athletics, even as critics question the strategy. The University of Arkansas has reached a [...]
The $1.6 billion California credit union turns to its former finance chief after longtime leader Kathy Duvall stepped down, as the institution looks to build on decades of steady growth and community service. San [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS Leaders at three institutions say small businesses increasingly want speed, automation and trusted advice, forcing credit unions to rethink what commercial banking looks like. For years, business banking at many credit unions [...]
Written By: Michael Murdoch AVP of Marketing University Credit Union There is perhaps no colder word in banking than delinquency. It sounds criminal, juvenile, almost moral. A child is delinquent (at least [...]
In an op-ed published by Buffalo Business First, Chris Keller says businesses can attract customers with promotions but retain them through visible, consistent commitments to their communities. As Buffalo’s downtown population continues to expand, [...]
The Spokane Valley institution says a surge in lending reflects years of investment in technology and member services, even as it continues expanding across Washington and Idaho. When Numerica Credit Union funded nearly $115 million in [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council Every June, Americans pause to observe Juneteenth, a holiday rooted in both celebration and reflection. It marks June 19, [...]
The move comes as federal regulators seek to simplify chartering, even as only a handful of new credit unions are created each year. Starting a new credit union has become such a rare undertaking [...]
Written By: Corey Wrinn Managing Director Rivel Banking Research Every morning, millions of Americans open an app that reminds them their loyalty has value. They see it in their coffee shop rewards, [...]
The combination of Old Dominion National Bank and National Capital Bank would create one of the largest community banking organizations headquartered in the Washington region and position the company for a public exchange listing. Two community [...]
Federal complaint alleges years of concealed transfers funded luxury purchases, real estate and personal accounts as regulators move to stabilize the institution. The former president and chief executive of Jackson Area Federal Credit Union [...]
FINTECH NEWS 7 17 Credit Union’s chief executive says entrepreneurs increasingly want one platform for payments, lending and cash management as competition intensifies. For years, many credit unions approached business banking with [...]
New research from TruStage points to slowing vehicle sales and shrinking loan balances, suggesting continued pressure on one of credit unions’ most important lending categories. Credit unions are likely to face another challenging year [...]
Stars and Stripes reported that a former Army recruiter admitted using prospective recruits’ identities to open fraudulent accounts at the world’s largest credit union, underscoring the ongoing challenge of identity theft in military financial services. [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS The Pennsylvania credit union is building governance rules and digital “twins” for executives as it pushes deeper into artificial intelligence, even as regulation remains unsettled. At a strategic planning retreat this spring, [...]
Written By: Kirk Kordeleski Partner PARC Street Partners I recently found myself revisiting John Kotter's classic Harvard Business Review article, Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. More than 30 years after it [...]
Net income across federally insured credit unions jumped more than 30% in the first quarter, offering fresh evidence that the industry is benefiting from a more favorable lending environment even as consolidation continues. The [...]
After 45 years at the institution, David Suvall will retire as chief executive, handing the reins to another veteran executive as profits rise. The leader of one of Rhode Island’s established financial cooperatives is [...]
California’s largest credit union is opening seven new locations, underscoring a growing belief that physical branches still matter even as banking moves increasingly online. For years, the banking industry largely agreed on one thing: [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council For too long, many in the credit union movement viewed interchange as a federal issue. The debates centered around [...]
The proposed deal would unite two healthcare-focused institutions and add nearly 30,000 members to Baxter Credit Union’s growing footprint. Baxter Credit Union, a $6.5 billion-asset institution based in Vernon Hills, Ill., has agreed to [...]
The deal gives the Mentor-based credit union a foothold in downtown Cleveland while preserving a niche institution long focused on serving musicians and artists. Cardinal Credit Union is expanding its presence in Northeast Ohio [...]
Written By: Scott Simpson President & CEO America’s Credit Unions Housing is the defining financial challenge facing millions of Americans right now. Not in an abstract, technocratic way, but in a personal [...]
The move follows months of regulatory oversight and comes as federal regulators grapple with mounting challenges among the nation’s smallest credit unions. A small California credit union that spent months under federal conservatorship has [...]
The Oregon credit union turns to a longtime industry leader as it looks to move beyond a leadership transition and a difficult financial year. Forrit Credit Union has appointed veteran credit union executive Aaron [...]
