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 [...]
The enforcement actions include one criminal-conviction case and four consent orders involving allegations that collectively caused millions of dollars in losses to credit unions. The National Credit Union Administration has permanently barred five former [...]
The Denver-based credit union is using humor and a fictional banking executive to highlight longstanding differences between credit unions and traditional banks. As tensions between banks and credit unions continue over taxation and industry [...]
FINTECH NEWS The Pennsylvania credit union is expanding both its branch network and its in-house digital platform as executives argue that the old divide between physical and digital banking no longer reflects how consumers actually manage money. [...]
Two recent bank sales highlighted a broader debate in regional banking over whether midsize institutions can still compete as technology costs and regulatory demands rise. At a banking conference in Dallas this spring, two [...]
Written By: Judy DeLucca President & CEO New Orleans Firemen's Federal Credit Union There has been a great deal of discussion recently about the future of smaller credit unions and whether institutions [...]
The Virginia-based lender is opening new branches in Virginia Beach and Utah even as more members shift toward digital banking tools. At a time when many financial institutions are shrinking their physical footprints, Chartway Credit Union [...]
FINTECH NEWS A Pennsylvania credit union says the future of banking depends on balancing convenience, security and relevance as consumer expectations shift rapidly. As financial institutions race to keep pace with fintech [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council As America approaches its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, Memorial Day should steady us before it inspires us. [...]
A session at CrossState’s annual Connect conference highlighted how smaller financial institutions are trying to keep younger members engaged long after the first savings account is opened. At a conference in Atlantic City this week, executives [...]
Geoff Bacino said John Crews’ nomination answers who may lead the agency next, but leaves unresolved questions about the future composition — and institutional knowledge — of the NCUA board. The White House nomination of John [...]
Written By: Monica Parks Chief Information Officer Bank3 The departure of Joe Kent from his role at the White House didn't just make headlines — it made me stop and think deeply [...]
As credit unions acquire more community banks, industry groups in Ohio are escalating a battle over taxes, lending and the future of local finance. A fight that has simmered for years between banks and credit unions [...]
A proposed tie-up between LOC Credit Union and Advantage One Credit Union would create a $750 million institution serving members statewide as smaller lenders grapple with rising technology costs and competitive pressure. Two Michigan credit unions [...]
The acquisition gives the Michigan-based credit union a larger foothold in the Chicago market as credit unions continue pushing deeper into community banking. Michigan State University Federal Credit Union has completed its acquisition of Gold Coast [...]
Written By: Joshua Herman CEO CU WealthNext When I worked as an NCUA examiner, the rhythm of the job was set by paper and email. I would send an items-needed list ahead [...]
The upstate lender is betting that a larger physical presence in Rochester can strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive regional banking market. Community Bank is expanding its footprint across the Rochester region with [...]
The El Paso credit union is entering a new phase of growth as it pursues a bank acquisition and expands deeper into Texas and New Mexico. GECU, the largest locally owned financial institution in [...]
The Sacramento credit union is deepening its presence on campus as rising student demand for food, housing and financial support reshapes how colleges and financial institutions work together. Golden 1 Credit Union will invest [...]
From the Desk of Jason Stverak Chief Advocacy Officer Defense Credit Union Council For years, the fight over interchange lived almost exclusively in Washington. That’s where proposals were introduced, debated, and—more often [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS As opposition from banking groups intensifies, credit unions continue pushing deeper into traditional banking territory through acquisitions and branch purchases. The pace of credit union acquisitions of banks has slowed this year [...]
INDUSTRY NEWS Double-digit asset gains and aggressive expansion into major metros are accelerating their rise — while intensifying scrutiny from the state’s banking industry. Credit unions across Texas posted strong gains over the past [...]
Jackson Area Federal Credit Union becomes the third institution conserved by regulators this year as pressure mounts on smaller lenders. The National Credit Union Administration has placed Jackson Area Federal Credit Union into conservatorship, [...]
Written By: Phil Sutliff Founder Main Street & Co. a consulting company “Knees weak, palms sweaty, nervous. On the surface, though, he looks calm and ready…” Alright, maybe not quite 8 Mile intense, [...]
The proposed partnership between Team One and CASE reflects a broader push among regional lenders to scale operations and meet rising digital expectations. Two Michigan-based credit unions with roots in serving educators and local communities have [...]
A proposed acquisition by an out-of-state credit union has set off a legal and political fight over who is allowed to own banks in Ohio. The prospect of a credit union acquiring an Ohio-chartered [...]
The world’s largest credit union added more than $6 billion in assets in the past quarter alone, according to newly released regulatory data. Where once there were no credit unions in the U.S. holding more [...]
The closure of People Trust Community Federal Credit Union underscores mounting pressure on the nation’s smallest financial institutions. The National Credit Union Administration on Thursday liquidated People Trust Community Federal Credit Union in North [...]
The deal reflects a growing wave of credit union acquisitions of banks, a shift that has drawn sharp criticism from industry trade groups. Interra Credit Union, a nearly $2 billion-asset institution based in Goshen, Ind., has [...]
Written By: Brian Waldron President & CEO Dort Financial Credit Union The credit union movement was built on cooperation. Not competition. Not comparison. Cooperation. And if we want this movement to stay [...]
