First-responder Credit Union Newsroom

NEW YORK—Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the defining force shaping banking strategy, with 80% of banking executives now expecting AI to significantly disrupt their business and operating models within the next three to five years, according to KPMG's 2026 Banking Technology Survey. The survey of 200 U.S. banking executives found institutions are responding by accelerating investments in cybersecurity, payments modernization and technology-driven acquisitions. "AI, payments modernization, cybersecurity, and tech-driven M&A are no longer separate agendas," said Peter Torrente, KPMG's U.S. Banking Sector Leader, who said banks are increasingly being challenged to keep pace across technology, risk and growth simultaneously. Cybersecurity remains a top concern. More than three-quarters (76%) of banking leaders reported an increase in cyberattacks over the past year, while 92% said they are boosting cybersecurity budgets. In addition, 84% are increasing cyb...

NEW YORK — At a time when there are some generational changes in credit union leadership taking place, a new analysis has found the nation’s bank CEOs are getting older, with half of the chief executives leading banks now older than 65, compared with fewer than 20% two decades ago. The KBW Bank Index from Truist Securities found that the median age of bank CEOs has increased by 10 years since the early 2000s, mirroring a broader aging trend among corporate leaders across the United States. However, bank executives remain older on average than their counterparts in many other industries, according to the analysis by Truist Securities Managing Director John McDonald and associates Peter Nicolo and John Manahan. One reason is tenure. Bank CEOs typically remain in their positions longer than executives in many other sectors. According to data from CristKolder Associates cited in the report, financial-services CEOs average nine years in the role, compared with 5.4 years in the energy secto...

WASHINGTON– World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has released a new white paper that examines how stablecoins are reshaping the financial infrastructure that credit unions and other cooperative financial institutions rely on to serve their members.  According to WOCCU, the white paper, How Digital Money Is Impacting Credit Unions, Part 1: Focus on Stablecoins , is the first in a planned three-part series exploring how emerging forms of digital money are affecting the global credit union movement.  “The report begins by noting that stablecoins are no longer a niche fintech development, but part of a broader structural shift in how money is stored, moved and regulated,” WOCCU explained. “As commercial banks, payment networks, technology firms and retailers build stablecoin offerings or integrate stablecoin rails into their platforms, credit unions must consider how these changes could affect deposits, payments, member relationships and long-term institutional relevance.” For ...

07/02/2026 09:36 am         WASHINGTON--With Trump Accounts set to officially launch July 4, America’s Credit Unions updated its frequently asked questions document to clarify the role of credit unions now and in the future. Credit unions do not have a role to play yet, as the Treasury has not announced steps to transition accounts from initial provider BNY Mellon to other authorized institutions, ACU noted. Trump Accounts are tax-deferred accounts that can be established on behalf of a child under the age of 18. Account contributions begin after July 4, with contributions up to $5,000 a year allowed. Created by H.R. 1, the law also established a pilot program to deposit a one-time $1,000 grant into accounts of children born between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2028. Once the child turns 18, the account funds are available for educational expenses, home ownership, entrepreneurship, and other designated purposes. Once guidance is available from Treasury, credit unions ...

We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident .  The Declaration of Independence is the founding document that formally announced the American Colonies' break from British rule. Adopted on July 4, 1776, it laid the philosophical and moral foundation for American self-governance, asserting that individuals possess inherent rights and that governments must be accountable to the people. While it didn't create a government or legal framework, the Declaration marked the birth of the United States as a sovereign nation. >  Hear why the Continental Congress decided to declare independence, how the text took shape...

ATMs and the Windows 11 Software Upgrade Joe Woods, SVP Marketing & Partnerships Dolphin Debit Access There is a lot of information and misinformation circulating regarding the required Windows 11 software. Windows 10 is sunsetting and therefore Windows 11 is now the new operating system of choice moving forward. Many of us may not realize, however, that there are multiple versions of Windows 10. These different versions have different sunset dates, different options for extended service plans as well as different applications. Your ATM’s will be required to upgrade to Windows 11 at some point in the near future. However, that future could be four months away or forty months away. And if costs are similar to the Windows 10 upgrade, you could be spending $5,000-$14,000 per ATM for the upgrade.   To figure out what is best for you, you need to examine your ATM fleet. Several factors need to be considered for this change from Win10 to Win11. Making a rash decision to per...

Underwater Kingdoms   Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems made from the skeletons of hard coral colonies. Each colony is composed of multiple polyps called corals—animals with tentacles around a mouth at one end and sac-like bodies at the other that attach to a surface and secrete calcium carbonate for protection. Over thousands of years, these secretions accumulate to form habitats that support about 25% of marine species, even though they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. >  The first coral reefs formed hundreds of millions of years ago. ( More , w/video) > Coral polyps are tiny animals whose mouths both consume food and expel waste. ( More ) > See how coral reefs get their color. ( More ) Known as the "rainforest of the seas," coral reefs are found in tropical and subtropical waters of more than 100 countries, wi...

By Ray Birch WASHINGTON—NCUA nominee John Crews used his Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing Thursday to lay out an agenda centered on reducing regulatory burden for smaller credit unions, encouraging technological innovation and reviving the formation of new credit unions, while declining to weigh in on the legality of the NCUA's current one-member board because of pending litigation. Although much of the hearing was dominated by sharp questioning of fellow nominee Christopher Phelan over the economy, inflation, tax policy and President Trump's agenda, Crews' exchanges with senators offered insights into how he might approach regulating the credit union system if confirmed. The hearing proceeded despite questions on Capitol Hill over whether it would even take place following Wednesday's political turmoil surrounding President Trump's demand that Congress pass the SAVE America Act before he signs bipartisan housing legislation and the Senate's decisio...