Skip to main content

Proposed Rule on Field of Membership Offers Regulatory Relief, Growth Opportunities

NCUAnewslayoutNCUA Board Proposes Sweeping Field-of-Membership Reform
Millions of Americans who need affordable financial services would be eligible for credit union membership under a proposed field-of-membership modernization rule (Part 701) unanimously approved by the NCUA Board.
“There is nothing more vital to the future of a credit union than the ability to attract new members,” Board Chairman Debbie Matz said. “Our vision is to enable federal credit unions to reach potential members from all walks of life. With this proposed rule, we would expand consumer choice, increase access to affordable financial services and provide regulatory relief to a wide range of federal credit unions. At the same time, we will keep the federal charter competitive with state charters that allow more permissive field-of-membership rules.”
Consistent with the limitations outlined in the Federal Credit Union Act, the proposed rule would amend NCUA’s chartering and field-of-membership rule by:
  • Modernizing the definition of “multiple common bond” to streamline the process for adding new groups to a charter;
  • Enlarging the pool of potential members by expanding the areas that may be served by a community charter;
  • Updating the process of defining an “underserved area;”
  • Revising the “rural district” definition to include populations of up to 1 million people; and
  • Expanding the definition of a “trade, industry or profession” as a single common bond.
Matz said the proposed rule was in large part the result of work by the Field-of-Membership Working Group she appointed in December 2014. NCUA Board Vice Chairman Rick Metsger had previously called on the agency to reform its field-of-membership rules.
“I would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated on calls with the NCUA Working Group,” Matz said. “Over the last 11 months, staff heard from hundreds of stakeholders from every region in the country. As a result, this proposal includes creative ideas, and we look forward to more input during the comment period.”


Pages - Proposed Rule on Field of Membership Offers Regulatory Relief, Growth Opportunities

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Why First Responder Credit Unions Are Built to Adopt Blockchain Faster

  For years, blockchain in financial services lived mostly in the world of experimentation—proofs of concept, pilot programs, and innovation labs that rarely touched day-to-day operations. That era is ending. Today, blockchain adoption is moving from experimentation to scale. Across payments, capital markets, and banking infrastructure, financial institutions are beginning to operate on new rails—powered by tokenized money, programmable assets, and always-on settlement models. For credit unions serving first responders, this shift presents not just a technology opportunity, but a strategic one. Blockchain Is Becoming Core Infrastructure The most important change isn’t the technology itself—it’s how it’s being used. Blockchain is no longer about testing what might work. It’s increasingly being deployed as infrastructure to solve long-standing problems in financial services, including slow settlement, trapped liquidity, manual reconciliation, and limited operating hours. Cr...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Sunday Reading - Budweiser 101

Draft Horses   Budweiser 101 Perhaps best known for its Super Bowl Clydesdale ads, Budweiser   is among the world’s most popular beer brands. It was among the first beers to achieve national distribution in the late 19th century, thanks to its revolutionary refrigeration and pasteurization techniques, setting the stage for the modern US beer industry.   Founded in the 1850s as the “Bavarian Brewery,” the company was acquired in 1860 by Eberhard Anheuser. He sold half of it to his son-in-law,  Adolphus Busch ,   in 1869, forming the partnership that would become Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Missouri.   In the 1870s, Carl Conrad , a St. Louis distributor, traveled through a Bohemian town called “Budweis” in German and drank a pale lager. Upon returning home, he worked with Anheuser-Busch to brew its own light lager, marketing it under the ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Health Coverage Tailored for You! Allstate Health Solutions

Health Coverage Tailored for You!  Allstate Health Solutions At the National Council of Firefighter Credit Unions ( NCOFCU), we can help credit unions and their members find health coverage that supports their lifestyle and budget . Through our partnership with Allstate Health Solutions , you get access to flexible health plan options — including short-term medical, supplemental coverage, dental, and more — designed to fill gaps and bring peace of mind when life shifts or coverage matters most. Why choose Allstate Health Solutions?   https://ncofcu.allstatehealth.com/ Flexible health plan options — Explore short-term medical, supplemental accident, critical illness, and dental coverage that fits your needs and budget. Coverage made simple — Find and compare plans quickly with our easy online experience. Support for transitions — Ideal for periods between job-based coverage, changes in life circumstances, or when you want supplement...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

'Tis the season for fraud! Teller questions if member fraud is suspected.

  When a credit union employee suspects a member may be subject to fraud, they should initiate a careful conversation focusing on the nature of the transaction and external influences. The goal is to help the member identify red flags without the employee asking for sensitive personal information that the credit union should already have on file.  Initial Verification Questions    .pdf Before discussing the specifics of the suspicious activity, the employee should confirm the member's identity in accordance with established internal protocols.  Questions About the Transaction/Activity If the member confirms they are conducting a suspicious transaction (e.g., a large wire transfer or purchase of gift cards ), the employee should ask questions to help the member pause and think critically:  "What is the purpose of this transaction?" "Do you personally know the person or business you are sending money to?" "Have you ever met the...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Advice On Winning Over Gen Z In ’25

NEW YORK—As 2025 approaches the close of Q1, how can credit unions win over Gen Z? By tailoring credit rewards for a digital-first generation, a new report recommends. Gen Z is reshaping the workforce and redefining financial behaviors. As of 2024, this generation is poised to surpass Baby Boomers in workforce size and will make up 30% of the workforce by 2030. This rapid growth presents a major opportunity for financial institutions to tap into a younger, digitally native audience with distinct spending habits and financial needs, emphasized a GlobalData report authored by Zachary Johnson, specialist, campaign execution & strategy, financial services at VDX.tv. “Unlike previous generations, Gen Z’s economic journey has been shaped by inflation and delayed career starts due to the pandemic and skyrocketing living costs. These factors have made them highly dependent on credit, with Gen Zers being 23% more likely to own a credit card than Millennials at the same age, and carrying...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

‘No One Wants a New Car Now.’ WSJ Columnist Offers His Take on Why

NEW YORK–That new car smell isn’t quite the intoxicating perfume it has been for a long time, according to one automotive analyst. Under the headline, “No One Wants a New Car Now. Here’s Why,” the Wall Street Journal’s well-regarded automotive columnist, Dan Neal, observed that “America’s fleet of cars and trucks is also getting long in the tooth.” Neal’s reference was to a study by S&P Global Mobility that found the average age of vehicles in the U.S. is now 12.6 years, up more than 14 months since 2014, with the average age of passenger cars hitting14 years. All-Time High Burden “In the past, the average-age statistic was taken as a sign of transportation’s burden on household budgets,” Neal wrote. “Those burdens remain near all-time hig...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Chairman Hauptman’s Remarks for FLEC Public Meeting (Trump Accounts)

  As Prepared for Delivery on February 6, 2026 Meeting Focus: Implementation and Outreach for Trump Accounts Good morning and thank you to our colleagues at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and members of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission for convening today’s important discussion. I also want to express my appreciation for this body’s leadership in encouraging savings and advancing the broader goal we all share—ensuring that every American has a meaningful opportunity to build financial capability, resilience, and long-term financial security. There’s a lot to like about Trump Accounts, including how easy it is to start the process when filing your taxes. These accounts were clearly designed with behavioral economics in mind. That is to say, things that are easier to do are more likely to get done. Trump accounts also turn all these kids into investors. The more Americans that identify as investors, the better off we are. Investing done by regular people turns Mar...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Dolphin Debit Drives Efficiency

  Contact Us   4k Surcharge-Free ATMs for Free   Dolphin Debit Access | 1340 Rayford Rd | Spring, TX 77386 . Joe Woods, CUDE  | SVP, Marketing & Partnerships Dolphin Debit Access, LLC | A Euronet Company 1340 Rayford Park Rd., Spring, TX 77386 (M) 614-378-0367   www.dolphindebit.com ================================================= Remember, you're not alone with  NCOFCU.org Join/Upgrade Check out some of NCOFCU's additional features: First Responder Credit Union Academy Financial Literacy Podcasts YouTube Mini's Blog Job Board
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Three-Quarters of Consumers Familiar With CUs, But Just 1 in 4 Says a CU is PFI, & Other New Findings

WASHINGTON– More than three-quarters of U.S. consumers said they are familiar with credit unions and hold a positive impression, yet just one-in-four banks primarily with a credit union, a new survey has found. The 2026 Credit Union Consumer Perception Report from  CUCollaborate  surveyed 1,000 consumers across the U.S. in December 2025 to gauge their opinions on credit unions. It further found early 70% describe credit unions as trustworthy, and a majority recognize their advantages in fees and rates compared to traditional banks.  But positive sentiment is in decline with younger bankers, according to CUCollaborate. Gen Z consumers represented a sharp shift in credit union perception from older generations, the company said, noting that among those respondents, 36% indicated they had only heard the term “credit union” without having a deeper understanding or had never heard of the term at all.  Some “44% said they were somewhat familiar with credit unions, and a me...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»