Skip to main content

Federally Insured Credit Unions Assets Grow $113B During 2019, But Small CUs Still Struggling


ALEXANDRIA, Va.–Federally insured credit unions during 2019 grew total assets by $113 billion (7.8%), loans by $64 billion (6.2%) and membership was up by 4.2 million, according to NCUA’s Quarterly Credit Union Data Summary for Q4 2019.

Credit unions also showed improvements in net interest margins and ROA. But CUs in the smallest asset categories once again showed declines in lending and membership.
The data is based on call reports from 5,236 federally insured CUs, representing approximately 120.4 million members.
According to the report, here’s how credit unions performed during Q4 and 2019:

 Performance by Asset Category
In its analysis, NCUA once again noted consistent with long-running trends, credit unions with assets of at least $1 billion reported the strongest growth in loans, membership, and net worth over the year ending in the fourth quarter of 2019. Credit unions with less than $500 million in assets reported declines in those categories over the year.
Specifically:
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with assets of at least $1 billion increased to 330 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 308 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These 330 credit unions held $1.1 trillion in assets or 68% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported loan growth of 9.7%. Membership rose 8.4%. Net worth increased by 12.4%.
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with assets of at least $500 million but less than $1 billion rose to 247 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 237 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These 247 credit unions held $172.7 billion in total assets, or 11% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported a 1.9% increase in total loans outstanding over the year. Membership rose 0.3% and net worth increased by 3.3%.
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with at least $100 million but less than $500 million in assets declined to 1,018 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 1,026 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These 1,018 credit unions held $227.8 billion in total assets or 15% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported a 3.0% decline in total loans outstanding. Membership fell 4.6%. Net worth edged up 0.6%.
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with at least $50 million but less than $100 million in assets declined to 677 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 688 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These 677 credit unions held $48.5 billion in total assets or 3% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported a 2.4% decrease in total loans. Membership fell 4.3%. Net worth rose by 1.1%.
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with assets of at least $10 million but less than $50 million declined to 1,635 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 1,695 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These credit unions held $41.3 billion in assets or 3% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported a 3.0% decrease in loans. Membership declined by 5.8%. Net worth fell 1.0%.
  • The number of federally insured credit unions with less than $10 million in assets declined to 1,329 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 1,421 in the fourth quarter of 2018. These credit unions held $5.5 billion in assets or 0.4% of total system assets. Credit unions in this category reported a 7.0% decline in loans. Membership fell 9.1%. Net worth declined by 4.6%. 

The full report can be found here.

Rember, "You're Not Alone With NCOFCU"!

See you in New Orleans 10/2-10/20


Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Twenty-Five Years of Showing Up

www.NCOFCU.org/Tucson-AZ-2026    Attendee Registration Schedule at a Glance ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Boston Firefighters Credit Union Becomes First Responders Credit Union

New name reflects nearly 80 years of service and a growing commitment to first responders across Massachusetts BOSTON, MA, June 15, 2026 — Boston Firefighters Credit Union today announced that it has officially changed its name to First Responders Credit Union , reflecting the broader first responder community the organization serves while honoring the firefighters who founded it nearly 80 years ago. Founded in 1947 by members of the Boston Fire Department, the credit union was established to serve the financial needs of firefighters and their families. Over the decades, it has grown into a trusted financial institution serving firefighters, law enforcement professionals, EMS personnel, civilian employees of first responder agencies, and their families throughout Massachusetts. Today, more than 12,000 members rely on the credit union for banking, lending, and financial guidance tailored to the unique demands of first responder life. While the name is new, the mission is not. ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

NCUA Issues Final Rule to Revise Record Preservation Requirements

ALEXANDRIA, Va. ― The National Credit Union Administration has issued a final rule revising record preservation requirements for credit unions in the event of a catastrophic act. This rule is codified at 12 CFR 749.   “Maintaining vital records is essential to the safety and soundness of any federally insured credit union’s operations and its ability to best serve members,” NCUA Chairman Kyle Hauptman said in a statement. “But NCUA, unlike other regulators, didn’t have a limit on how long records had to be kept. This led to unnecessary cost, hassle and uncertainty. This final rule will ease unnecessary and overly prescriptive preservation requirements, while ensuring that credit unions retain the critical documents needed in instances of disaster”  According to the agency, the vital records preservation program rule was first created in 1972 to ensure that federally insured credit unions keep duplicate records that can be used for reconstruction purposes in the event of ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Just Out! - NCUA Stablecoin Plan Opens Door To Credit Union-Backed Digital Dollar Issuers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A sweeping new NCUA proposal to implement the GENIUS Act could open the door for credit union-backed stablecoin issuance, but only through separately licensed subsidiaries operating under an extensive new federal regulatory framework that limits risks to the Share Insurance Fund. The 269-page supplemental proposed rule issued Friday lays out how “permitted payment stablecoin issuers” affiliated with federally insured credit unions would be supervised, examined and regulated by the NCUA, while also establishing rules covering reserves, liquidity, custody, operational risk, cybersecurity, anti-money laundering compliance and disclosure standards. The proposal supplements an earlier February 2026 proposal by the agency focused primarily on licensing and investments in stablecoin issuers. Federally insured credit unions themselves would still be prohibited from directly issuing payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. Instead, issuance would have to occur through a separa...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

NCUA Board Approves Final Rule on Dependent Care and Board Member Reimbursement

Alexandria, VA (June 8, 2026) ― The National Credit Union Administration today issued a final rule for Dependent Care and Board Member Reimbursement. The NCUA Board amended its regulations concerning the reimbursement of reasonable expenses for federal credit union officials to remove potential barriers to volunteer service. This final rule provides flexibility for a federal credit union’s board to adopt more family-friendly policies tailored to its size, region, and operations. Previously, dependent care costs had not been considered reasonable expenses under NCUA regulation 12 C.F.R. 701.33.  The final rule applies to all federal credit unions, including corporate federal credit unions. It will not apply to federally insured, state-chartered credit unions, which remain subject to state law. The final rule is effective 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register and takes into consideration public comments received from the proposed rule that was issued on Januar...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Update from TruStage - Forecast for CU, Economic Performance for Remainder of 2026, 2027

MADISON, Wis. — Credit unions are expected to post stronger loan, deposit , and asset growth in 2026 despite a slowing economy, persistent inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, and continued pressure on consumers, according to TruStage’s latest  Credit Union Trends Report . The report, prepared by TruStage Chief Economist Steve Rick and based on December 2025 data, forecasts credit union loan growth will accelerate to 5.5% in 2026 from 4.6% in 2025, while savings growth is projected to increase to 6.5% from 5.5%. Asset growth is expected to improve to 6.2% in 2026 from 5.4% in 2025. Credit union membership growth is forecast to reach 1.8% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027. The CU Daily has separate reporting on credit union performance by category here .  According to TruStage, a changing global economic environment has altered its outlook for both the U.S. economy and the credit union system. The report noted disruptions stemming from the closing of the Strait of Hormuz have created su...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Credit Where Credit's Due

  Credit Where Credit's Due   Credit reports 101 Used to calculate credit scores   and determine creditworthiness, credit reports are comprehensive documents that detail the credit history of a person or business, including current and former lines of credit, bankruptcy records, and more.  Credit assessments actually started in the 1700s   as a way to evaluate businesses’ financial standing rather than consumers’. The early 1800s brought efforts to standardize the credit reporting system as more businesses were started that needed loans, and the labor movement’s success in the second half of the 1800s led to an increased need for standardized c...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Can Small CUs Survive the 4rth Industrial Revolution?

By Homer Fager The Third Industrial Revolution period of the 1950s through 1990s witnessed the beginning of the decline of the small credit unions. In the 1960s the number of credit unions, including state and federal institutions, exceeded 20,000. The 1980s brought new technology to the industry from personal computers to the introduction of the first credit union-sponsored ATM. During the next three decades 10,000 credit unions were lost and in the last decade alone 2,000 have vanished. Continuation of this rate of decline means the “small entity” credit unions may be lost within the next 15 to 20 years. These Third Industrial Revolution banking structural changes were the beginning of the decline of the “small entity”credit union. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also referred to as 4IR or Industry 4.0, has changed the 21st century and will continue to change our society as did none of the other three revolutions. More has been accomplished in the last 250-plus years of human his...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»