Skip to main content

Number of credit unions decline by 100+

As of June 2020, CUNA estimates 5,354 credit unions were in operation, 15 fewer than May and 180 fewer than June 2019. During the first half of 2020, approximately 106 credit unions ceased to exist because of mergers, purchase and assumptions or liquidation, according to the Trends Report.

“During a typical year, 46% of the total decline in the number of credit unions takes place in the first half of the year, which means that we can estimate the 2020 full year decline in the number of credit unions to be 230, above the 143 reported in 2019,” CUNA Mutual said in its analysis. “However, my official forecast is for a decline of 180 credit unions in 2020. The average asset size of a credit union now stands at $312.4 million, up 11.7% from a year ago, while the median asset size is $37.5 million, up 7.4% over the last year, indicating larger credit unions growing faster than their smaller counterparts.”
Trends No. of CUs
 If you are a credit union serving first first-responders and thinking of merging or closing, please reach out to us!
"Your Not Alone With NCOFCU!"

NCOFCU is an exclusive network (have been meeting since 2001) of credit unions primarily serving over 900 thousand firefighters, first responders, and their families.

Our collaborative effort is to assist the volunteers and staff of credit unions serving firefighters and first responders with their operational and educational needs and to promote the importance of first responder credit unions to the credit union community.

NCOFCU’s peer two peer networking relationships bring together,

  • credit union staff & volunteers with the same employment backgrounds,
  • field of membership, and
  • financial & educational needs
Through NCOFCU’s exclusive social network and annual conference, credit unions serving first responders are available to assist fellow credit unions in making operational decisions such as;
  • possible first responder network merger solutions
  • field of membership expansion
  • products and services
  • both staff and volunteer succession planning
  • Recommended Business Partners
NCOFCU’s nation wide board of directors and membership is made up of credit union executives and volunteers from across the country of all asset and membership sizes. It is this diverse makeup that brings forth our goals and objectives that we hope will assist credit unions, serving first responders, to continue to survive and support their memberships.

Please take this opportunity to visit our website www.NCOFCU.org  (virtual tour) and look at the many member benefits, services, and conference scholarships available to you.

 
We are here for you, Grant Sheehan CEO 305-755-3302 CEO@ncofcu.org

Save the Date

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cutting Through The Stablecoin Noise—What Credit Unions Actually Need To Know Now

By Ray Birch DOVER, Del.—By any measure, stablecoins have quickly become one of the most talked-about—and least understood—topics in credit union boardrooms. The pressure to “do something” is building, fueled by headlines, fintech momentum and a growing fear of being left behind. But according to InvestiFi CEO Kian Sarreshteh, that urgency may be misplaced. “There’s a lot of FOMO right now,” Sarreshteh said. “If I don’t adopt a stablecoin solution this year, I’m going to be left behind. I would argue pretty strongly that’s very far from the truth.” Instead of rushing to sign up for a Stablecoin pilot, Sarreshteh said credit unions should begin with a more fundamental question: what problem are you actually trying to solve? While stablecoins are often discussed as a potential challenger to traditional payment rails dominated by Visa and Mastercard, he believes that kind of mass-market disruption remains years away—especially in the U.S., where consumers already have fast, convenient opt...

Senate Banking To Vote Thursday On Landmark Digital Assets Bill

“NCOFCU appreciates the Senate Banking Committee’s continued work during next week’s markup hearing to establish a clear and responsible regulatory framework for digital assets,” said the National Council of Fire Fighter Credit Unions (NCOFCU) leadership. “As lawmakers consider this legislation, it is essential that first responder credit unions are recognized as a vital part of the financial services ecosystem and are not overlooked in the evolving digital asset landscape. Credit unions serving police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel must have equitable access to innovation, regulatory clarity, and the tools necessary to continue supporting the financial readiness and resilience of America’s first responders.” Grant Sheehan CEO WASHINGTON—The Senate Banking Committee will vote on the long-awaited CLARITY Act this Thursday, Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) announced Friday. Tim Scott The announcement marks a potentially major step forward for legislation that would establis...

How to Comply in the New World of Complaints

NASHVILLE–It’s not enough anymore to receive a member complaint and to respond with just an apology. Not surprisingly, with Washington now much more involved, member complaints have become a formal process with penalties involved when those complaints aren’t addressed and resolved.  That has required credit unions to create complaint tracking systems and one CU that has done so shared some of its processes and lessons learned during the NAFCU annual meeting here. One thing that was clear: complaints are not just what a teller might hear. Complaints can come via numerous channels, including regulators, and can be related to everything from credit reports to RESPA letters to mortgage rules and much more.  “Complaints run the gamut, but the key is complaint management,” said Mitchell B. Klein, an attorney who is also the chief risk officer with Citadel FCU. “All of these types of complaints need to be managed in some fashion and in a timely way. You don’t want to get in ...

7 Secrets For Merger Success | Credit Unions

These best practices will ensure your next merger won’t be your last. By Aaron Pugh  With six mergers completed since 2009 and three more on the immediate horizon, Credit Union of Southern California ($781.8M, Whittier, CA) — commonly referred to as CU SoCal — attributes just over half of its branch footprint and about 70% of growth achieved in the past five years to merger activity. On the opposite side of the country, The Summit Federal Credit Union ($723.7M, Rochester, NY) averaged close to one merger a year between 2003 and 2011, increasing its assets by more than $445 million and adding 12 branches in three regional markets beyond its original Rochester and Seneca Falls footprint. Despite the prevalence of this activity, neither of these institutions has ever actively sought out any merger partner. Instead, they’ve been responding to increased demand from small-to-mid-sized credit unions for cooperative alliances, both for survival and for the enhanced economies of scale ...

Ransomware: 'It's A Growing Issue'

MADISON, Wis.—Ransomware attacks, already a quiet concern that has been growing among credit unions, are expected to dramatically increase this year—with one analyst saying there is “no silver bullet” to prevent the threat. Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or PC until a sum of money is paid. In the case of a financial institution, crooks first use the malware to encrypt the contents of the FI’s data and then extract a ransom in exchange for decrypting the information and allowing the victim to regain access. It’s an issue, according to one regulator source who asked for anonymity that has been growing within credit unions, many of which have paid ransoms to regain access to their data and have chosen not to speaking publicly about the crime. “This has become a huge problem,” said Ken Otsuka, senior consultant in CUNA Mutual Group’s risk management department, adding that CUNA Mutual Group’s cyber liability coverage data d...

NCUA - How Many NCUA Staff are Leaving, & What Are They Taking With Them? Here are 3 Viewpoints

ALEXANDRIA, Va.–NCUA may have already reached its target of reducing staff by 20% as the Trump administration pressures regulatory agencies to reduce headcount, although the agency has not confirmed what several people said they are hearing. Thos same individuals have also expressed their concerns that a lot of “institutional memory” may be headed out the door. During a podcast hosted by Mark Treichel, who during his 33-year career worked his way up from examiner to executive director, John McKechnie, an advocate for credit unions on Capitol Hill who spent five years at NCUA as director of public and congressional affairs, and Geoff Bacino, who now leads an association management firm and who served on the NCUA board, shared what they have heard from inside NCUA regarding the staff reductions. Mark Treichel Updates & Board Meetings The NCUA board was to hear an update on that issue during its April board meeting, but after board members Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka were fired by Pr...

The Role of the Board Chair

Tim Harrington, CPA   CEO, TEAM Resources The Role of the Board Chair Recently I had the chance to spend some time with a great group of board members . One of the things we talked about was the role of the board chair. I thought this well worth putting down on *paper* as it were. The role of the chairperson is multi-faceted, complex, and often changing within the context of the organization’s dynamic. Unfortunately, there’s no perfect set of “rules.” But there are some guidelines. Here are our “tips” on navigating the position successfully: Roles Facilitator  – The board chair must draw together the individual directors into a team, working together on behalf of the membership and the credit union. To do that, s/he must wrangle individual personalities, draw out conversation from some, and rein it in from others. Having a solid understanding of the personalities of each director … and the CEO helps the chair keep things on track, moving forward, and civil. ...

The Most Overlooked Growth Opportunity in First Responder Credit Unions

Credit unions spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and marketing dollars trying to acquire new members. But many institutions — especially sponsor-based first responder credit unions — are sitting on one of the most valuable growth opportunities already inside their existing membership base. The joint owner population. Every day, firefighters, police officers, EMTs, dispatchers, and other first responders join credit unions through sponsor relationships. During account opening, spouses or partners are often added as joint owners for convenience. They help manage the household finances. They use the debit card. They log into online banking. They interact with the credit union regularly. Yet in many cases, they never actually become full member-owners of the cooperative. They are connected to the institution — but not fully part of it. And that creates a major strategic opportunity. Why Joint Owner Conversion Matters For sponsor-based credit unions, converting joint owners into full m...

Hood: Credit unions are safe and sound

Hood’s term on the NCUA Board will expire in August.  NCUA Board Member Rodney Hood appeared via live stream with Brad Barnes, Air Academy Credit Union, and Amy McGraw, Tropical Financial Credit Union. The regulator lauds strong membership, asset, and loan growth. Despite recent headwinds, including high-profile bank failures, the credit union movement is still safe and sound, says Rodney Hood, NCUA board member, and immediate past chairman. “We’re not seeing the contagion like at other financial institutions,” says Hood, who addressed the 2023 CUNA Finance Council Conference Monday via live stream. The Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crisis was one of confidence, he says. Ninety percent of SVB’s deposits were uninsured. In comparison, more than 91% of credit union deposits are insured. “We don’t have those entanglements,” Hood says. “That bodes well for our future.”  He lauded America’s 4,800 credit unions for growing membership to 135 million, assets to $2.2 trill...

CEOs of CUNA, NAFCU Offer First Public Remarks Since Announcing Merger Plan; Numerous Issues Discussed

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.–The CEOs of CUNA and NAFCU made their first joint appearance  since the two trade groups announced plans to merge, addressing reasons for the proposed merger and what those who may oppose the merger should do, and further speaking to the concerns of smaller CUs and what will happen with conferences, as well as stressing the combination is not being driven by problems at either group. During a 45-minute Q&A at the Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) annual meeting, CUNA CEO Jim Nussle and NAFCU CEO Dan Berger answered questions posed by DCUC CEO Tony Hernandez, as well as from CUToday.info and members of the audience. As CUToday.info reported here , the two trade groups are proposing to merge and create a new organization called America’s Credit Unions that will be led by Nussle—who was appearing at the DCUC meeting on the 89 th anniversary of CUNA’s creation--with Berger departing NAFCU at year-end. At one point Berger received a standing ...