Industry Insights | CreditUnions.com | Data & Insights For Credit Unions https://creditunions.com/category/blogs/industry-insights/ Data & Insights For Credit Unions Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:57:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://creditunions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-CreditUnions_favicon-32x32.png Industry Insights | CreditUnions.com | Data & Insights For Credit Unions https://creditunions.com/category/blogs/industry-insights/ 32 32 Now’s The Time For Credit Union Succession Planning https://creditunions.com/blogs/new-year-new-outlook-on-the-future/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:10:55 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110845 The future of leadership starts now. This week, CreditUnions.com is diving into the strategies shaping tomorrow’s talent: from a bold overhaul of succession planning to how credit unions are tackling the AI skills gap.

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Aaron Passman, Callahan & Associates
Aaron Passman, Senior Content Manager, Callahan & Associates

Welcome to 2026.

Out with the old, in with the new, as they say. That includes a new rule from the NCUA requiring federally insured credit unions to have written succession plans for key roles, including the leadership team and board of directors. With that in mind, this week’s content on CreditUnions.com is all about succession planning, skills and talent development, and how the industry is creating the next generation of credit union leaders.

Check out of coverage of:

What about you? How is your credit union addressing succession planning and recruitment? Drop us a line and we could feature your story on CreditUnions.com.

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Is Your Credit Union Making Time For Leadership Development? https://creditunions.com/blogs/is-your-credit-union-making-time-for-leadership-development/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:05:23 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110828 Assessing skills gaps among leaders and providing time to complete training are major hurdles today, but strong leadership development strategies are essential in building a future-ready credit union.

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Leadership development belongs at the center of a smart succession strategy. Organizations that neglect it invite stagnation and missed opportunities. The importance of leadership development becomes even clearer when you look at recent research. A spring 2025 study from Harvard Business Review found nearly half of respondents cite lack of time for training and unclear skill gaps as major obstacles, making a deliberate approach to talent development essential.

CHALLENGES TO DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
FOR 1,159 BUSINESS LEADERS | DATA AS OF MARCH 2025
SOURCE: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

leadership development
Finding time to complete training is among the largest hurdles leaders face in their professional development.

For credit unions, the importance of leadership development goes beyond staffing; it safeguards the mission and strengthens member value. Strong leadership development strategies help reduce disruption during leadership transitions and ensure credit unions are well-managed and future-ready. Understanding where gaps exist can be a low-hanging fruit that pays dividends when paired with a clear strategy. For credit unions looking to establish a succession plan, research from Gallup encourages organizations to think outside the box by assessing readiness and defining stages of development.

These principles come to life in practical strategies credit unions are using to strengthen leadership pipelines and retain top talent.

Strategic Insights

  • Nearly 50% of organizations struggle with leadership development due to lack of time and unclear skill gaps, according to the HBR study. The pandemic and the Great Resignation taught credit unions that keeping great employees means meeting them where they are and investing in their development regardless of where they sit. “That means offering virtual conferences, webinars, online training — all with the same energy we used to bring to in-person programs,” says Lori Smith, chief human resources officer at Community First Credit Union of Florida ($2.9B, Jacksonville, FL).
  • Companies that invest in leadership growth report higher engagement and lower turnover, especially in competitive talent markets. At Chartway FCU ($3.2B, Virginia Beach, VA), an emerging leaders is helping to create a strong internal leadership pipeline. “We wanted intentionality around retention and building a strong internal leadership pipeline for succession planning,” says Jill Edsall, director of learning and talent development.  “This program identifies a pocket of high performers where we can invest more time and energy.”
  • Organizations that link leadership development to business strategy build stronger succession pipelines. Talent development is a key area of succession planning strategy at Patelco ($9.5B, Dublin, CA). The credit union has a three-tiered system that identifies employees it wants to retain, those ready for new roles and responsibilities, and those who need professional support. “We have clear expectations for our leaders based on talent assessments, cross-functional calibration, and transparent plans communicated to the individual,” says Susan Makris, Patelco’s chief people officer.

 

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Aligning Recruitment Efforts With Boardroom Value https://creditunions.com/blogs/graph-of-the-week/aligning-recruitment-with-boardroom-value/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:00:45 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110889 A report from Quantum Governance reveals a gap between board recruitment priorities and the most valuable skills in governance.

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Jennie Boden, QuantumGovernance
Jennie Boden, CEO, Quantum Governance

As credit unions nationwide grapple with meeting the NCUA’s new rule on succession planning, succession planning data from Quantum Governance, L3C, provides an understanding of what is needed to meet today’s governance challenges.

In the firm’s State of Credit Union Governance report, Quantum Governance asked two central questions:

  1. What are the skills that add the most value in the boardroom?
  2. What are the highest priorities when recruiting new board members?

The results are surprising.

 

WHAT BOARD MEMBERS VALUE IN THE BOARDROOM VS. WHAT IS PRIORITIZED IN RECRUITMENT
FOR STATE OF CREDIT UNION GOVERNANCE RESPONDENTS
SOURCE: Quantum Governance, L3C

Credit unions are not aligning their recruitment efforts with what they value most in the boardroom, but they should.
Credit unions are not aligning their recruitment efforts with what they value most in the boardroom, but they should.

Although Ability to focus on the future (prioritization 51% and value 76%) and Financial literacy (prioritization 50% and value 45%) fell in the top three responses for both questions, there was little alignment beyond this.

Most respondents prioritized Demographic diversity (53%) over Ability to focus on the future (51%). Hard skills like Financial literacy (50%), Specific operational expertise (48%) and Professional services expertise (43%) rounded out the top five responses.

But on the question of what skills add the most value, the respondents told a different story. Only one of the top five responses — Financial literacy (45%) — was related to hard skills; the remaining skills were human skills like Ability to focus on the future (76%), Independent mindedness (66%), Understands the membership (44%) and Consensus building (38%).

Strategic Insights

  • Credit unions are not aligning their recruitment efforts with what they value most in the boardroom, but they should.
  • The most valued skill in the boardroom is Ability to focus on the future — or directors with a strategic mindset.
  • There is a shift away from valuing hard skills in the boardroom to valuing human skills.
  • Financial literacy is the most valued hard skill in the boardroom.
  • Although credit unions prioritize Demographic diversity most in terms of recruitment efforts, significantly fewer respondents actually value it.

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Preparing For 2026: Why The NCUA’s New Succession Planning Rule Elevates The Strategic Role Of Credit Union Boards https://creditunions.com/blogs/preparing-for-2026-why-the-ncuas-new-succession-planning-rule-elevates-the-strategic-role-of-credit-union-boards/ Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:00:44 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110886 Fair, transparent succession helps credit unions strengthen board effectiveness, align leadership with strategy, and safeguard member value.

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Jennie Boden, QuantumGovernance
Jennie Boden, CEO, Quantum Governance

The National Credit Union Administration’s new succession planning rule formally takes effect in January 2026. It’s an important regulatory milestone that underscores something many credit unions already know: strong, intentional governance is not optional; it is foundational to long‑term institutional health.

Although the rule requires federally insured credit unions to adopt and maintain a written succession plan for its CEO, C-suite and its board, its deeper purpose is far more strategic. It signals a shift toward more proactive, competency‑based leadership development across the cooperative system. For boards, this is an opportunity to strengthen governance practices, deepen alignment with organizational strategy, and ensure continuity in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

To meet both the letter and the spirit of the rule, credit unions can focus on four core objectives that define effective board succession planning.

1. Establish An Ongoing Process That Is Fair, Transparent, Competency‑Based, And Inclusive. Then, Consistently Apply It.

Succession planning cannot be a one‑time exercise or yield a document that simply sits on a shelf. It must be a living process — one that is structured, malleable, and grounded in fairness and transparency.

A competency‑based approach ensures that director recruitment and development are tied to the skills and behaviors required for effective governance. When applied consistently, this approach builds trust among board members, reinforces the cooperative values of inclusion and equity, and supports leadership continuity during periods of transition.

2. Curate A Board Aligned With The Credit Union’s Strategic Goals

A high‑performing board is not simply a collection of well‑intentioned volunteers. It is a strategically curated leadership body whose collective skills, characteristics, and attributes align with the credit union’s long‑term direction.

This requires boards to:

  • Consciously identify the competencies needed to advance the credit union’s strategy.
  • Regularly assess board members’ current strengths and overall gaps on the board.
  • Intentionally recruit directors who bring the right mix of expertise, lived experience, and perspective.

By purposefully shaping board composition, credit unions position themselves to navigate emerging risks, identify and then seize strategic growth opportunities, and remain relevant to the members they serve.

3. Build A Learning Culture Through Robust Evaluation And Ongoing Education

The new NCUA rule reinforces what strong boards already practice: learning is not optional for governance excellence.

A culture of continuous learning includes:

  • Regular, structured board and individual director evaluations.
  • Honest reflection on performance and effectiveness.
  • Targeted education that strengthens governance competencies for the board as a whole and for individual directors.
  • Opportunities for directors to deepen their understanding of industry trends, regulatory expectations, and strategic issues.

When boards embrace learning as a shared responsibility, they elevate their collective performance and strengthen their ability to guide the credit union through complexity and change.

4. Reinforce Accountability By Addressing Concerns Raised in Assessments

Evaluation without follow‑through is merely an exercise in futility. Effective succession planning requires boards to act on what assessments reveal — whether those insights relate to skill gaps, behavioral concerns, or opportunities for improved collaboration.

Addressing issues directly and constructively requires a culture of accountability. It also ensures that board service remains a meaningful, high‑impact responsibility aligned with the credit union’s mission and member expectations.

The NCUA’s succession planning rule is more than a compliance requirement. It is an invitation for credit unions to strengthen their governance frameworks, invest in leadership continuity, and build boards that are prepared for the future. In short, it can turn what can often be a risk for many into a strategic advantage.

By embracing fair and transparent processes, curating strategically aligned leadership, fostering a culture of learning, and reinforcing accountability, credit unions can turn this regulatory moment into a powerful catalyst for long‑term organizational resilience.

Quantum Governance is an L3C, a low-profit, limited-liability service organization, founded more than a decade ago and dedicated to the public good. Its experts in governance and strategy help organizations realize the full potential of their missions via assessment, consulting, planning, facilitation, and implementation services to mission-driven organizations of all sizes. 

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5 Lessons About Ground-Level Intelligence From A Rooftop Farm https://creditunions.com/blogs/5-lessons-about-ground-level-intelligence-from-a-rooftop-farm/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:59 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110262 A national leader in urban agriculture shows how front-line insights drive real local impact — and why credit union branches are perfectly positioned to do the same.

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Alix Patterson, Chief Experience Officer, Callahan & Associates
Alix Patterson, Chief Experience Officer, Callahan & Associates

I recently came across a LinkedIn post from a company I first learned about years ago in a completely different context. Back then, I was looking for alumni to support my son’s rowing team, and someone directed me to a former teammate who’d launched a rooftop farming business in Washington, DC, in 2014.

The more I learned about Up Top Acres, the more I found it to be both unexpected and deeply practical, a mix of creativity and common sense. I’ve continued to follow its work, so when I spotted a social post of each farm taking stock of its season — what worked, what didn’t, and what mattered — it resonated. It made me think about the parallels for credit unions, especially at the branch level where purpose and community are entrenched in everyday operations.

As I sat with that post, a few themes rose to the surface, ideas that feel just as relevant for a credit union branch as they do a rooftop farm.

1. Local ownership is the foundation of real impact.

Up Top Acres asked each of its rooftop farmers to speak in their own voice. The result was a hyper-local, authentic look at the results and impact of each individual location.

For credit union executives, the takeaway isn’t to push branches to do more; it’s to create intentional space for them to articulate what they see happening in their neighborhood. Branch teams are closest to the members and can surface insights that no centralized report will catch. Encouraging them to share those observations can help leadership understand the real conditions shaping member behavior.

2. Purpose-driven framing makes growth meaningful.

The farmers didn’t just report on yield, they explained why it mattered to the people they served.

Credit union branches already drive growth. They already build relationships. But when managers frame their work in purpose-driven terms — who they helped, what changed, why a particular effort mattered — it strengthens internal alignment. It gives teams a clearer sense of impact, and it gives leaders the language to talk about growth that means something beyond numbers.

3. Branch-level observation IS strategic intelligence.

Farmers notice early shifts long before the data confirms a trend. Branch managers do, too. They sense layoffs coming, hear budgeting worries rising, or see a spike in first-time homebuyer questions.

For senior leaders, the question becomes: How do we capture and elevate that quiet expertise?

Elaborate forms or extra processes aren’t necessary. In fact, tapping that expertise can be as simple as asking managers to share one emerging theme each month. Those real-time, ground-level signals can sharpen strategic decisions and reveal opportunities before they’re visible in the numbers.

4. Community engagement deserves to be surfaced.

One piece of the rooftop farm reflections that stood out was the community moments such as workshops, shared meals, collaborative projects, and more. These weren’t side notes; they were central to the story.

Branches already create moments like this: financial wellness conversations that go beyond the form, local partnerships that build trust, small events that draw in people for reasons other than transactions. Encouraging managers to name these moments brings their impact to light for the rest of the organization and serves as an inspiration for others to find meaning in their daily work. It reinforces the credit union’s role as a community anchor and strengthens the narrative executives can share with boards, regulators, and members.

5. Reflection is a growth engine, not a status update.

Up Top Acres didn’t ask each location to simply showcase success stories, it encouraged each site to highlight what they wanted to do differently next season. It was practical, honest, and forward-looking.

This is an area in which credit union executives can make a major difference. When leaders model a culture that values learning as much as outcomes, branch managers feel more comfortable sharing insights as well as results. Asking for a short reflection every quarter — “What worked? What didn’t? What surprised you?” — turns surface-level reporting into strategic storytelling. It seeds improvement without adding pressure.

Senior leaders often carry the responsibility of translating the credit union’s mission into operational priorities. But branches live that mission. Up Top Acres reminds that when leaders encourage front-line teams to articulate their local impact — in their own voice, with their own examples — it strengthens the whole credit union. It connects strategy to lived experience, numbers to meaning, and purpose to the valued employees who walk through the doors every day.

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Financial Wellbeing Is About More Than Vulnerability https://creditunions.com/blogs/financial-wellbeing-is-about-more-than-vulnerability/ Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:38:44 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110256 Half of Americans feel financially secure, yet one in five is suffering. A consortium of credit unions is changing the narrative by focusing on emotional engagement and trust.

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When people feel seen, heard, and valued, fear drops and confidence rises. Hope for the future doesn’t change facts, but it does improve lives.

Chris Howard, Callahan & Associates
Chris Howard, SVP, Callahan & Associates

A few weeks ago, my colleague and Callahan analyst Tony Waltrich wrote about research from the Financial Health Network that indicates a “mild decrease in household financial vulnerability” as of spring 2025. This is good news, but it’s not the whole story.

FHN’s metric, like most others, assesses whether people objectively have the resources to meet their needs. This matters, but as credit unions leaders know from working with members, numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The rest of the story is how people feel about their financial situation. Gallup’s Financial Wellbeing (FWB) metric gauges people’s emotional relationship with their money. It doesn’t ignore facts — because worries about putting food on the table matter — it addresses how people feel about their facts and how that drives their attitude and behavior.

Gallup sorts people into three groups:  Thriving, Struggling, and Suffering. A recent Gallp study of Americans using a credit union or bank as their primary financial institution shows slightly more than 50% of them are thriving. This good news is true whether they are bank customers or credit union members. The uncomfortable truth, however, is that more than 20% of Americans are suffering, and that share is higher among credit union members, reflecting who the movement serves.

There is a bright spot though. Among a consortium of credit unions that Callahan leads with Gallup, the percentage of members who are suffering is approximately half that of credit union members at large. Why? Although we can’t prove causality, credit unions in the consortium have invested in developing their ability to engage members emotionally, provide reassurance, and build deeper, more resilient relationships.

These members are more likely to say their credit union “looks out for my financial wellbeing” and “is perfect for someone like me.” When people feel seen, heard, and valued, fear drops and confidence rises.

Hope for the future doesn’t change facts, but it does improve lives. And improving members’ lives is what makes credit unions matter in today’s financial landscape.

Learn About The Member Engagement & Financial Wellbeing Consortium. Is your credit union looking to change member perceptions and behavior through mission-aligned, data-informed actions? Are you ready to drive both impact and growth? Connect with Callahan & Associates to learn more about our transformational multi-year program that combines Gallup’s specialized research in human behavior and decision-making with Callahan’s decades of credit union expertise. Learn more today.

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6 Lessons For Credit Unions From Craft Breweries https://creditunions.com/blogs/6-lessons-for-credit-unions-from-craft-breweries/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:15:34 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110374 Craft breweries demonstrate how commitment to value, operational agility, and community focus can ignite growth and drive property.

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Editor’s Note: Callahan & Associates originally published the following article years ago, but its insights have proven remarkably durable. The themes explored here — service rooted in community, thoughtful product design, and cooperative growth — are more relevant than ever. We’re resurfacing this piece with some slight editing because its lessons still speak directly to today’s competitive landscape and the long-term role credit unions play in helping members overcome enduring challenges and driving lasting community prosperity.

What do hand-crafted beers and credit unions have in common? More than most people might expect.

Both industries succeed by doing the same essential things: knowing their communities, listening closely to their customers, and crafting experiences that reflect local tastes and needs. For credit unions, the analogy isn’t about chasing the latest trend or squeezing out more bottom-line growth. It’s about pursuing strategic growth, the kind that comes from clarity of purpose, differentiated service, and products built for real people.

The connection between craft breweries and credit unions is stronger than ever. Microbreweries win by being intentional: they understand their niche, invest in quality, cultivate loyal followings, and create spaces where people feel they belong. Credit unions that embrace similar principles can strengthen member relationships, sharpen their value proposition, and grow in ways that align with both mission and market reality.

Although our external environment has evolved, the core principle of this comparison endures: sustainable success starts with knowing who you serve and designing your strategy accordingly. The lessons below offer timeless guidance for leaders committed to intentional, purpose-driven growth.

Lesson No. 1: Dude, You’re Obsessed

Successful microbreweries are founded by people obsessed with making a better product for the consumer, often provoking such comments above.

The craft beer craze began when Fritz Maytag bought a failing Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco, CA, at the turn of the twentieth century. He, and now hundreds of others, had a vision of a better product than those produced for the masses and was determined enough to share that conviction with others. Recognizing that the big brewers catered to bottom-line profit by using fillers and the cheapest possible ingredients (corn, rice, plain white sugar) to brew beers, microbrewers differentiate their offering by using historical ingredients of barley and malt.

Additionally, these craft brewers focus on pull marketing, educating the consumer about the value they offer rather than pushing large volumes through distribution channels and then spending billions of dollars on marketing to convince the consumer to drink their product.

Lesson No. 2: Passion Is Contagious

Passion at the top isn’t enough, but it’s a great start. Successful microbreweries then spread that passion throughout their company, often through thoughtfully crafted mission and branding statements that drive corporate decisions ranging from what ingredients to use to what markets to target.

Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in 1995, echoes marketing pioneers when he says his beer is a different kind of business card that tells story of what Dogfish Head is all about. If he didn’t have pride in the products he offers, it would affect his ability to sell it successfully. The company’s employees make all decisions under the motto “off-centered stuff for off-centered people,” a mission that both guides and limits what the company will do.

Anchor Brewing also focuses on authenticity. In fact, the company has declined large orders from new customers when it lacks the capacity to brew in-house rather than trust a contract brewer.

Lesson No. 3: Local Is The New Global

By definition, most microbreweries are regional operations that measure their success locally. Not all businesses are founded to be giants, but that does not mean they cannot turn out solid growth and profitability.

Microbreweries often forge strong community ties. Founded in 1987, Brooklyn Brewery helped spark a renaissance in the New York borrough by spurring economic development through active local engagement. In San Francisco at Anchor Brewing, Fritz Maytag keeps a low profile but focuses his community efforts on making the brewery a civic hub — a place to gather and meet. He opens the brewery for special events and fundraisers to help local non-profits. Dogfish Head was founded as a brewpub in the small town of Rehoboth Beach, DE, where it became a vital business in a small beach community.

Lesson No. 4: Collaboration Breeds Success

In craft beers as in life, deeper knowledge begets better decisions. The more breweries sharing knowledge locally, the faster the entire industry can expand. With microbrews accounting for roughly 13% of the U.S. beer market by volume, there’s ample room for every brewery to capture a share.

When craft competitors to Anchor Brewing entered the San Francisco scene in the early 1990s, Maytag helped them develop rival products. When Tom Potter, co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, began his own entrepreneurial odyssey, he and his partner, Steve Hindy, visited breweries on the East Coast to learn more about the industry. The duo then included competing microbrews in their distribution strategy, even when their business advisors questioned the decision. Today, Brooklyn Brewery’s distribution arm is twice the size of the brewery itself. The founder of Dogfish Head has published a book sharing not only the secrets to his business success but also some of the recipes he used to get there.

Lesson No. 5: When Life Gives You Lemons, Brew Beer

Rather than allowing size to be an obstacle to growth, microbreweries have turned this so-called detriment into an advantage.

Dogfish Head had only 10-gallon brewing tanks when it first launched its brewpub. The founder brewed three batches every day for five days a week in the early years, leading to continual innovation and experimentation, such as using a secondhand vibrating tabletop football game to brew its most popular beer. Anchor’s Maytag opted to remain a private, and thus smaller, entity to retain complete control of his product and not fall subject to the Wall Street demands of wider profit margins.

Being smaller also means being closer to customers and nimbler in responding. Calagione at Dogfish has questioned at what point a company takes action to address repeated feedback. If bigger companies are slower to react, it follows that smaller ones can react more quickly, thus showing customers they care.

Lesson No. 6: Different Business Models Work

In researching the many different craft breweries for this article, one common lesson stood out: there is no common business model.

Each of the breweries made different business decisions in their quest for sustainability and growth. Go public or stay private? Brew exclusively in-house or contract out to those with excess capacity? Start a standalone brewery or build a brewpub with dual income streams? Control distribution or outsource through third-party distributors?

To make the best decision, these successful breweries considered what best matched their mission and vision for the organization. What they share in common is their dedication to the consumer experience, the desire to make good business decisions, a recognition of the necessity to differentiate and innovate to beat the competition, and the ability to embed themselves in the community around them.

Ultimately, this “six‑pack” of lessons from craft breweries demonstrates what can happen when commitment to value, operational agility, and community focus shapes growth strategy. A credit union that stays true to its mission — committed to members, nimble enough to respond quickly, and rooted in serving a community — can achieve sustainable growth without sacrificing what makes it special. After all, size might offer scale, but smallness often offers the closeness and care that build lasting loyalty.

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It’s Been A Noisy, Yet Resilient Year For The U.S. Economy https://creditunions.com/blogs/its-been-a-noisy-yet-resilient-year-for-the-us-economy/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 05:30:01 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110523 Look beyond the headlines to better understand what is driving current market trends and how they could impact credit union investment portfolios.

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Top-Level Takeaways

  • It has been a noisy year for financial markets and the economy, but performance across several metrics has proven resilient.
  • There is little consensus on the future path of the economy among Fed leaders and Wall Street economists.
  • Credit union and bank profitability remained solid in 2025 amid widening interest margins and stable credit performance

A word we have used often to characterize financial markets and the economy in 2025 has been “noisy.”

A simple, yet technical definition of noisy is “accompanied by or introducing random fluctuations that obscure the real signal or data.” In this context, the real signal or data could be economic growth, the unemployment rate, performance in equity and fixed income markets, or the financial performance of banks and credit unions. The obscurities could be tariffs, threats to Fed independence, geopolitical tensions, and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. To be clear, each of these could prove to have true economic costs rather than being merely distractions. However, thus far, the bark has been greater than the bite.

Although ample sources of economic uncertainty and worry persist, the same could be said for economic opportunity. As such, there is a wide dispersion of potential outcomes forecasted by Wall Street economists and Fed leaders alike.

The latter has been a heightened area of focus for financial markets in recent months as they try to assess whether the FOMC might be pivoting to a less dovish, or more hawkish, policy path. The minutes of the October 29 FOMC meeting and recent speeches by various Fed leaders suggest a growing contingent more worried about lingering inflation risk. However, as of Monday, the fed funds futures market showed a 100% probability of a December cut and nearly 100 basis points of rate cuts over the next year.

If the labor market proves to be on firmer footing than what the FOMC doves seem to believe, this scenario presents upside risks to bond market yields. However, if business investment remains subdued and unemployment rises, the Fed is more likely to continue lowering the policy rate, as is currently priced by fixed income markets. As always, interest rate directionality scenarios are relative to what is already accounted for in current yields across the curve.

Visit ALM First to read more about the latest economic data and overall monthly market trends.

Jason Haley, Chief Investment Officer, ALM First
Jason Haley, Chief Investment Officer, ALM First

Jason Haley joined ALM First in 2008 and is the firm’s chief investment officer. He heads ALM First’s Investment Management Group (IMG), which is responsible for leading the investment process and investment theme development. Haley also oversees all capital markets activities, including portfolio management, trading, market research and commentary, and execution of hedging and funding strategies for the firm’s depository clients. He holds an MBA with a concentration in finance and a BBA with a concentration in marketing, both from The University of Mississippi.

Not an offer for investment advisory services. This content is provided for general educational information and market commentary purposes only.

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The K-Shaped Recovery And An Economy Divided https://creditunions.com/blogs/industry-insights/the-k-shaped-recovery-and-an-economy-divided/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 05:15:07 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=110305 Inflation, debt, and income inequality are fueling a K-shaped, post-pandemic recovery, widening the gap between different economic segments and challenging lower-income households.

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This is part of the Callahan Financial Performance Series. Presented by the analysts at Callahan & Associates, the series helps leaders interpret data to drive smarter decisions and uncover new approaches to measure performance.

Financial Wellbeing Isn’t Marketing. It’s Strategy. Members don’t remember rates. They remember who helped them feel safer and more confident with money — creating the emotional connection that drives deeper engagement and participation. This is especially important in a K-shaped recovery. By embedding financial wellbeing into products and experiences, you can improve member outcomes, differentiate your brand, and fuel sustainable growth. It’s not messaging, it’s strategy. Learn more today.

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Quarterly Market Snapshot And Two-Year Financial Statement https://creditunions.com/blogs/industry-insights/quarterly-market-snapshot-and-two-year-financial-statement/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 05:11:41 +0000 https://creditunions.com/?p=107740 Quarterly performance reports from Callahan & Associates highlight important metrics from across the credit union industry. Comparing top-level performance and digging into the financial statement has never been easier.

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After a summer of anticipation, the Federal Reserve finally began loosening monetary policy by cutting its benchmark interest rates. Now, the financial world waits on whether the Fed will do it again.

The cuts have already affected the credit union balance sheet and will continue to do so in the future. Monetary policy and today’s rate environment will shape the economy, the credit union industry, and the lives of members and communities for years to come. The credit union mission shines in moments like this, where the cooperative model makes a difference.

The following Market Snapshot and Two-Year Financial Statement provides a useful measuring stick for assessing industry data and incorporating those insights into planning for the quarters and years to come.


Credit Union Performance Reports

Callahan’s Market Snapshot and Two-Year Financial Statement equip credit union leaders with the tools they need to be more informed stewards of members’ money during these changing times.


Quarterly Performance Webinar

The Latest Insights – Available On Your Schedule: Callahan & Associates takes a look at third quarter credit union performance trends, exploring where the movement stands today and where opportunities lie for tomorrow. Watch it now. 

 


Quarterly Performance Coverage

The K-Shaped Recovery And An Economy Divided: Inflation, debt, and income inequality are fueling a K-shaped, post-pandemic recovery, widening the gap between different economic segments and challenging lower-income households. Read more.

Members Are On The Move. Credit Unions Are Here For Them. Accelerating membership growth signals the increasing influence of credit unions amid evolving interest rate trends and economic challenges. Read more.

3 Ways Falling Rates Are Poised To Impact Credit Union Balance Sheets Falling interest rates are changing the game for credit unions. Explore how potential shifts in lending, savings, and margins are set to affect the bottom line. Read more.

How Asset Size Shapes Credit Union Performance Across 3 Metrics: Explore how credit union size influences growth, lending, and efficiency. Read more.

Let’s Review Your  Performance Together. Join Callahan for a complimentary 1:1 session to analyze your performance reports using key insights from second quarter performance data. We’ll benchmark your credit union against two to three peer groups of your choice and provide a detailed report of our findings at the end of the session to help your team make informed strategic decisions. Request now.

 

See You Next Quarter! CreditUnions.com updates this page with fresh credit union data every quarter, so don’t forget to come back for insights into the fourth quarter of 2025.

The post Quarterly Market Snapshot And Two-Year Financial Statement appeared first on CreditUnions.com.

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