Credit Union Leaders In 3 Member Business Lending Metrics
MBL originations grow 10 percentage points faster than last year.
MBL originations grow 10 percentage points faster than last year.
With investment rates rising, investment growth and yield on investments increase.
Credit card balances expand at fastest rate in nearly three years.
Diversified technology offerings help credit unions reach more members.
Credit unions post share growth in all categories.
Net interest margin and provision expense both rise, leading to flat ROA.
First mortgages are on the rise as the real estate portfolio shifts.
Credit unions make auto loans despite a slowdown in auto industry performance.
Credit unions add more than 10,000 employees.
Membership at the nation’s credit unions expands, and the average member relationship deepens.

A look at year-end performance trends reveals how earnings, affordability pressures, and asset quality are redefining the operating environment heading into 2026.

Members are struggling with an affordability crisis that is changing how they manage debt, and new behaviors are showing up across the credit union loan portfolio.

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.
Credit union asset quality didn’t collapse in 2025 — but it didn’t cooperate, either. What’s going on, and are credit unions prepared to respond in 2026?

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.

This year’s Innovation Series returns with bigger impact and broader horizons. Since 2018, this annual showcase has spotlighted forward-thinking solutions by giving innovators a stage to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and spark meaningful change.
The affordability crisis extends far beyond big-ticket expenses. As the rising cost of basic necessities outpaces income growth, household budgets are under strain and long-term financial stability is increasingly at risk.
As credit unions move deeper into 2026, the earnings conversation is shifting. Elevated interest rates have boosted margins and strengthened earnings flexibility, but that advantage won’t persist indefinitely.
A radical shift is taking place in the way consumers move money and engage with their financial institution.

How the Michigan-based cooperative’s “Culture of Finance” curriculum is reframing financial education.