Why the next era of lending won’t be about chasing growth—it’ll be about earning it smarter. For the first time in decades, credit unions are staring down a lending environment where growth isn’t a given. Loan demand is flattening, rate spreads are tightening, and the economy is caught in a strange equilibrium—neither in recession nor...
Tag: Lending Strategy
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Lending in a Zero-Growth World: Competing for Volume in Shrinking Markets
Why credit unions must rethink growth strategy when loan demand is no longer expanding. Credit unions have long relied on lending as their primary growth engine. But the macro environment is shifting: demographic headwinds, high interest rates, and affordability crises are flattening demand. In a zero-growth world, market share no longer comes from organic...
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The Humble Coach and Champion of Southland Credit Union
In the often-overlooked arena of cooperative finance, few leaders have inspired as enduring a legacy as Thomas (Tom) Lent. As President and CEO of Southland Credit Union in Orange County, California, Lent has spent nearly two decades coaching his team through remarkable growth and quietly championing the credit union movement. His planned retirement in 2026...
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Why Credit Unions Should Lend 100% of Their Deposits
Credit unions were never meant to be mini-banks. Yet too many are managing their balance sheets like institutions designed for Wall Street, not Main Street. Somewhere along the way, the movement’s financial engine became more cautious than catalytic. It’s time to reframe lending not as a risk, but as a responsibility—and revisit a once-obvious idea:...
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The Reinstatement That Wasn’t: Harper & Otsuka’s Return to the NCUA Slowed
Harper & Otsuka’s Return to the NCUA Slowed
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Digital Federal (DCU) + First Tech: A Coast-to-Coast Merger of Equals
$28.7B in Assets. Nearly Two Million Members. One Unified Vision. In a merger that looks less like acquisition and more like cooperative evolution, Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) and First Tech Federal Credit Union have agreed to combine as equals. When finalized—pending NCUA approval and member affirmation—this partnership will yield a $28.7 billion credit union...
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Wings and Ent: The Merger That Redraws the Credit Union Map
$19.2 Billion in Assets. One Million Members. One Giant Leap for Cooperative Finance.
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One Nevada’s New Era: Steve O’Donnell Takes the Helm
An Alaskan-rooted leader pivoting a $1.5 B credit union toward next-level member impact Las Vegas-based One Nevada Credit Union (ONCU) has made a quietly significant leadership move. With over $1.5 billion in assets and a membership base hovering around 74,000–78,000 Nevadans, ONCU has tapped long-time executive Steve O’Donnell as its new President/CEO, succeeding Paul Parrish after his retirement....
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Largest Fintech Fund in Credit Union History Breaks Ground—Curql Closes $360M Fund II
Credit unions pool purpose and capital to lead fintech innovation—not follow it Credit unions just made history—not by lending, but by investing. Curql Collective, the network of 160+ credit unions, has closed Curql Fund II at $360 million, the largest credit union–led fintech fund ever. That makes it a top‑25 U.S. venture capital closing in early 2025,...
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Georgia United Credit Union Prepares for Its Next Chapter
Long-time leader retires, and a proven successor is poised to deepen the mission Georgia United Credit Union is entering a calculated, values-driven leadership transition. After more than a decade of guiding the institution’s rise from $950 million to over $2 billion in assets, long-time CEO Debbie Smith will retire December 31, 2025. Stepping into her...