There are more cost-effective ways for even small institutions to analyze data and connect with underserved and niche communities, according to a panel of experts during an NCUA event on financial inclusion.

As the CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union, Mary McDuffie can never lose touch with the needs of a young membership stationed across the globe.

Scams against the elderly are responsible for more than $3 billion in losses each year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Credit unions say they are seeing more cases, and often the hardest part is getting the victims to admit they've been taken advantage of.

Renée Sattiewhite has played a key role in the African American Credit Union Coalition for more than 20 years. "For me, if credit unions do not embrace DEI, they will die," she said.

In its inaugural Most Powerful Women in Credit Unions listing, American Banker is proud to share the stories of 25 of the women leading the credit union industry through times of rapid and unprecedented change.

When credit union leaders are open to feedback from members and employees of many backgrounds, they can strengthen workplace morale and attract new customers, inclusion advocates say.

Wings Financial Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minnesota, has agreed to buy Settlers Bank in DeForest, Wisconsin. It's the third bank acquisition deal Wings has announced, one of which fell through.

Rising interest rates are forcing credit unions to pay more for deposits while they are sitting on low-yielding loans, according to the National Credit Union Administration's eastern regional director, John Kutchey.

Even the most passionate workers may need a more flexible schedule, a hybrid office or unique training. Credit unions that want to hire and retain those people need to not only meet those needs, but also know when to help them move on to a new employer, experts say.

Nickels, which works with the credit union service organization Reseda Group, is using its $4 million seed funding to give financial institutions more visibility into consumers' debts.

Overdue loans for U.S. credit unions hit 0.42% in June — the lowest level in the industry's history. But some warn of deteriorating credit quality as the economy sours.

The National Credit Union Administration's proposal increases spending by 8.1% from 2022, which agency officials say is still an improvement from the previously approved 12.3% hike.

Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, North Carolina, has relied on State Employees' Credit Union's guidance — and branch network — since the smaller institution's inception in 1983. But that relationship was never supposed to be permanent.

Even legal dispensaries can be risky business partners, so Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union is working with Green Check Verified to make sure everything is above board. "Just because somebody has a license from the state, they can't show up with a duffel bag full of cash like Scarface and say let's do business together," Green Check CEO Kevin Hart said.

Dennis Halpin will conclude his 18-year tenure with the credit union in January.

The Hauppauge, New York, institution plans to take advantage of its open charter that allows anyone in the U.S. to join after several years of building out its infrastructure to support a national business. Bankers decried the move as further overreach by the credit union industry.

Financial institutions of all sizes — from JPMorgan Chase to SouthState to Fairwinds Credit Union — have reopened many branches, rolled out mobile banking units as well as reemployed pandemic-era digital and loan-forgiveness strategies in parts of Florida and South Carolina devastated by the powerful hurricane.

The America's Credit Union Museum recognized twenty prominent pioneers for their accomplishments and storied careers. It's the first such exhibit in the New Hampshire facility's 20-year history.

U.S. banks closed almost 3,000 more branches than they opened last year, but credit unions' branch count crept up in the second quarter despite consumers' heavier reliance on digital channels for account management.

With the island still feeling the effects of Hurricane Maria five years earlier, organizations like the Inclusiv Network and the National Credit Union Foundation are providing support to institutions and residents starting to rebuild.