Articles & analysis
Analysis for credit union boards and CEOs: quarterly merger data, independence and succession decisions, and bank acquisitions.
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Scale · Insight · January 2026The Hidden Drivers of CU Consolidation
Why So Many Merged Credit Unions Report Negative ROAA—and What the Data Really Says About Scale The third quarter of 2025 sparked renewed debate across the credit union m…
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Merger data · December 2025Credit Union Merger Analysis: Third Quarter 2025
An analysis of credit union mergers for the third quarter of 2025 shows relatively consistent merger volumes compared to the first and second quarters, but a dramatic inc…
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Bank acquisitions · November 2025New Whitepaper Release - Credit Union Bank Acquisitions - Part 2
We’re excited to announce the release of Part 2 in our whitepaper series, What Credit Unions Need to Know About Bank Acquisitions. This latest installment, titled “Procee…
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CEO retirement · Insight · August 2025The Perfect Storm: CEO Retirements and Industry Consolidation Create Strategic Succession Opportunity
What if your credit union could achieve better economies of scale and find the perfect CEO to lead your organization in the future?
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Merger data · August 2025Credit Union Mergers Analysis: Second Quarter 2025
An analysis of credit union mergers for the second quarter of 2025 shows an upward trend over the first quarter in both the number of approved transactions and the combin…
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Remain independent · Insight · July 2025Credit Unions Must Evolve to Thrive
Any credit union using yesterday’s business practices to operate in today’s fast-paced business environment will struggle to survive into the future. The best-performing …
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Merger data · June 2025More Mergers Occurring For Strategic Reasons Rather Than Financial Distress
While mergers continue unabated in the credit union industry, the reasons for undertaking them has shifted over the years. As we reported in our 2019 white paper, “When P…
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CEO retirement · Insight · June 2025What Should You Be Looking for in a Successor CEO?
Succession planning is getting considerable attention in 2025, as the deadline draws nearer to the NCUA final rule requiring that federally insured credit unions have a w…
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CEO retirement · Insight · June 2025In Prioritizing Succession Planning, Credit Unions May Also Wish to Consider Mergers
Succession planning has been a hot topic in the credit union space over the last several years, fueled in part by the National Credit Union Association’s rule that requir…
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Scale · Insight · June 2025Three Pathways for Credit Unions to Achieve Scale
Scale is one of the hottest topics in credit union operations these days. With the rising cost of technology, operations, talent acquisition, and other business functions…