WASHINGTON— After months of rhetoric around a proposed 10% credit card interest rate cap and repeated signals of support for the Credit Card Competition Act, President Donald Trump made no mention of either issue during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address — a notable omission for banks and credit unions that had been bracing for potential policy signals.
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NEW YORK — After years of steady expansion, the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) sector is entering a new phase — one that could influence how credit unions approach their community development strategies in the years ahead, according to leaders at Inclusiv.
KENNEWICK, Wash. — A coalition representing small credit unions is pressing NCUA to go further in tailoring supervision and regulatory relief, arguing that examiner pressure — not just formal rules — is threatening the survival of smaller institutions.
ATLANTA — The most important signal for financial institutions in Cox Automotive’s 2025 Car Buyer Journey Study may not be about cars at all: two-thirds of buyers now cross-shop new and used vehicles, a historic shift that is reshaping how consumers think about price, financing, and risk — and forcing lenders to rethink how they engage, underwrite, and retain customers.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz— The penny is officially on its way out. But for financial institutions, the fallout from its quiet demise is proving louder—and more disruptive—than many expected.
WASHINGTON —NCUA’s proposed stablecoin rule may look like a straightforward implementation of the GENIUS Act, but industry observers say the real story lies in how much discretion the agency is building into the framework — and in the strategic crossroads it creates for credit union boards.
SAN DIEGO—On the whole, the credit union industry is not known for a huge amount of drama as that is not in line with the member-focused mindset of the industry. However, a planned merger between California Coast Credit Union and San Diego County Credit Union, which would create the fourth-largest credit union in California and the 16th-largest in the U.S., abruptly and loudly came to a screeching halt.
VIENNA, Va. — As Americans exchange roses, chocolates, and promises of love on Valentine’s Day, a far darker form of “romance” is quietly ruining lives: highly organized, AI-powered romance scams that turn affection into exploitation, intimacy into isolation, and trust into financial devastation.
MILWAUKEE, Wis.—For credit union CEOs heading into 2026, the biggest strategic alarm isn’t loan growth, fintech competition, or interest rates—it’s cybersecurity and fraud.
EAST LANSING, Mich.—For years, credit unions have invested heavily in tools to stop card fraud, account takeovers, and suspicious transactions. Increasingly, however, the front line of fraud isn’t the debit card or the ACH file—it’s the phone call.
