Insights from Catalyst

Through the second quarter of 2020, credit unions experienced an increase in liquidity from slower lending and increased shares. Additionally, credit unions are now experiencing a lower net interest margin. One of the culprits is the mere 0.08 percent they’re earning on overnight cash balances, compared to almost 1.50 percent at the end of 2019.

The role of cybersecurity in the credit union industry is primarily one of protecting member data against unauthorized and/or malicious access. Data includes identity of an individual, a credit union, a business, or an accounting function, or any combination thereof, that could be used in an exploitative manner.

Although we are living in unprecedented times, our economic environment does feel remotely familiar. It was during the Great Recession that we last experienced such historically low rates, and even though 10 years have passed, many of us still remember it all too well.

For decades, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have helped keep the mortgage markets functioning. Their conservator, the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), allowed the two mortgage giants to adapt their policies to cope with the unique circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. What do the changes mean for investors in the agencies’ debt and MBS?

Credit union balance sheets look much different than they did at the beginning of 2020. As a result of government stimulus and the economy entering recession, deposit growth exceeded expectations through the first half of the year. High deposit growth combined with low loan demand resulted in excess liquidity on most credit unions’ balance sheets.