Insights from Catalyst

As bond yields continue to rise more rapidly than rates on certificates of deposit (CDs), and fewer CDs are being issued, Catalyst Corporate’s Brokerage Team is fielding more credit union inquiries about investing in bonds. Is your credit union considering investment bonds for the first time? If so, where do you start?

Historically, belief has been that surge deposits – during economically challenging periods such as this – were temporary and expected to dissipate once the economy returned to an upward trend. However, the opposite proved to be true during the Great Recession of 2008. So, how should credit unions approach the current wave of surge deposits?

Credit unions have had access to interest rate derivatives as a risk management tool for years. Gaining the authority to use them, however, presented a challenge many credit unions simply did not want to tackle. Fortunately, NCUA’s recently proposed rule will make it easier for credit unions to incorporate derivatives into their balance sheet management practices.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Great Recession of 2008, and now…COVID-19. The health and economic crisis brought on by the global pandemic is arguably the third major outlier event of our generation. From an investment management perspective, credit unions that invested to build and maintain a well-balanced portfolio appear to have been most successful in weathering the storms.

Now a month into the new year, the sudden shock of 2020 is slowly fading, and we can finally catch our breath…right? Well, the fresh start also inches us closer to the impending CECL transition. Despite hope that the implementation date might get pushed out amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears January 1, 2023 is standing firm.