ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

In case you missed it – 12.10.2025

Support for new CUs, raising capital for African Diaspora FCU, funding for Haven FCU, helping members avoid AI video and strategys for indirect auto loans. Here’s what we noticed, in case you missed it:

Why small (and new) CUs matter

We loved this well-reasoned, thorough, and passionate article on why small (and new) credit unions matter to all credit unions, from Jason Stverak of the Defense Credit Union Council. As he puts it, “If large credit unions and industry groups fail to lift up the smaller ones, we risk undermining the very philosophy that justifies our tax-exempt status and public trust.”

Step up for African Diaspora FCU

Speaking of supporting small credit unions, here’s one very practical and easy way credit unions can help welcome and support a new member of the CU family. We urge everyone to participate in African Diaspora FCU’s urgent campaign to raise capital. The “100 for 1000” campaign is seeking 100 donors to contribute $1,000 each, totaling $100,000 in foundational capital.

Haven Federal Credit Union gets its wings

The NCUA has granted a Federal charter and Share Insurance Fund coverage to Haven Federal Credit Union in Santa Clara, California. This is the third new credit union chartered in 2025, joining Heritage Hub FCU in Houston, TX and African Diaspora FCU in St. Louis, MO. We’ve been involved with the CU De Novo Collective from the beginning, and it’s incredibly exciting to see attitudes and priorities change at the NCUA and more support building throughout the credit union movement for De Novo credit unions. New credit unions are vital to the long-term viability of the credit union movement – let’s keep this great thing going!

Help members avoid AI video

This article from the New York Times discusses a video from October that appeared to show a woman discussing food stamps with a television reporter. The video convinced a lot of social media users it was real, but it was actually AI generated. AI content is getting more and more elaborate and credit unions need to help keep their members, especially older members, to identify when something is AI.

The indirect step-back… and step-up

We’ve noticed and heard many times in many ways that credit unions have stepped back from indirect auto loans in the last few years. But like any thriving movement, there’s a lot of variety in credit unions as well; some CUs are out of the indirect game, and some are doubling down. As we’ve said before, converting indirect members to fully-involved members is often considered a nut too tough to crack. We’ve also seen some CUs take a lower-involvement path, treating and tracking indirect members as more of separate profit-generating group. In any case, indirect auto loans aren’t going anywhere – what’s your strategy?

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