Credit Union Regulatory Guidance Including: NCUA, CFPB, FDIC, OCC, FFIEC

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/NCUA Proposes to Eliminate Financial Literacy Training Deadline for New FCU DirectorsThe NCUA Board has issued a proposed rule that would remove the requirement that each federal credit union director attain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting within six months of being elected or appointed.What NCUA is proposing:Eliminate Section 701.4(b)(3), which currently sets a six-month deadline for new FCU directors to achieve working familiarity with finance and accounting, including the ability to read balance sheets and income statements and ask substantive questions of management and auditors.Redesignate the remaining paragraph accordingly.Why the change is occurring:The Board now views the six-month rule as overly prescriptive.FCU members are in the best position to elect qualified directors.The Federal Credit Union Act gives each FCU board "general direction and control" but does not direct NCUA to set specific director qualifications.The proposal aligns with the administration's deregulatory priorities under Executive Order 14192.What is NOT changing:The Board still believes directors must have a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices.NCUA will continue evaluating board and management capability through the CAMELS Rating System as part of risk-focused examinations.The broader fiduciary duties outlined in Section 701.4 remain in place.The 10,000-foot takeaway: NCUA is stepping back from a prescriptive training deadline and putting the responsibility for director competency back where the Board believes it belongs — with the FCU itself and its members. Boards should not interpret this as a pass on financial literacy. Examiners will still assess whether directors can actually identify, measure, monitor, and control risk. If anything, this shifts the burden from "complete training within six months" to "demonstrate ongoing competence" — which is a higher bar in practice.Comments are due April 27, 2026.Ready for the blog post when you are. Are you worried about an NCUA exam in process or looming on the horizon? Don't face it alone!We're ex-NCUA insiders with decades of experience, ready to guide you to success. Our team understands the intricacies of NCUA examinations from the inside out.Hire us and gain:• Peace of mind during your exam process• Insider knowledge of NCUA procedures and expectations• Strategies to address potential issues before they become problems• Continuous access to our extensive subject matter expertiseWith our access retainer, you'll have on-demand support from former NCUA experts. We're here to ensure your credit union achieves flying colors in its next examination.Contact Credit Union Exam Solutions today to learn more about our services and how we can help your credit union succeed.

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/Show Notes In this episode of Samantha Shares, we present an audio version of the Semiannual Risk Perspective from the National Risk Committee, Fall 2025, issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.This report provides a comprehensive overview of conditions in the federal banking system, including balance sheet strength, capital and liquidity levels, earnings performance, and emerging risks. The document discusses trends in credit quality across major loan categories, underwriting standards, commercial real estate conditions, and market and liquidity risk. It also highlights key operational and compliance considerations, including cybersecurity threats, fraud risk, and the evolving regulatory environment.The report examines the role of financial innovation, including artificial intelligence and payment system developments, and outlines how banks are balancing innovation opportunities with governance and risk management expectations. It concludes with an assessment of the economic environment and bank performance, including interest rate trends, profitability, and resilience under potential stress.This episode is a near-verbatim spoken reading of the source document. It is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice.Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Credit Union Exam Solutions Incorporated. Our team has over two hundred and forty years of National Credit Union Administration experience and assists credit unions with NCUA examinations so they can save time and money. Learn more at Mark Treichel dot com.Related Podcast Be sure to also check out our companion podcast, With Flying Colors, where we share practical insights and strategies to help credit unions achieve success with NCUA. Are you worried about an NCUA exam in process or looming on the horizon? Don't face it alone!We're ex-NCUA insiders with decades of experience, ready to guide you to success. Our team understands the intricacies of NCUA examinations from the inside out.Hire us and gain:• Peace of mind during your exam process• Insider knowledge of NCUA procedures and expectations• Strategies to address potential issues before they become problems• Continuous access to our extensive subject matter expertiseWith our access retainer, you'll have on-demand support from former NCUA experts. We're here to ensure your credit union achieves flying colors in its next examination.Contact Credit Union Exam Solutions today to learn more about our services and how we can help your credit union succeed.

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/"Most banks maintained relatively consistent reliance on Federal Home Loan Bank advances — including during periods of financial stress."— Government Accountability OfficeThe GAO just dropped a detailed report examining the Federal Home Loan Bank system during COVID-19 and the March 2023 banking stress.Here's what they actually found (without the noise):What the data shows:• FHLBank advances functioned as a stabilizing liquidity tool — not a risk amplifier• Especially true for institutions under $10 billion in assets• Consistent usage patterns even during stress periods• No evidence of panic borrowing or destabilizing effectsWhy it matters: While everyone was wringing their hands about liquidity risk, most community institutions used FHLBanks exactly as designed — as a reliable backstop when deposits got shaky.The real takeaway: For smaller institutions, FHLBank membership provided stability when they needed it most. Not a crutch. Not a risk factor. Just a tool that worked.I've posted a ~9-minute audio summary walking through what the GAO actually found.🎧 Listen at MarkTreichel.com or on your favorite podcast app (Samantha Shares).Translation: FHLBanks did their job. The system worked as intended. Are you worried about an NCUA exam in process or looming on the horizon? Don't face it alone!We're ex-NCUA insiders with decades of experience, ready to guide you to success. Our team understands the intricacies of NCUA examinations from the inside out.Hire us and gain:• Peace of mind during your exam process• Insider knowledge of NCUA procedures and expectations• Strategies to address potential issues before they become problems• Continuous access to our extensive subject matter expertiseWith our access retainer, you'll have on-demand support from former NCUA experts. We're here to ensure your credit union achieves flying colors in its next examination.Contact Credit Union Exam Solutions today to learn more about our services and how we can help your credit union succeed.

www.marktreichel.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-treichel/NCUA Announces Deregulation Project and First Round of Proposed Regulatory ChangesStakeholders Are Encouraged to Review Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Submit CommentsALEXANDRIA, VA (December 10, 2025) – The National Credit Union Administration today announced the first round of proposed regulatory changes associated with a new initiative to review and potentially revise the agency’s regulations. This initiative, NCUA’s Deregulation Project, follows This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation(Opens new window).NCUA’s Deregulation Project will involve a comprehensive review of regulations documented in Title 12, Chapter VII of the Code of Federal Regulations. This review will ensure the regulations are focused on the safety, soundness, or resilience of credit unions. Further, NCUA will propose changing or removing regulations that are:Obsolete;Duplicative of statutory requirements;Intended to serve as guidance, not requirements; orOverly burdensome.In addition to announcing the project, NCUA is requesting comments on four proposals that would clarify agency guidance or eliminate unduly burdensome or obsolete requirements in This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.the Federal Register(Opens new window).The four proposals include:Changes for Corporate Credit Unions – 12 CFR 704.8 and 704.15NCUA is proposing to amend its regulations for corporate credit unions by removing the requirement that a corporate credit union’s asset and liability management committee (ALCO) must have at least one member who is also a member of the corporate credit union’s board of directors.For more information on this proposal, please see: This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-22487/corporate-credit-unions(Opens new window)Changes for Supervisory Committee Audits and Verifications – 12 CFR 715NCUA is proposing to amend its regulations governing supervisory committee audits to eliminate unnecessary, redundant, and overly prescriptive provisions.For more information on this proposal, please see: This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-22488/supervisory-committee-audits-and-verifications(Opens new window)Changes for Guidelines for Safeguarding Member Information – 12 CFR 748 Appendix ANCUA is proposing to remove Appendix A to part 748, guidelines for safeguarding member information, from the Code of Federal Regulations.For more information on this proposal, please see: This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-22489/guidelines-for-safeguarding-member-information(Opens new window)Changes for Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and Member Notice – 12 CFR 748 Appendix BNCUA is proposing to remove Appendix B to part 748, guidance on response programs for unauthorized access to member information and member notice, from the Code of Federal Regulations.For more information on this proposal, please see: This is an external link to a website belonging to another federal agency, private organization, or commercial entity.https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-22490/guidance-response-programs-for-unauthorized-access-to-member-information-and-member-notice(Opens new window) Are you worried about an NCUA exam in process or looming on the horizon? Don't face it alone!We're ex-NCUA insiders with decades of experience, ready to guide you to success. Our team understands the intricacies of NCUA examinations from the inside out.Hire us and gain:• Peace of mind during your exam process• Insider knowledge of NCUA procedures and expectations• Strategies to address potential issues before they become problems• Continuous access to our extensive subject matter expertiseWith our access retainer, you'll have on-demand support from former NCUA experts. We're here to ensure your credit union achieves flying colors in its next examination.Contact Credit Union Exam Solutions today to learn more about our services and how we can help your credit union succeed.