As we stand at the crossroads of 2025 and 2026, the path forward for credit union leaders can feel as uncertain as a misty mountain trail. Finalizing your strategic plan now requires more than just setting goals; it demands Prioritization. And in this landscape, the only reliable guide is making Data-Driven Decisions.
But data is more than just numbers. Data is and should be the source of true insight. It’s how you finally replace "I think" with "I know." As you stand at this junction, here are the four paths that demand your full attention.
Industry consolidation from major lenders like Rocket (Mr. Cooper) and Lakeview (Guild), plus potential GSE IPOs, will increase competitive pressure. Credit unions must use data, their own data but also market data such as HMDA, Census, and RMBS, to find and defend their unique community-based advantages to compete.
It's easy to feel like a small boat in a sea of giants. Rocket, Guild, and the looming GSE IPOs are changing the rules of the game. They have massive budgets and are moving at lightning speed. When the top 5 lenders (before acquisitions) control 37% of the agency market in 2025, and their share has increased upward from 27% in 2020, it's intimidating, (source: Polygon Pulse - MBS Pivot, Accessed 11/07/2025).
But are you really competing on their terms? Or are you building something they can't replicate? Your mastery of your own data but also of your local market data is the key to finding that unassailable high ground, your unique community strengths. As you finalize 2026, are you building a fortress based on those strengths, or just patching holes in a dam that's about to break?
With rate cuts already occurring, the 2026 refinance market has begun. The best strategy is to focus on member loyalty and retention, ensuring products are ready and marketing is active before members start shopping elsewhere.
The rate race is on. We all knew it was coming. But this new race is less about rates and more about relevance.
Your members, the ones you've served for years, are now one click away from a competitor who promises a slicker experience or a slightly better deal. Does a streamlined process matter if the relationship itself isn't strong enough to survive their first Google search? Your 2026 plan must be a loyalty strategy first. Are you giving them a reason to stay, before they even have a reason to look?
Credit unions can use their HMDA and demographic data proactively to identify underserved market segments. This provides a roadmap for developing new products and outreach, turning a compliance task into a data-driven growth strategy.
Let's be honest: "compliance" is a word that rarely sparks joy. It often feels like a defensive, expensive chore, a shield to protect you from trouble.
But what if your biggest compliance headache could become your most powerful growth story? What if all that HMDA data you're forced to collect is actually a treasure map, pointing directly to the vibrant, underserved communities you were created to serve? This isn't just a handful of people; it's a massive opportunity, a market segment representing 65.2 million people living in rented homes, of which 47% are Millennials and Gen Z, an addressable first-time home buyer market. In addition, 25 million minority households are homeowners, representing an excellent opportunity for what credit unions can offer better than any other lender - home improvement lending.
Instead of just asking "Are we compliant?" what if your 2026 plan asks, "Where can we make the biggest impact?" The answer to both is right there in your data, both internal data and market data. This kind of strategic thinking that is rooted in robust and instant data analysis is the smart way to step into the new post-trigger market in 2026.
Instead of general marketing, the best strategy is to use demographic data to understand the specific age, income, and geographic patterns of FTHBs in your market. This allows you to design targeted products and outreach that speak directly to their needs.
We all want to help first-time homebuyers. It's in our DNA. But are we really connecting with them? Or are we just shouting into the void, hoping they hear us?
They aren't looking for the same things their parents were, and they aren't looking in the same places. "Hoping they find you" is a recipe for being ignored, especially when 40% of borrowers in 2024 were under 35. Your 2026 plan can't be based on gut feeling. What if you could stop guessing and finally build the exact products and messages that make this new generation feel seen and understood? Here is our 2025 data-driven take on Frist-Time Home Buyers.
The path to a successful 2026 demands more than just data; it demands the courage to ask better questions and make different decisions. It's about trading "the way we've always done it" for "the way it needs to be done."
As you finalize your 2026 strategy, the real question is: Are you just planning for another year, or are you planning to lead?
Are you asking the right questions about your 2026 plan? A strategic look at consolidation, rates, fair lending, and growth for credit union leaders.
As we stand at the crossroads of 2025 and 2026, the path forward for credit union leaders can feel as uncertain as a misty mountain trail. Finalizing your strategic plan now requires more than just setting goals; it demands Prioritization. And in this landscape, the only reliable guide is making Data-Driven Decisions.
But data is more than just numbers. Data is and should be the source of true insight. It’s how you finally replace "I think" with "I know." As you stand at this junction, here are the four paths that demand your full attention.
Industry consolidation from major lenders like Rocket (Mr. Cooper) and Lakeview (Guild), plus potential GSE IPOs, will increase competitive pressure. Credit unions must use data, their own data but also market data such as HMDA, Census, and RMBS, to find and defend their unique community-based advantages to compete.
It's easy to feel like a small boat in a sea of giants. Rocket, Guild, and the looming GSE IPOs are changing the rules of the game. They have massive budgets and are moving at lightning speed. When the top 5 lenders (before acquisitions) control 37% of the agency market in 2025, and their share has increased upward from 27% in 2020, it's intimidating, (source: Polygon Pulse - MBS Pivot, Accessed 11/07/2025).
But are you really competing on their terms? Or are you building something they can't replicate? Your mastery of your own data but also of your local market data is the key to finding that unassailable high ground, your unique community strengths. As you finalize 2026, are you building a fortress based on those strengths, or just patching holes in a dam that's about to break?
With rate cuts already occurring, the 2026 refinance market has begun. The best strategy is to focus on member loyalty and retention, ensuring products are ready and marketing is active before members start shopping elsewhere.
The rate race is on. We all knew it was coming. But this new race is less about rates and more about relevance.
Your members, the ones you've served for years, are now one click away from a competitor who promises a slicker experience or a slightly better deal. Does a streamlined process matter if the relationship itself isn't strong enough to survive their first Google search? Your 2026 plan must be a loyalty strategy first. Are you giving them a reason to stay, before they even have a reason to look?
Credit unions can use their HMDA and demographic data proactively to identify underserved market segments. This provides a roadmap for developing new products and outreach, turning a compliance task into a data-driven growth strategy.
Let's be honest: "compliance" is a word that rarely sparks joy. It often feels like a defensive, expensive chore, a shield to protect you from trouble.
But what if your biggest compliance headache could become your most powerful growth story? What if all that HMDA data you're forced to collect is actually a treasure map, pointing directly to the vibrant, underserved communities you were created to serve? This isn't just a handful of people; it's a massive opportunity, a market segment representing 65.2 million people living in rented homes, of which 47% are Millennials and Gen Z, an addressable first-time home buyer market. In addition, 25 million minority households are homeowners, representing an excellent opportunity for what credit unions can offer better than any other lender - home improvement lending.
Instead of just asking "Are we compliant?" what if your 2026 plan asks, "Where can we make the biggest impact?" The answer to both is right there in your data, both internal data and market data. This kind of strategic thinking that is rooted in robust and instant data analysis is the smart way to step into the new post-trigger market in 2026.
Instead of general marketing, the best strategy is to use demographic data to understand the specific age, income, and geographic patterns of FTHBs in your market. This allows you to design targeted products and outreach that speak directly to their needs.
We all want to help first-time homebuyers. It's in our DNA. But are we really connecting with them? Or are we just shouting into the void, hoping they hear us?
They aren't looking for the same things their parents were, and they aren't looking in the same places. "Hoping they find you" is a recipe for being ignored, especially when 40% of borrowers in 2024 were under 35. Your 2026 plan can't be based on gut feeling. What if you could stop guessing and finally build the exact products and messages that make this new generation feel seen and understood? Here is our 2025 data-driven take on Frist-Time Home Buyers.
The path to a successful 2026 demands more than just data; it demands the courage to ask better questions and make different decisions. It's about trading "the way we've always done it" for "the way it needs to be done."
As you finalize your 2026 strategy, the real question is: Are you just planning for another year, or are you planning to lead?