In 2025, credit union business lending quietly staged one of its strongest comebacks in years, and Mark Ritter has the numbers to prove it. From a 25% surge in business loan volumes to a 43% jump in participation loans, the recovery exceeded nearly every expectation. But Mark does not stop at the good news. He tackles the slow erosion of community lending, the growing threat of credit union mergers, rising delinquency rates, and an NCUA board in limbo that could create regulatory turbulence for years to come. This is the episode you forward to everyone in your network.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

✅ How credit union business lending rebounded in 2025, with industry-wide business loan volumes climbing over 25% and participation loans rising 43% after years of tightening liquidity.

✅ Why credit union consolidation and ongoing credit union mergers are quietly weakening community lending and reducing the cooperative presence in local markets across the country.

✅ How rising delinquency rates and increased charge-offs are signaling early stress in portfolios, particularly among larger institutions that leaned into big real estate loans without personal guarantees.

✅ Why the NCUA board leadership gap is creating real strain on credit union examiners and slowing down the regulatory clarity that smaller credit unions desperately need.

Subscribe to Credit Union Conversations for the latest credit union trends and insights on loan volume and business lending! Connect with MBFS to boost your credit union’s growth today.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Credit union business lending volumes for 2025 are revealed, including a 25% industry-wide surge

04:05 Participation loans jumped 43%, and MBFS crossed 1,000 loan underwriting milestones in a single year

06:14 Mark has some random thoughts about the industry

09:54 New people in the industry, credit union mergers, and consolidation are shrinking community lending and weakening local cooperative roots

13:48 Rising delinquency rates and charge-offs signal growing portfolio stress tied to loosened business lending standards

15:19 The NCUA board leadership vacuum is straining credit union examiners and stalling critical regulatory relief

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Credit union business lending surged over 25% in 2025, with participation loans up 43%, proving the industry can recover strongly after a prolonged liquidity crunch when conditions align.

💎 Credit union mergers continue to erode community lending at a local level, with member engagement in cooperative principles so low that consolidation often passes with only a fraction of members voting.

💎 The current NCUA board vacancy is not a bureaucratic footnote. It is creating mounting pressure on credit union examiners and delaying the regulatory relief smaller institutions need to operate effectively.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Mark Ritter - Website

Mark Ritter - LinkedIn

SEO KEYWORDS:

Credit Union Conversations, Mark Ritter, MBFS, Credit Unions, CUSO, Small Credit Unions, Business Lending, Credit Union Industry, Loan Origination, Participation Loans, Liquidity Crunch, Delinquency Rates, Credit Union Mergers, Cooperative Principles, NCUA Board, Regulatory Relief, Business Loan Volumes, Community Lending, Credit Union Consolidation

What does it take to lead a community credit union for over a decade while honoring a 42-year legacy? In this episode of Credit Union Conversations, Mark Ritter talks with Amey Sgrignoli, CEO of Belco Community Credit Union, about navigating executive succession, evolving board governance, and building a standout brand in a competitive market. Amey shares how her roots in business lending shaped her leadership style and why strong member relationships, smart fintech partnerships, and a commitment to financial education remain at the heart of Belco's growth strategy.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

✅ How to navigate credit union leadership transitions from a long-tenured CEO while preserving institutional culture and accelerating forward momentum.

✅ Why intentional board governance and proactive volunteer recruitment are critical to a community credit union's long-term health and strategic direction.

✅ How to evaluate fintech partnerships with eyes wide open, protecting your brand reputation while still embracing digital banking innovation and technology.

✅ How staying rooted in member relationships and financial education helps a growing credit union compete against larger regional banks and institutions.

Subscribe to Credit Union Conversations for the latest credit union trends and insights on loan volume and business lending! Connect with MBFS to boost your credit union’s growth today.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction: Meet Amey Sgrignoli of Belco Community CU

05:47 Lessons learned from an executive succession transition following a 42-year CEO legacy at Belco Community CU

08:55 Evolving board governance, volunteer recruitment pipelines, and building a high-performing credit union board

13:53 Being the face of the credit union community-wide

18:53 Competing with larger institutions by leading with member relationships, branch technology, and financial education

24:12 Evaluating fintech partnerships and using the CUSO model to access expertise beyond your asset size

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Credit union leadership transitions work best when they are deliberate and methodical. Amey co-led Belco Community CU for nearly a year before her predecessor retired, creating stability while opening space for a new vision to emerge.

💎 Strong board governance does not happen by accident. Belco Community CU built a volunteer pipeline over the years, recruiting members with the right qualifications and passion to ensure the board kept pace with industry change.

💎 When vetting fintech partnerships, due diligence is everything. Chasing trends without careful evaluation can expose your credit union to brand reputation, security, and operational risks that outweigh any short-term gain.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Belco Community Credit Union

Amey Sgrignoli - LinkedIn

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Mark Ritter - Website

Mark Ritter - LinkedIn

SEO KEYWORDS:

Credit Union Conversations, Mark Ritter, MBFS, Credit Unions, CUSO, Small Credit Unions, Community Credit Union, Executive Succession, Board Governance, Business Lending, Member Relationships, Fintech Partnerships, Financial Education, Digital Banking, Institutional Culture, CUSO Model

Community finance is under pressure. On this episode of Credit Union Conversation, Mark Ritter sits down with Doug Wadsworth to unpack the realities facing small credit unions, including expanding regulatory burdens, rising compliance costs, and growing competition among credit unions. They discuss why credit union advocacy matters, how the cooperative model must evolve, and what practical leadership looks like when serving members in an increasingly complex financial environment.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

✅ How small credit unions manage increasing regulatory burden and mounting compliance costs during NCUA examinations

✅ Why credit union advocacy is essential to protecting the cooperative model and strengthening member impact

✅ How credit union competition from large financial institutions and FinTech competition is reshaping credit union strategy

Subscribe to Credit Union Conversations for the latest credit union trends and insights on loan volume and business lending! Connect with MBFS to boost your credit union’s growth today.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Doug shares his journey into the credit union space and his introduction to small credit unions

06:25 The challenges of obtaining services, the weight of NCUA examinations, and the rising regulatory burden on small credit unions

17:18 Survey results reveal growing credit union competition from larger credit unions over smaller ones

21:04 Breaking down compliance costs, HMDA reporting, and NMLS registration

27:58 Advocacy efforts aimed at achieving regulatory relief for small credit unions

31:15 A vision for strengthening the cooperative model and sustaining community finance

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Small credit unions face a disproportionate regulatory burden that limits growth and operational flexibility

💎 Strong credit union advocacy can reduce unnecessary compliance costs and drive reform

💎 Preserving the cooperative model is essential as financial institutions increase competitive pressure

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Doug Wadsworth - LinkedIn

Keep It Simple - Book by Doug Wadsworth

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Mark Ritter - Website

Mark Ritter - LinkedIn

SEO KEYWORDS:

Credit Union Conversations, Mark Ritter, MBFS, Credit Unions, CUSO, Small Credit Unions, Regulatory Burden, Compliance Costs, Credit Union Competition, Credit Union Advocacy, Cooperative Model, Vendor Negotiation, Community Banking, Local Lending, Fintech Competition, Credit Union Strategy, HMDA Reporting, NMLS Registration