As the number of acquisitions of community banks by credit unions skyrocketed at a shocking rate in 2024, ICBA has rightfully sounded the alarm to legislators and regulators. As a community banker, an S Corporation bank leader, and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) bank owner, this issue presents a real and present danger to my community and local communities nationwide.

In 2022, ICBA and community bankers stood together against a steady stream of efforts to impose harmful policies while working tirelessly to advance initiatives benefiting local communities—proving once again the importance of making our voice heard in the nation’s capital.

As we continue our relentless focus on customers in need, we must not let our guard down in continuing to urge Congress, the agencies, and the public to “wake up” to an overly-opportunistic credit union industry.

Several ICBA staffers are handing out Halloween cards and candy to every congressional office on Capitol Hill to encourage lawmakers and staff to open their eyes to credit unions' risky practices, costly tax subsidies, and irresponsibly lax oversight.

We're a week into ICBA's new "Wake Up" campaign taking on credit unions' risky practices and tax exemption, and the community bank response has been phenomenal.

With Labor Day behind us and summer coming to its unofficial end, now is a good time to reflect on what the community banking industry has achieved so far this year in the advocacy arena—and what remains to be done this fall. Fortunately for the local communities we serve, community banks have followed the historic successes of 2018 with many notable policy victories.

ICBA and community bankers are speaking out about a disturbing trend that should unsettle all taxpayers: large credit unions buying up smaller community banks.

The only thing “emergency” about the Pentagon Federal Credit Union merger with Progressive Credit Union is the giant alarm it should set off about the latest credit union power grab.

The nation’s tax-exempt credit unions have big plans for their multi-billion-dollar tax subsidy—a nationwide marketing campaign funded by the rest of us.