New Year Message: Celebrating Success and Strengthening the Future
As we begin the 2026 calendar year, the team at Curtis Strategy wants to extend our sincerest gratitude for the strong connections we’ve shared with our credit union partners. This past year, we’ve been honored to partner with dedicated credit union leaders to tackle significant challenges and capture vital opportunities in a rapidly shifting financial landscape. We are proud of the collective strides made to advance the evolution of the credit union movement and want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the significant transformations of the past year.
The credit union sector demonstrated remarkable adaptability and resilience in 2025. In a period defined by political shifts and economic recalibration, credit unions had the opportunity to prove their worth once again. As members navigated higher living costs and the financial pressures of a government shutdown, credit unions delivered for their members and demonstrated their value. With the support of their trade associations, credit unions successfully advocated for their tax exempt status, overturned CFPB overdraft restrictions, and most recently for the reinstatement of the CDFI fund. 2025 was also a year marked by significant consolidation, including a record-setting number of mergers-of-equals and bank acquisitions, and indicating credit unions are now pursuing consolidation as a means of strategic growth. These larger and stronger credit unions are a source of strength for the movement overall.
As we look forward to the new year, we anticipate credit unions continuing to evolve, expand their value, and deepen member loyalty through investments in AI, re-skilling their workforce, and product innovation. The credit union of the future is one that plans with intent and adapts quickly to the ever increasing pace of change. In 2026, our commitment to helping you keep pace with constant change remains deeper than ever. With a strategic focus on exponential thinking, driving innovation and strategic agility our goal for the coming year is to continue providing the multiple levels of perspective necessary to position your credit union for long-term success.
We eagerly anticipate continuing our journey to advance your credit union and thank you for your continued trust. We wish you a happy and a prosperous New Year!