After second credit union acquisition in two days, ICBA demands policy response  

With large credit unions announcing two acquisitions of Main Street community banks in as many days, ICBA said it is time for Congress to eliminate the federal tax exemption for credit unions over $1 billion in assets to prevent further harm to local communities. 

Details: In a national news release, ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey cited an ICBA data analysis that found these acquisitions harm small-business and mortgage lending in affected communities. 

Growing Media Scrutiny:   

• A Tyfone op-ed from ICBA Past Chairman Brad Bolton and ICBA leadership community banker Ken Hale spotlights why policymakers should examine credit union acquisitions of community banks.   

• In op-eds in the Natchitoches Parish Journal and the Shreveport Bossier Journal, Hale details how credit union acquisitions of community banks harm local communities.     

• Recent op-eds in American Banker and RealClear Markets target the credit union tax exemption following ongoing ICBA advocacy.       

• A previous article in The Banker—an imprint of the Financial Times—says some credit unions may be abandoning their mission with “Wall Street-style” behavior and no longer serving their core members.