What Is NASCUS

About NASCUS

The National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors® (NASCUS) is comprised of state regulatory agencies, state and federal credit unions, credit union leagues, and other stakeholders in the credit union system.

NASCUS provides a venue for a marketplace of ideas and discussion between regulators, credit unions, and system stakeholders. These collaborations identify common challenges and best practices as they combine diverse perspectives and expertise to develop better policy, better-calibrated regulation and supervision, and a more vibrant credit union system.

By working together, NASCUS members ensure a safe, sound, growth-oriented credit union system for today and the future. As the professional association for state credit union regulatory agencies, NASCUS serves as a voice for the state credit union system and a defender of the dual chartering system.

Our Mission: To forge a vibrant dual charter system by promoting a relevant, growth-oriented, and healthy state charter option.

Our Purpose: To advance credit union legislation, regulation, and supervision to promote a resilient state-chartered cooperative credit union system through regulator and credit union collaboration.

Why the Dual Charter System is Important
The Dual Charter System refers to the parallel chartering of financial institutions by the federal government and state agencies in the bank and credit union systems. That a financial institution has a choice whether to be chartered by the federal government or the state creates a healthy competition between the two charters to remain attractive and conducive to business. In the credit union system, this healthy competition benefits all credit unions by encouraging the NCUA and state regulators to seek efficiency in the supervision and modernization of credit union powers or risk seeing their credit unions convert to the other charter. Click here to learn more about NASCUS’s Dual Charter Resource Initiative.

Membership

NASCUS works across all regulatory levels, representing the 46 state and territorial agencies¹ that charter and supervise state credit unions and collaborating with federal agencies such as the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Reserve Board of Governors (Fed), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as rules are proposed and crafted. Additionally, we ensure the state system perspective is represented in meetings held by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), the Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee (FBIIC), and other high-level coordinating bodies of banking regulation.

We provide professional development and timely information on critical trends and issues that impact both the credit union space and the broader financial services sector, including topics such as Cryptocurrencies, Fintech, Litigation Trends, Capital Reform, Credit Union Act Modernization, Distributed Ledger Technology, Cannabis Banking, BSA/AML Reform, etc.

Unique in the credit union space, NASCUS gathers a nationwide perspective from state regulators, state and federal credit unions, leagues, and other system stakeholders to tackle evolving industry challenges and innovations.

NASCUS membership is open to:

All 46 state and territorial credit union regulatory agencies1
State- and federal-charter credit unions
Organizations primarily owned by credit unions
Organizations primarily serving credit unions
Cooperative Organizations

Utilizing the insight of a diverse national membership, NASCUS leverages a variety of perspectives to identify upcoming trends, cutting-edge issues, and future challenges that allow our members to remain future-focused. Whether recognizing the significance of virtual currencies before bitcoin was invented, developing a knowledge base on cannabis banking, exploring fintech, or advocating for expanded investment authority, NASCUS has been leading the way in creating solutions that benefit supervisory agencies and credit unions alike.

Click here for a list of member benefits.

^{1. Five states do not have state-chartered credit unions: Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, South Dakota, and Wyoming.}

Engagement

We Engage All Industry Stakeholders and Policy Influencers.

State and territorial credit union regulatory agencies (Vist Around the States for state-by-state analysis and data)
Federal regulatory agencies: NCUA, CFPB, Federal Reserve, Treasury, OCC, FFIEC, FTC, FinCEN, OFAC, FBIIC, and more
The international regulatory community
State-chartered and federal-chartered credit unions
Banking counterparts: Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB)
Credit union associations and Leagues
Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSO), Think Tanks, and other system stakeholders

Among NASCUS’s Top Priorities

Modernize state credit union laws to allow state charters to evolve with the financial services sector
Better calibrate regulation and supervision to preserve a viable and growth-oriented credit union system
Ensure equity in the Overhead Transfer Rate (OTR), so state charters only pay their fair share
Restore the strength of the dual chartering system by maximizing state flexibility to have state-specific rules different from NCUA’s federal credit union rules; for example, exempting state charters from NCUA’s merger rule
Facilitate the ability of state credit unions to engage in interstate activities and add fields of membership in other states as permissible
Enhance the governance of the Share Insurance Fund by expanding the NCUA Board and requiring state regulatory experience

Leadership

NASCUS is governed by a Board of Directors comprising state regulators and a Credit Union Advisory Council comprising state credit union leaders. Together, these bodies are known as Joint Leadership. NASCUS’s Joint Leadership ensures that regulator and credit union perspectives inform NASCUS policy. NASCUS is headquartered in Arlington, VA.

Committees

NASCUS’ committees are comprised of member organizations. The committees provide Joint Leadership and NASCUS’s management team with input and guidance on issues affecting the credit union system.

Our History

In 1965, a group of state regulators gathered to discuss the rapid growth of state-chartered credit unions. The meeting resulted in an agreement to coordinate and collaborate across state lines in developing policies and procedures to ensure effective supervision.

Finding that their challenges were “many and mutual,” state regulators joined together and created a framework for the organization that would grow into the NASCUS of today.

The following March of 1966, eleven state regulators met at the Savoy Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, to incorporate the association of state regulators. That year, seventeen additional states and a Canadian provisional credit union regulator joined the association. Over the following years, all 46 state and territorial credit union regulatory agencies would join NASCUS as their professional association.

Through this multi-state collaboration, regulatory agencies debated regulatory guidance and supervisory practices, shared best practices, formulated ideas, and engaged with their federal counterparts. Additionally, they utilized NASCUS for professional development to enhance state examiner performance and ensure best-in-class supervision.
In its first 25 years, NASCUS supported the state supervisory system to face the challenges that propelled its creation and expanded into an innovative and vibrant source of industry services.

In the early 1990s, state regulators sought to better understand the perspectives of credit unions and system stakeholders and benefit from the system’s expertise. As a result, NASCUS membership expanded to credit unions. Credit union staff were now part of the dialogue, debates, and conversations that developed the policies that affected their businesses and members.

While NASCUS remains at its core the regulators’ professional association created in 1965, the NASCUS of today has evolved with an inclusive membership that encourages in-depth industry and regulator dialogue while recognizing the independent needs of both. This open conversation is what fuels innovation.

We invite you to join the conversation and become a member today.

NASCUS’s Timeline

1965 – State Regulators gather and form NASCUS
1970 – NCUA Established
1989 – NASCUS Accreditation Program debuts; Michigan becomes first Accredited state
1992 –State regulators invite credit unions to join NASCUS for an inclusive exchange of ideas and perspectives
1998 – NASCUS joins with system-wide stakeholders to work for the passage of the Credit Union Membership Access Act to fix deficiencies in the Federal Charter
2005 – NASCUS develops the first credit union system-wide anti-money laundering conference
2008 – NASCUS develops the first regional Interstate Branching Agreement
2019 – NASCUS develops the first credit union cannabis banking conference
Present – NASCUS membership today includes the state regulatory agencies, state and federal credit unions, credit union leagues and service associations, and other third parties that support the credit union system. Working together, NASCUS members seek to ensure a vibrant, safe, and sound credit union system.

Governance & Policies

NASCUS Bylaws (April 2022)
NASCUS Public Policies (August 2023)

Financial Audit & Review Reports