Celebrate ‘One World Through Cooperative Finance’ on International Credit Union Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2024

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA—Today, credit union members around the world will celebrate International Credit Union Day®, an annual event commemorating the credit union movement’s impact and achievements. This year marks the 76th anniversary of this event, which will be celebrated under the theme of “One World Through Cooperative Finance.”

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives that provide an effective and viable alternative to for-profit financial institutions for more than 403 million members in 98 countries worldwide. More than 82,000 credit unions exist globally, providing many financial services for their members and are recognized as a force for positive economic and social change.

Since 1948, International Credit Union Day has been celebrated annually on the third Thursday of October. Each year, the international event remembers credit unions’ proud history and promotes awareness of and support for the difference between credit unions and financial cooperatives.

There are still 1.4 billion unbanked people worldwide. Credit unions truly have the perfect business model to serve underserved populations, and we hope our entire global movement will celebrate and promote that message on Thursday, October 17.

NASCUS is the professional association of 46 state and territorial credit union regulatory agencies that charter and supervise 1,797 state credit unions. Our membership includes state regulatory agencies, state-chartered and federally-chartered credit unions, and other important stakeholders in the state system. State-chartered credit unions hold half the $2.319 trillion assets in the credit union system and are proud to represent nearly half the more than 142.3 million credit union members.

World Council of Credit Unions organizes International Credit Union Day, the global trade association and development platform for credit unions and other financial cooperatives, as well as numerous national credit union trade associations and federations worldwide.