Today, the Credit Union Movement will mark 90 years of the National Credit Union Act, which was signed into law on June 26, 1934. This key milestone is a reason for credit unions to celebrate. The legislation made it possible for credit unions to organize under state or federal charter and created the Bureau of Federal Credit Unions, the first government agency to oversee credit unions. The organization later became the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

The act was spurred into law by a grassroots movement in America working to spread the idea of cooperative credit. In the decades after the act was signed, credit unions grew rapidly, even during tough economic times. A 1964 Social Security Administration report shared that in 1934, there were 39 credit unions in the U.S. serving 3,200 Americans; by 1964, there were 11,200 credit unions with 7.7 million members.

Today, more than 140 million Americans belong to a credit union and benefit from being part owners in an independent financial cooperative. In Minnesota, there are 86 credit unions with 2.1 million members at 397 branch locations, employing 5,879 people around the state. 

Celebrate on social media with the hashtags #creditunions and #peoplehelpingpeople. Stay tuned for more details as Minnesota will celebrate 100 years of credit unions in 2025!

NCUA Annual Cybersecurity Report: On June 25, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) released its annual Cybersecurity and Credit Union System Resilience Report summarizing the current cybersecurity threat landscape while highlighting the agency’s key cybersecurity initiatives to enhance preparedness and resiliency. 

CISA Infrastructure Customer Survey: The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) is calling for all credit unions to participate in the Critical Infrastructure Pilot Customer Survey. 

​Community Reinvestment Act: At a U.S. House hearing addressing the concerns raised by a CNN report on mortgage lending practices, Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, proposed that credit unions should have to comply with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 2023.

​The Minnesota Credit Union Network 2024 Legislative Session Summary is now available. This publication provides an overview of relevant legislation introduced this year and includes MnCUN's position on the legislation, the outcome, and its impact on credit unions.

The Tristate Collaborative Leadership Conference, hosted by the Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin Credit Union Associations, is a new event that will focus on accelerating leadership skills and building credit union knowledge for the next generation of leaders. The event will be held August 5th and 6th at the JW Marriott Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. Room Block Closes Friday, July 5, 2024​. 

​​Content will include general sessions and breakouts, with expert speakers sharing practical skills, inspirational stories, and how to incorporate credit union principles into your leadership journey. Plus, attendees will have plenty of time to network with credit union colleagues from across our region. We highly encourage all leaders to register! Young professionals, Women's Leadership Network members, and Tristate Mentorship Match participants: be sure to attend this valuable networking event! 

Event Details:
Tristate Collaborative Leadership Conference​
Hosted by the Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin Credit Union Leagues
Date: August 5 - August 6, 2024
Cost: Registration is $449; final registration deadline is Friday, July 19, 2024. ​
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Lodging Details:
JW Marriot Minneapolis Mall of America
2141 Lindau Lane Bloomington, Minnesota 55425
Group rate is $239 per night
Follow this link to book your group rate for TriState Leadership Conference

The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation (MnCUF) and Blaze Credit Union are proud to recognize Dave Boden as a Credit Union Builder for his service to the credit union movement. Dave Boden is the President/Chief Transformation Officer at Blaze CU and will be retiring on July 1, 2024.

​Dave previously served as Hiway's President/CEO since 2013 and has over three decades of experience in the financial services industry. Before being named President of Hiway, Boden served as Hiway's Senior Vice President of Technology/Chief Information Officer and worked in other leadership positions in the financial services industry.

​Dave served on the Minnesota Credit Union (MnCUN) Board of Directors, concluding his term as chair in April 2024, and was recognized as MnCUN's Outstanding Professional of the Year in 2022. Dave is known as a servant leader. He sets clear goals and high expectations and serves to support the employees in the achievement of those goals. He leads in a calm, inspiring and genuine way, with completely open communication to management and all employees

Created in 2008, the Credit Union Builder Award honors an individual’s dedication to the success, growth, and vitality of the not-for-profit financial movement in Minnesota. Dedications are typically made at a time of significance to acknowledge an individual’s contributions to credit unions. 

The nearly 100 individuals have been designated as Credit Union Builders since the award's inception. The names of the recipients and the contributing credit unions are permanently displayed in the Minnesota Credit Union Network’s lobby as a tribute to those who have dedicated time and energy to building the credit union movement.

The next Exploring Why session takes place on July 17 in Rochester and the deadline to register is Friday, July 5th.  Exploring Why TM - is the National Credit Union Foundation’s experiential training that empowers employees of all levels to understand and leverage the Credit Union Difference to drive greater value for your members and organization. This program is generously sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation and will be offered at no charge for MnCUN member credit union employees. 

The interactive workshop incorporates lessons from the Foundation’s signature Development Education (DE) Program.  Attendees will leave with a better understanding of:

• The structural and philosophical differences between credit unions and other financial institutions, and how it impacts business operations and decision-making.
• How to communicate your organization’s “why”, their personal “why”, and tell the story of how you drive value for your members.
• Opportunities to take ownership in finding new and better ways to meet the needs of your members and organization.

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Date: Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST
Time: Location: Courtyard by Marriott Rochester
161 13th Avenue SW
Rochester, MN 55902
Cost: Free!
The deadline to register is Friday, July 5th. 

Due to the popularity of this event, the Foundation is pleased to offer it twice in 2024. A second session of Exploring Why will be coming to the Duluth area Nov. 6, 2024. More details and registration for that session will be available this fall.  

Earned Sick and Safe Time Law Changes: During the recent legislative session, the Earned Sick and Safe Time law (ESSL), was amended by the legislature effective May 25 as announced by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). 

​2024 NCUA Summit in Minneapolis: Registration closes soon for the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) DEI Summit here in Minneapolis for this event focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

FinCEN Report on 2023 CTRs and SARs: The Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released its “Year in Review” report finding more than 15% of active FBI investigations in fiscal year (FY) 2023 were linked to anti-money laundering tools such as currency transaction reports (CTRs) and suspicious activity reports (SARs). ​​

2024 is an election year, and every State House member and US House member is up for re-election. You can help support our advocacy efforts by ensuring your credit union has run Project Zip Code (PZC).

PZC is a user friendly, secure computer program that counts your members and matches them by congressional district, state legislative district and county. These counts are then uploaded to the Project Zip Code website and combined with data from other credit unions nationwide. There are no personally identifiable data points that are required and the PZC site is secure.

​​These numbers are important in advocating on behalf of credit unions at the State Capitol because they share exactly how many members are in their districts, helping to demonstrate the power and reach of credit unions. It is a valuable tool used regularly, as a part of in-person meetings, as well as in communications and targeted digital advertisements.

You can access the PZC website, including the instructions on how to upload your information, visiting pzconline.com.
With questions, contact Cynthia Callais, Director of Political Advocacy, at [email protected]