The CUNinjas credit union blog
What Is a CUSO? Credit Union Service Organizations, Explained
A CUSO lets credit unions team up to offer services none of them could build alone. Here's what a credit union service organization is, what the NCUA rules actually allow, and how a CUSO differs from a plain vendor.
What Is a Good Delinquency Ratio for a Credit Union?
Delinquency is your loan book's early-warning radar. NCUA measures it at 60+ days past due, not 90. Learn what good looks like, why it varies by what you lend, and how to read yours against credit unions your size in CU411.
What Is a Good Loan-to-Share Ratio for a Credit Union?
Loan-to-share tells you how much of your members' deposits you've actually lent back out. Learn what the ratio measures, what "good" looks like (and why there's no magic number), and how to read yours against peers your size with CU411.
What Is a Good Efficiency Ratio for a Credit Union?
The efficiency ratio asks how much you spend to earn each dollar. Lower is leaner, credit unions run higher than banks by design, and the only honest read is against peers your size. Here's how to read yours without starving the service that funds your future.
What Is a Good ROA for a Credit Union? ROAA Explained
Return on average assets is the headline profitability number on your FPR. Here's what a good ROA looks like for a credit union, why earnings feed capital, the annualization trap that fools smart people every spring, and how to read yours against peers your size.
What Is a Good Net Worth Ratio for a Credit Union?
The net worth ratio is the one number your examiner reads first, and the only credit-union ratio with legal teeth. Here's what it measures, the exact PCA thresholds, and how to judge yours against peers your size in CU411.
How to Read Your NCUA Financial Performance Report (FPR): Every Key Ratio, What's Good, and the Red Flags
Four pages of ratios land on your desk every quarter. Here is how to read every one that matters, and what your numbers look like next to peers your size.
How the CUNinjas CAMELS-Style Risk Screen Works (and What Each Ratio Tells You)
Your examiner walks in with a scorecard already half-filled. Here's how to read the same numbers first, and how to see where you stand against credit unions your size.
Credit Unions vs Banks: The Q1 2026 Scorecard
Every quarter we run the credit-union numbers next to the bank numbers the fair way, then tell you what the data actually says. First edition: the Q1 2026 call reports are in.
How to Fairly Compare Your Credit Union to the Bank Across the Street
Any analyst can drop a credit union and a bank into one spreadsheet. Making that comparison honest is the hard part. Here are the four rules that keep it from lying to you.
The NCUA-to-FDIC Crosswalk
The exact metric-by-metric map CU411 uses to compare a credit union to a bank: the credit-union field, its FDIC counterpart, how comparable the two really are, and why.
The business value of personal connection
We now have fewer credit unions than at any time since 1939 — yet more members than ever. A reflection on why personal connection and mission, not bank-style growth, are a credit …
It starts at home
The best way to spread the word about credit unions starts with your own staff. Why treating every new hire — even entry-level tellers — like a future CEO reduces turnover and …
Dropping the words “Credit Union”
A rebuttal to the idea that credit unions should drop 'credit union' from their names to attract consumers. If the words aren't over the door, staff are even less likely to explain …