In 2025, credit union business lending quietly staged one of its strongest comebacks in years, and Mark Ritter has the numbers to prove it. From a 25% surge in business loan volumes to a 43% jump in participation loans, the recovery exceeded nearly every expectation. But Mark does not stop at the good news. He tackles the slow erosion of community lending, the growing threat of credit union mergers, rising delinquency rates, and an NCUA board in limbo that could create regulatory turbulence for years to come. This is the episode you forward to everyone in your network.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • 00:00 Credit union business lending volumes for 2025 are revealed, including a 25% industry-wide surge
  • 04:05 Participation loans jumped 43%, and MBFS crossed 1,000 loan underwriting milestones in a single year
  • 06:14 Mark has some random thoughts about the industry
  • 09:54 New people in the industry, credit union mergers, and consolidation are shrinking community lending and weakening local cooperative roots
  • 13:48 Rising delinquency rates and charge-offs signal growing portfolio stress tied to loosened business lending standards
  • 15:19 The NCUA board leadership vacuum is straining credit union examiners and stalling critical regulatory relief

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Credit union business lending surged over 25% in 2025, with participation loans up 43%, proving the industry can recover strongly after a prolonged liquidity crunch when conditions align.
  • Credit union mergers continue to erode community lending at a local level, with member engagement in cooperative principles so low that consolidation often passes with only a fraction of members voting.
  • The current NCUA board vacancy is not a bureaucratic footnote. It is creating mounting pressure on credit union examiners and delaying the regulatory relief smaller institutions need to operate effectively.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Mark Ritter – LinkedIn

Mark Ritter is the CEO of MBFS and an expert in credit unions and business lending. His primary role at MBFS is overseeing the strategy of helping credit unions assist members with business needs and consulting with credit unions on planning the delivery of services to their membership.