NCUA board approves reduced 2026-2027 budgets

The NCUA board approved agency budgets for 2026 and 2027 at its Thursday board meeting. The 2026 Operating, Capital, and Share Insurance Fund administrative expenses budgets are set at a combined $316.2 million. In comparison, that’s $79.2 million lower than the 2025 combined budgets, and the 2026 operating fee rate is 24.65% lower than the 2025 budget.

Chairman Kyle Hauptman called it an “NCUA budget unlike any in recent history,” in that it’s smaller than prior years, and designed to help credit unions stay financially solvent.

“We appreciate the NCUA Board’s vote to pass a budget that reflects a meaningful effort to reduce costs on credit unions and respond to long-standing concerns about regulatory expenses. A more disciplined budget that prioritizes the agency’s core mission of safety and soundness is in the best interest of credit unions and the members they serve,” said Scott Simpson, president/CEO of America’s Credit Unions. “Continued transparency and smart modernization will be important to ensure the NCUA can carry out its responsibilities efficiently and effectively to protect credit unions.”

A briefing on the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund’s performance for the quarter ending Sept. 30 showed a net income of $100.4 million and $163.5 million in total income. The Share Insurance fund also reported $24 billion in assets for the third quarter of 2025.

Staff projected the fund will end 2025 with an equity ratio of 1.30% (up from 1.28% at the end of the second quarter of 2025).