2026 advocacy priorities aim to enhance credit unions’ service to people, communities
America’s Credit Unions released its 2026 advocacy priorities to guide President/CEO Scott Simpson, advocacy staff, and the organization overall as it works to strengthen credit unions’ ability to serve their 144 million members and reach more communities.
The advocacy priorities fall within the core areas of advance, empower, and protect to reflect industry needs. Constructed with direct feedback from member credit unions and leagues, they build on a successful year in advocacy defending the credit union tax status. The association's board approved these priorities Dec. 2 and they have supported strategy discussions with league presidents and advocates during the AACUL Winter Meeting.
In addition, Simpson detailed the priorities in a message to all Members of Congress to reiterate that credit unions are essential to economic freedom and how these policies will enhance people’s ability to pursue it.
“Last year proved the strength of the credit union family when we come together,” said Simpson. “Faced with the deepest threat to the industry in over a decade, through clear objectives and a unified voice, we were able to unite and protect the credit union tax status, in addition to achieving significant wins for the CDFI Fund, regulatory relief at the NCUA and CFPB, and more. We showed lawmakers that credit unions are essential to our nation’s ability to thrive. In partnership with leagues and credit unions, we are committed to working cooperatively and collaboratively, from the federal level to state legislatures, to advance, empower and protect credit unions and the more than 144 million Americans who choose credit unions as their trusted financial institution.”
“The movement has made clear that we need a strong advocate in Washington to secure policy victories for all credit unions, small and large, rural and urban, from coast to coast, as we operate in an ever-changing financial services marketplace,” said America’s Credit Unions Board Chair Patrick Pierce. “Through its unified voice and working hand-in-hand with leagues, credit unions, and other organizations dedicated to advancing our industry, I am confident that America’s Credit Unions, guided by its advocacy priorities and direct feedback from its members, will have significant influence over critical policy decisions and protect our mission of ‘people helping people’."
America’s Credit Unions 2026 advocacy priorities provide a framework critical to continued credit union growth.
Advance
- Expand access to credit unions
- Modernize the credit union charter
- Establish a federal data protection standard
Empower
- Enhance fraud prevention
- Reform CFPB structure and rulemaking
- Expand innovation opportunities
Protect
- Protect interchange
- Support a strong, independent credit union regulatory regime
- Reinforce the credit union tax status