Simpson: Credit unions ready for year ahead
Less than a month in, the new year is already bringing opportunities—and challenges—for credit unions. But with midterms later this year, a more specific policy focus will soon take shape. America’s Credit Unions President/CEO Scott Simpson looked at what’s ahead in an op-ed published Wednesday in Tyfone, and how credit unions can continue to play an important role.
“Congress’s attention will narrow. That happens every midterm cycle. Sweeping legislative ambitions give way to positioning and messaging, often with proposed policies that will have a big impact on people back home. Hearings multiply. Investigations gain traction. And economic concerns move from background noise to the main conversation,” he wrote. “For financial services, that means affordability, access to credit, and trust will be front and center. Not as abstract policy debates, but as real questions families and small businesses are asking around their own kitchen tables. We’re already seeing this in action from the president and lawmakers on issues around credit cards.”
Lawmakers will gravitate toward community institutions, Simpson notes, and credit unions fit the description. By being embedded in their communities, owned by the people they serve, and focused on financial well-being, “as the 2026 midterms approach, I expect more lawmakers to seek insights from these local institutions, because they reflect what voters are truly feeling.”