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Massachusetts had fewer credit unions with positive net income in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to data released last week by the National Credit Union Administration.

The NCUA Quarterly Map Review showed that 74 percent of Massachusetts federally insured credit unions had positive net income in 2020, below the U.S. average of 84 percent. In 2020, 80 percent of the state’s credit unions had positive net income, slightly below the national average of 83 percent.

Massachusetts had the lowest share of credit unions with positive net income among the six New England states. Vermont had the highest, with positive net income at all credit unions. In the U.S., Nebraska and Mississippi had the lowest shares, with positive net income at 66 percent and 69 percent, respectively. Alaska joined Vermont in seeing positive net income last year at all federally insured credit unions.

The membership growth rate in 2021 remained the same in Massachusetts year-over-year. The state’s median membership growth rate was -1.4 percent, meaning that half of the state’s approximately 145 credit unions saw membership decline by 1.4 percent or more in 2021. New Jersey had the largest median decline at -2.6 percent.

The NCUA said about 55 percent of U.S. federally insured credit unions had fewer members at the end of 2021 compared to 2020. The U.S. credit unions with falling membership tended to be small, the NCUA said, with nearly 65 percent having less than $50 million in assets. The national median growth rate was -0.4 percent. Credit unions headquartered in Alaska and Wyoming had the highest median membership growth rates of 4.4 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Massachusetts credit unions had a median year-over-year asset growth of 6.4 percent, down from 2020 when median asset growth was 12.1 percent. The national median in 2021 was 8.8 percent compared to 14.2 percent at the end of 2020.

The state also trailed the U.S. median for annualized year-to-date return on average assets (ROAA) in 2021. Massachusetts had median return on average assets of 29 basis points compared to the U.S. median of 50 basis points. The state also trailed the rest of the U.S. in 2020, with a median annualized year-to-date ROAA of 23 basis points compared to the U.S median of 40 basis points.

While credit unions have continued to see deposit growth throughout the pandemic, the pace of growth slowed in 2021. The median year-over-year deposit growth was 8 percent in Massachusetts. The U.S. median deposit growth was 9.6 percent. Massachusetts in 2020 saw year-over-year deposit growth of 15.1 percent, while the U.S. median that year was 15.9

Massachusetts was one of six states that saw outstanding loans decline at credit unions in 2021. Massachusetts’ median year-over-year loan growth rate was -0.9 percent. The U.S. median in 2021 was 3 percent. The state did have a lower median delinquency rate of 29 basis points compared to the U.S. median in 2021 of 38 basis points.

Net Income Down at Some Massachusetts Credit Unions

by Diane McLaughlin time to read: 2 min
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