Credit Union Industry Strong and Resilient Amid Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

In the wake of the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and other banks, Eltropy hosted a “Digital Conversations For CFIs” event along with the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues on March 16. At the event, senior leaders from Patelco Credit Union, Redwood Credit Union, and Stanford Federal Credit Union spoke confidently about the state of the industry. They expressed the need to remind and re-educate Americans about the differences between credit unions and banks at times like these.

Eltropy Co-founder and CEO Ashish Garg, who also spoke at the event, said, “Credit unions have a lot in common with banks, but they’re distinct in many ways. For one, credit unions operate under a different set of regulations and are not driven by profit and shareholder interests. In addition, they have more protections in place to safeguard members’ funds, so historically they’ve been protected at times when banks have faltered.”

While the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank is a reminder of the distinctions between banks and credit unions, it also highlights the importance of staying informed and being prepared for potential changes in the industry.

In recent years, many have also expressed concerns about the stability of community financial institutions as a whole in light of the digital transformation, changes in preferences among the rising generation, and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the credit union industry has a track record of remaining stable and resilient through changing and challenging times. Those who spoke at the March 16 event emphasized the need to stay calm and use today’s digital tools to communicate at times like these.

“In today’s world, the expectation from our members is to have 24/7/365 access to their banking, just as they’ve become accustomed to that experience in other aspects of their lives,” said Paul Jockisch, CFO of Stanford Federal Credit Union in Palo Alto, Calif. “As the news about SVB spread over the weekend we literally had some of our top executives on the phone with concerned members. That may seem unusual for a Sunday night, and it is, but crisis aside, the baseline is changing. The point being – we need to have the resources and technology ready to communicate anytime, anywhere with our members.”