Credit union balances have been rising, led by consumers on both ends of the credit risk spectrum, according to an update from TransUnion (NYSE: TRU).
TransUnion’s Q3 2024 Credit Union Market Perspectives Report explores “the current state of consumer credit and its impact on credit unions.”
The newly released Q3 2024 Credit Union Market Perspectives Report from TransUnion found “that balances continue to rise across all credit products, led by share growth among consumers in the super prime and subprime risk tiers.”
Among credit unions, balances grew “among all consumer lending areas in Q2 2024.”
Growth ranged from 2.7% in credit union auto balances “up to 14.4% for home equity loan balances as borrowers continue tapping into the equity in their home to make home improvements, consolidate other debt, or pay for other large purchases, like education expenses. Bankcards also saw significant YoY balance growth, up 8.6% over the period.”
Despite a consumer credit market in which originations “for many products remain below levels we saw two years ago, credit unions continue to see their total balances increase as they continue to serve the needs of their members.”
It will be interesting to watch new loan growth “as credit union deposits return to growth and interest rates likely begin falling later this year.”
Taking a deeper look at credit balances, growth has “not been equal among all credit risk tiers.”
In fact, credit unions are now seeing a greater “share of their overall balances being found among consumers in the super prime and subprime risk tiers, while other risk tiers saw their shares decline YoY.”
Each of these other risk tiers has “seen their balance share decline for two consecutive years.”
Among subprime, Q2 2024 represented the fourth consecutive YoY growth in balance share.
On the origination front, Q2 2024 (the latest quarter “available for origination data) saw increases in two key lending areas with personal loans up 7.0% YoY and mortgage finally seeing a slight uptick (+1.8% YoY) after a long period in which higher interest rates have kept people waiting to buy.”
With the Federal Reserve’s recent signaling “that the time has come to cut interest rates, other lending products may similarly see the beginning of an upward trend in loans among credit union customers.”
Sean Flynn, senior director of community financial institutions at TransUnion:
“With the Fed all but confirming that their next meeting will finally be the time for rate cuts, it would not be surprising to see much of that pent-up demand for mortgages and auto loans begin to finally be realized as more people who have been on the sidelines finally engage.”
Delinquencies across most credit union lending products “are no longer seeing the elevated growth rates of 2021 and 2022, leveling off for some products and even declining YoY for unsecured personal loans and HELoans.”
Additionally, credit unions continue to see delinquency rates “lower than other lenders. Credit unions saw 0.8% account-level 60+DPD delinquency in Q2 2024.”
In comparison, FinTech/specialty lenders “saw 3.0% 60+ DPD in Q2 2024 while other banks ranged from 0.9% to 1.6%.”
As noted in the update, TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries.
They make trust possible by ensuring each person “is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care.”