August 29, 2025
And just like that, credit unions are back in the strategic planning cycle, aligning boards and leadership teams around the roadmap for the year/s ahead.
But after a year of legislative upheaval, open warfare between the executive branch and the Fed, and catastrophic cuts to federal financial support programs, are there any certainties to plan for?
Well, perhaps one: Volatility.
Resilience Over Rigidity
Since the pandemic at least, most C-Suite executives (if not, in fact, all employees) have come to accept that there will be more Known Unknowns than anything, so growth hinges on a credit union’s ability to plan for uncertainty.
Living within the grey isn’t always an easy ask, but as we look ahead, 2026 presents both new risks and promising opportunities for the system.
Past cycles of “set it and forget it” planning don’t hold up when markets, technology, and legislative policy shift fast. That’s why the strongest credit unions are spending less time on rigid roadmaps and more on building resilience into their planning cycles.
That means preparing for liquidity pressures and loan demand fluctuations simultaneously, rather than betting on a single trajectory.
Member Stress: A Lagging Indicator
Macroeconomic indicators only tell part of the story. Behind low unemployment numbers and strong spending sit consumers whose financial stress may not show up in balance sheets until delinquency hits.
What’s emerging is a troubling confidence gap in the minds of today’s borrowers: many members feel less prepared to handle the unexpected than in the past.
Job loss, medical bills, or a sudden expense can quickly destabilize even seemingly stable households. This is a growth opportunity for credit unions. It’s a chance to offer more than loans, but equip members with protective financial products and education that help them weather the shocks.
Human-Centered Tech
Of course, no credit union will navigate 2026 without further expectations, explorations, and integrations with AI.
What felt like a buzzword just a few years ago is now shorthand for so much that drives our systems—from underwriting and loan origination to marketing automation and member engagement.
What should be discussed in board rooms this strategic planning cycle isn’t whether to implement AI or other tech, but how the organization will adapt to maximize its value.
Investments in fintech and broader digital transformation must be designed around human-centered banking technology, creating frictionless experiences without losing the trust and familiarity members expect from their credit union. Credit union employees, processes and protocols cannot be overlooked or underestimated in this.
Changes to Federal Student Loans
Beginning in fall 2026, the “Big Beautiful Bill” will significantly reduce federal student aid options, including capping Parent PLUS loans, eliminating Graduate PLUS loans entirely, and cutting back income-based repayment safety nets.
For certain families and graduate students, this means higher education is about to get more expensive and riskier for borrowers.
This shift opens the door for credit unions to step in with mission-driven education lending.
By planning now—whether through in-house programs or partnerships with LendKey—credit unions can position themselves as trusted allies at the very moment members will be searching for alternatives.
The Bottom Line
Increasingly, strategic planning should lean less on static plans and more on dynamic levers: agile and automated technology, member insights, and collaborative partnerships.
That includes recognizing emerging gaps—like growing member stress and the sharp reduction in federal student loan access—and positioning your credit union to fill those needs.
To achieve that, credit unions must ask a different set of questions:
- How will we serve stressed borrowers differently?
- How do we balance digital and human touch?
- How will we help families afford education in a landscape where federal options are shrinking?
- And most importantly, how can we align every decision with both member well-being and long-term growth?
When change is constant, the credit unions that thrive won’t be those with the best plan on paper—they’ll be the ones ready to pivot when the rules inevitably change.