Blogs

From Gaps to Growth: A Mortgage Opportunity Roadmap for Credit Unions

By Bernard Nossuli posted 4 days ago
The mortgage lending opportunity for credit unions is bigger than most balance sheets would suggest. Although credit unions serve millions of financially engaged households, they accounted for fewer than 15% of U.S. mortgage originations in 2025 . That gap represents more than lost market share. Some loans are going to competing lenders, but many reflect unmet demand that no lender is effectively serving. For credit unions willing to look deeper at their markets, the opportunity often extends beyond existing production numbers into overlooked member segments, underserved neighborhoods, and adjacent growth markets. The challenge is that recognizing opportunity ...

7 Ways to Put HMDA Data to Work in 2026

By Lyubomira Buresch posted 5 days ago
Every credit union with a mortgage book files HMDA. That's 1,500+ credit unions. Most file it, submit it, and move on. That is understandable. HMDA has long been treated as a compliance requirement. But the same data is also one of the most complete public records of the U.S. mortgage market: applications, originations, denials, loan purpose, product type, pricing, income, race, ethnicity, age, property type, lien status, lender, geography, and more. For credit unions, HMDA can answer a question internal reports cannot answer by themselves: How are we performing in the market we actually serve? Your own production numbers tell you what ...

What 2025 HMDA Data Tells Credit Unions About the Mortgage Market Right Now

By Bernard Nossuli posted 19 days ago
The latest Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data offers more than a backward-looking view of 2025; it provides one of the clearest signals available of where the mortgage market is heading. As of mid-2026, many of the dynamics reflected in this data are still shaping today’s environment. The market is stabilizing, but not evenly. Growth is returning in specific segments, refinance activity remains sensitive to rate movements, and affordability constraints continue to weigh on purchase demand. For credit unions, the data highlights steady performance, smaller average loan sizes, and a more diversified mix of lending activity than other institution types. ...

What Q1 2026 Closing Fraud Data Signals for Credit Unions

By James Fenelon posted 04-22-2026
ACUMA Community, FundingShield released its Closing and Fraud Prevention Report providing a data-driven look at the transaction-level defects, fraud indicators, and closing risks continuing to impact mortgage originations, purchases, and transfers across the industry. FundingShield’s Q1 2026 report states that 43.72% of transactions reviewed within a $106.7B+ portfolio were flagged for issues posing significant wire and title fraud risk, with an average of 2.2 issues per problematic loan. FundingShield is an embedded cybersecurity infrastructure layer for the mortgage industry, helping clients identify and prevent fraud through real-time, source-data-driven ...

The Credit Union’s Guide to Mortgage Opportunity Zones

By Bernard Nossuli posted 03-31-2026
On a recent ACUMA Inside Track webinar , I took credit unions through a practical strategy they can use to uncover the mortgage growth opportunities within their existing markets. To bring the approach to life, we explored the Minneapolis metro area, using local market data to identify neighborhoods where homebuyer demand is rising but credit union market share remains relatively low. Many credit unions assume that expanding mortgage production requires entering entirely new markets. In reality, significant opportunity often exists within the communities they already serve. The key is understanding not only where homes are closing today, but also where ...

Beyond the Mandate: Using CRA and Fair Lending to Drive Impact and Growth

By Joey Alaimo posted 03-06-2026
CRA and fair lending requirements are often viewed through the lens of compliance — obligations to be met, exams to be passed, findings to be avoided. But for many credit unions, these frameworks offer something more: a roadmap for meaningful community impact and sustainable growth. As regulatory expectations evolve, institutions are being asked to demonstrate not only activity, but outcomes. Data quality, responsiveness, and strategic alignment matter more than ever. At the same time, housing affordability challenges and economic disparities are placing increased emphasis on how institutions serve their communities. Leading credit unions are reframing ...

Debanking, BSA/AML, and the Risk of Overcorrection

By Joey Alaimo posted 02-18-2026
Debanking has become one of the most complex and sensitive issues facing financial institutions today. At its core, the debate reflects a difficult balancing act: managing financial crime risk while preserving fair access to financial services. For credit unions, BSA/AML obligations are clear, but the path to compliance is not always straightforward. Heightened enforcement, evolving typologies, and emerging risks tied to digital assets and fintech relationships have increased pressure to act decisively. In some cases, that pressure can lead to overly conservative decisions that limit access for certain customers or industries. The risk of overcorrection ...

Minneapolis Homeownership Gaps Point to a Strategic Opportunity for Credit Unions

By Bernard Nossuli posted 02-16-2026
When I look at the Twin Cities housing market, I see two realities at the same time. The region posts strong overall homeownership, steady population growth, and meaningful projected mortgage expansion. Yet it also maintains one of the widest racial homeownership gaps among major metropolitan areas in the country. That tension isn’t just a social statistic; it’s a strategic signal. The region is home to 3.69 million people and continues to diversify at a rapid pace, with immigration expected to drive much of its long-term population growth. Overall homeownership stands at 70.9%, placing the region among the higher-performing large metropolitan areas in the ...

Fair Lending, AI, and Accountability: Navigating the New Frontiers of Risk and Responsibility

By Joey Alaimo posted 02-04-2026
Fair lending compliance is entering a new phase. While traditional risk areas remain under scrutiny, emerging issues — algorithmic bias, digital redlining, appraisal discrimination, and opaque decisioning — are reshaping how regulators and communities evaluate institutional practices. For credit unions, the challenge is compounded by innovation. AI-driven underwriting, automated decision tools, and expanded data sources offer real benefits, but they also introduce complexity that traditional compliance frameworks were not designed to manage. The question is no longer simply whether outcomes are compliant, but whether institutions can explain, govern, and ...

🎥 How to Evaluate Purchase Opportunity in Your Market (Webinar Replay)

By Lyubomira Buresch posted 01-31-2026
Over the past year, many mortgage teams have increased their focus on purchase lending. At the same time, it has become more difficult to determine where meaningful opportunity is actually forming at the local level. National reports and high-level forecasts rarely explain why activity accelerates in some communities and weakens in others. While these sources provide useful context, they rarely capture the structural differences that shape demand within specific neighborhoods, price tiers, and borrower segments. Practical market evaluation requires more detailed analysis. In a recent Mortgage Data Fluency webinar , we shared the framework ...

From Regulatory Requirement to Strategic Advantage: The Next Era of Compliance

By Joey Alaimo posted 01-27-2026
For credit union leaders, compliance has long been viewed as a necessary safeguard — a function designed to meet regulatory expectations and avoid adverse findings. But today’s environment is reshaping that role. Supervisory approaches are evolving, risk landscapes are expanding, and institutions are being asked not only whether they comply, but how their programs support sound governance, resilience, and responsible growth. Increasingly, the most effective compliance programs are those that operate beyond checklist execution. They serve as early warning systems, strategic advisors, and connective tissue between risk, operations, technology, and leadership. ...

What Industry-Leading Mortgage Forecast Accuracy Means for Credit Unions

By Bernard Nossuli posted 01-21-2026
In today’s volatile housing market, credit unions are under increasing pressure to grow membership and meet community lending goals all while navigating economic uncertainty. That’s why having a reliable, forward-looking mortgage forecast is a strategic necessity. At iEmergent, we recently released an analysis that confirms our U.S. purchase mortgage forecasts continue to outperform publicly available forecasts such as those published by Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). For credit unions, this accuracy provides a clearer, more dependable view of where and when mortgage opportunity will emerge. Key Forecast Accuracy Highlights ...

The 2026 Strategic Audit

By Lyubomira Buresch posted 01-07-2026
The crossroads of 2025 and 2026 are behind us. We are now one week into the new year. The mist hasn't cleared, but we are moving. In my last post , I outlined the four paths that demand your attention. But knowing the path isn't the same as walking it. The difference between "planning" and "leading" in 2026 will come down to The First Mile—the specific decisions you make in Q1 to secure your footing. To navigate this first mile, you don't need more general advice. You need to audit your strategy against the cold, hard reality of the market. Here are the three metrics that will define whether you are building a fortress or just patching the ...

Top 5 Breakthroughs of 2025 and Why They Matter for 2026

By Lyndsey Hearn posted 12-22-2025
By Craig Rebmann During 2025, many of the most meaningful improvements we delivered started with conversations with credit unions. From executive road trips and advisory boards to onsite visits, podcasts and candid feedback from teams using our technology every day, this year was shaped by listening. We did not build in isolation. We built alongside credit unions, CUSOs, partners and operations teams who challenged assumptions and helped define where lending and servicing needed to go next. Here’s a look at the five priorities that rose to the top thanks to our credit unions partners. 1. Opening Our Ecosystem With the Developer Platform Among ...

A Smarter Kind of Stocking Stuffer: Market Intelligence Credit Unions Can Use in 2026

By Bernard Nossuli posted 12-15-2025
As credit unions wrap up the year, planning conversations naturally turn to what will matter most in 2026: where to grow, which partners to prioritize, and how to compete more effectively in a changing mortgage market. Just in time for those discussions, iEmergent has expanded its suite of market intelligence dashboards, offering credit unions a practical holiday “gift” in the form of clearer visibility into their markets, their competition, and the people shaping local lending activity. This latest release builds on the foundation iEmergent introduced earlier in the year with our Profile dashboards for loan officers, lenders, real estate agents, and builders ...

How Credit Unions Can Use Mortgage Opportunity Zones to Drive Growth

By Bernard Nossuli posted 11-12-2025
At the 2025 ACUMA Annual Conference, I shared a data-driven roadmap credit unions can use to capture new purchase opportunities in any market. Using the Denver metro area as an example, I demonstrated how local lenders like Westerra Credit Union and Ent Credit Union are turning market data into clear, focused growth strategies. This approach centers on mortgage opportunity zones (MOZs), which are defined areas where credit unions can focus their efforts to expand market share and strengthen community connections. This framework gives credit unions a practical way to find new mortgage opportunities, understand their competition, and invest strategically in ...

The 2026 Crossroads: 4 Decisions That Will Define Your Year

By Lyubomira Buresch posted 11-07-2025
As we stand at the crossroads of 2025 and 2026, the path forward for credit union leaders can feel as uncertain as a misty mountain trail. Finalizing your strategic plan now requires more than just setting goals; it demands Prioritization. And in this landscape, the only reliable guide is making Data-Driven Decisions. But data is more than just numbers. Data is and should be the source of true insight. It’s how you finally replace "I think" with "I know." As you stand at this junction, here are the four paths that demand your full attention. 1. How will mortgage consolidation affect credit unions in 2026? Industry consolidation from major lenders like ...

Innovation and readiness shine through at MBA Annual

By Lyndsey Hearn posted 10-28-2025
By Wes Horbatuck The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Annual Convention and Expo recently wrapped up in Las Vegas with a sense of optimism not felt in years. Energy and engagement across sessions, lounges and partner events were at an all-time high, a sign that the mortgage community, including the many credit unions serving members nationwide, is reconnecting and refocusing on what’s ahead. At Dark Matter, we’re especially grateful to all of our clients, and especially our credit union clients, who traveled to Las Vegas and stopped by to meet with our team. Your conversations and feedback made the event even more meaningful. Collaboration and partnership ...

U.S. Mortgage Growth in 2026 Signals Opportunity for Credit Unions

By Bernard Nossuli posted 10-27-2025
For credit unions looking ahead, the mortgage market appears poised for renewed energy and fresh opportunity. According to iEmergent ’s newly released 2025–2027 U.S. Mortgage Origination Forecast, originations will climb to $2.27 trillion in 2026, a 13% increase over 2025. The forecast calls for a rebound in refinance activity as well as modest purchase gains, trends driven by slowing economic growth and easing interest rates. This recovery presents a critical window for credit unions to expand their mortgage presence, serve more members, and capture renewed refinance opportunities. Key Forecast Highlights The 2026 outlook reflects a shifting economic ...

Sourcepoint/The StoneHill Group at MBA Annual 10/19-10/22/25

By Anthony Golden posted 10-07-2025
Mortgage 4.0: AI-Powered Execution at the Speed of Now. From surge-ready lending operations to agentic AI in collections, Mortgage 4.0 is built for execution—not experimentation. If your teams are still waiting on insights, you’re already behind. At MBA Annual 2025 (October 20–21, Fontainebleau Las Vegas), our executive team will host private sessions in Room Azure 2, 4th floor, with senior mortgage leaders to discuss how they are: • Accelerating lending with touchless mortgage workflows • Reducing investor risk with predictive, real-time compliance • Scaling with mortgage-trained global talent • Modernizing collections with digital-first, ...