By Frank J. Diekmann
We’re suckers at the CU Daily for a bad pun, as we often tell readers we will “CU Daily.” But we mean that in more than just the obvious respect. Yes, we expect to see readers every day who come to TheCUDaily.com or receive the morning newsletter for their industry-leading content, but we also want to see you! Not just every day, but next week and next year and beyond
Sadly, there won’t be much seeing going on if your credit union isn’t around to be seen. And that’s why we’ve launched The Profitability Imperative, built around a clear and unavoidable theme:
“The Sustainability Reset: Mission Requires Margin.”
This initiative is a direct response to what the data—and our readers—are telling us and what we have been reporting.
Trend Line in Wrong Direction
As you likely already know, across the country, too many credit unions under $1 billion in assets are struggling to generate sustainable profitability. Membership growth is negative. Loan growth is slowing. And for many, mergers are increasingly viewed as the only remaining option—not because they want to merge, but because they don’t see another viable path forward.
At the same time, CEOs, executives, board members, and readers throughout the credit union community have been telling The CU Daily they want more than headlines. They want guidance. They want ideas. And they want practical insight into how credit unions can reset, adapt, and grow again.
That’s what we’ve set out to provide in the Profitability Imperative.
And there’s more to this initiative than just reporting on balance sheet strategies, culture, cost-cutting, revenue and the business of credit unions. effort to this initiative reflects something we believe deeply: The CU Daily is more than a news organization. We have an obligation to give back to a credit union movement that has supported us, challenged us, and made our work possible.
About the P Word
That’s where The Profitability Imperative comes in and, yes, I’ve already spoken with more than a few folks about how we wrestled with that word, profitability. It sounds like an anathema to the soul of the “movement.” So, let’s be clear about what this is—and what it is not.
We fully believe in, and proudly support, the credit union ethos: “Not for profit. Not for charity. But for service.”
But service is not sustainable without margin.
A credit union that cannot generate consistent profitability cannot invest, cannot innovate, cannot grow—and ultimately cannot serve its member-owners. Even credit unions posting positive numbers on their 5300s are, in many cases, seeing declining loan balances and shrinking memberships.
That trajectory is not sustainable.
Not for members.
Not for credit unions.
And not for the industry.
What to Expect from The Profitability Imperative
Where should credit unions be turning for the resources and leadership they need: Our answer is simple: each other.
To that end, and recognizing that credit unions are cooperatives, and cooperation doesn’t stop at the branch door, through The Profitability Imperative, The CU Daily will focus on real-world ideas—large and small—that improve sustainability and strengthen the bottom line.
It’s About What Works
This is not about abstract theories or 30,000-foot generalities.
It’s about what works. And that’s where you come in. Share your ideas. Strategies. What’s worked for you. Cut an expense? Found an efficiency? Discovered a new revenue stream? Boosted productivity with a new culture? It doesn’t have to some seven-figure gain that leads the board to renaming the credit union in your honor. We want to hear about it and share it. Share your lessons and experiences by emailing me at [email protected].
Throughout 2026 we will be compiling all sorts of related reporting and resources. We want your voice to be part of the Profitability Imperative. And if there are enough voices, we will “CU Daily.”
Frank J. Diekmann is Cooperator in Chief at the CU Daily.
