A Smarter Way to Approach Credit Union Mergers
Helping credit unions achieve growth, stability & member impact through smarter mergers
Mergers Are a Growing Trend—But How Can Credit Unions Navigate Them Effectively?
Number of U.S. Credit Unions (1970-2024)
The number of credit unions continues to decline due to market pressures, regulatory burdens, and shifting member expectations.
Challenges in Traditional Mergers:
Many mergers are negotiated behind closed doors, leaving little transparency or competitive process.
Lack of transparency and objectivity in the negotiation process
Limited access to potential merger partners beyond personal networks
Difficulty determining if a merger will truly benefit members
Credit unions need a better, data-driven way to evaluate mergers based on mission, financial alignment, and member impact.
Introducing CUCollaborate’s Merger Network
Our Merger Network revolutionizes how credit unions approach mergers by leveraging data and analytics to match the right partners based on mission, financial alignment, and member needs.
Personal Network
Limited personal network
Non-Competitive Process
Non-Standard Process
Lack of Objective / Biased Advice
Lack of Transparency
Merger Network
Consider hundreds of candidates
Competitive Process
Standard Process
Objective / Unbiased Advice
Full Transparency
Unlike traditional processes, our network is transparent, competitive, and data-driven.
How We’re Different
The old merger model relies on closed-door deals. We built a network that flips the script.
01
Decision Making
Diligence Upfront
We conduct in-depth financial, regulatory, and operational analysis to ensure potential partners align with your credit union’s goals—saving you time, reducing risk, and streamlining the decision-making process.
02
Account Level Data
Data-Driven Approach
We analyze account-level data, business models, and technology stacks to match the best merger partners for you.
03
Partner Pool
Unmatched Visibility
Get access to hundreds of potential partners, rather than a limited network through personal connections.
04
Impact Accessment
Member-Centric Mergers
We assess how a merger would impact real members–including interest rates, lending policies, and financial benefits.
05
Explore Opportunities
Anonymity
You can explore merger opportunities without committing resources upfront or revealing your interest publicly.
06
Data-Backed Recommendations
Objective, Unbiased Insights
Unlike traditional approaches, we provide data-backed recommendations, not opinions.
Join the only merger network designed specifically for credit unions—driven by data, built for transparency, and focused on the right fit for your credit union’s future.
Join the NetworkHow We Identify the Best-Fit Merger Partner
Not all mergers are created equal—finding the right strategic partner requires more than just asset size and geography. Our Merger Network goes deeper, leveraging proprietary data to assess how well a continuing credit union would serve the merging credit union’s members across key financial and operational factors.
Partner
Data & Analysis
Credit Union
Ensuring the Right Fit
Fit matters. We go beyond surface-level metrics to find partners who align with your goals, network, and members’ needs.
Data-Driven
Matching
We analyze business models, field of membership, technology stacks, and financial structures to identify the most compatible merger partners
Service Network Alignment
We assess which credit unions have the infrastructure and service network that would best support a merging credit union’s members
Member Benefit Analysis
The member benefit analysis quantifies the dollar benefit to a merging credit union’s members by evaluating loan pricing, deposit rates, and financial product accessibility in a potential merger
Each merger member benefit analysis is uniquely tailored, evaluating a range of key factors to provide a comprehensive, data-driven comparison.
Example
Interest Rates for Borrowers
We analyze the interest rates charged by the merging credit union and the potential continuing credit union across credit scores.
Example
Loan Distribution Analysis
We examine loan distribution across credit scores at the merging credit union and the potential continuing credit union.
How It Works
We streamline the merger process for both merging credit unions and continuing credit unions to create a more efficient, fair, and informed decision-making process.
For Merging Credit Unions
Step 1
Data Upload & Mapping
Provide AIRES file uploads and code mapping
Step 2
Ideal Candidate Analysis
Complete a survey to determine your requirements and cultural fit
Step 3
Matchmaking
Model
We perform a detailed analysis on your data to rank potential merger partners and reach out to ideal candidates.
Step 4
Determine Finalists
Select 3-5 potential partners for facilitated introductions
For Continuing Credit Unions
Step 1
Data Upload & Mapping
Provide AIRES file uploads and code mapping
Step 2
Ideal Candidate Analysis
Complete a survey to determine your requirements and cultural fit
Step 3
Initial
Outreach
We reach out to potential partners based on your ideal candidate analysis
Step 4
Merger Pitches
Participate in introductory calls and detailed analysis presentations to assess potential partners
Mergers of Equals:
A Unique Path to Strategic Growth
While many credit unions pursue mergers as a means of expansion, some find mergers of equals (MOEs) to be a powerful strategy for long-term sustainability. Unlike traditional mergers, where one credit union absorbs another, an MOE is a true partnership—allowing both institutions to maintain influence, retain cultural identity, and combine strengths to better serve their members.
Why Consider a Merger of Equals?
MOEs are gaining momentum among mid-sized credit unions as a way to achieve:
Stronger Financial Positioning – Shared investments in technology, marketing, and operational efficiencies
Balanced Governance & Leadership – A structured approach to integrating leadership while preserving institutional values
Enhanced Member Benefits – Expanded services, improved pricing, and greater community impact
Meet Our Experts
Our team brings decades of experience in credit union mergers, strategic planning, and financial modeling.
Kevin McBreen
Advisory Director, Merger Advisory
Sam Brownell
Founder & CEO
Luis G. Dopico
Chief Economist
Chris Tissue
Chief Operating Officer, Head of Consulting
Join the Merger Network Today
Uncover how the Merger Network can pinpoint your best-fit merger partner.
