Mortgage lending among credit unions rose 1.7% to $240.3 billion in the second quarter from $236.4 billion in the previous quarter, the National Credit Union Administration said Friday.
When compared to annualized fourth quarter 2011 figures, mortgage originations increased 6.3% in the second quarter.
“The credit union industry’s performance further strengthened in almost every category,” said NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz. “Assets, earnings, and net worth rose, as charge-offs, bankruptcy filings, and loan loss reserves declined.”
Gains in membership at credit unions continued in the second quarter, increasing by 643,322 individuals. It is a record high for the industry, whose 93.1 million members deposited an additional $2.7 billion in savings at credit unions in the quarter.
While membership and total savings grew, the overall number of federally insured credit unions inched downward from 7,019 to 6,960 during the second quarter.
Total loans by credit unions have increased for five consecutive quarters. Credit unions booked $581.7 billion in outstanding total loans in the second quarter, up 1.7% from the previous three months.
The industry originated more loans in every category except “other real estate loans,” according to a NCUA data sheet. Lending in that area also shrunk 1.7% to $76.5 billion in the second quarter from $77.8 billion in the first.
Credit unions are in the midst of combing through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent loan originator compensation and qualification proposals. They hope the bureau will consider the unique structure of credit unions and won’t apply the same rules evenly across the residential mortgage lending landscape.
“Certainly, we are taking a close look at the qualification requirements (for originators) under the proposed rule with respect to mortgage loan originators,” said Jared Ihrig, senior assistant general counsel for the Credit Union National Association.
