The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has announced a significant change in its policy regarding the publication of overdraft and non-sufficient fund (NSF) fee income for individual credit unions. Chairman Kyle S. Hauptman revealed that, starting with the March 31, 2025 Call Report cycle, the NCUA will cease publishing this data for individual credit unions and will instead collect it during supervisory examinations.
Chairman Hauptman explained that while there is “a well-intentioned movement aimed at protecting consumers from excessive fees,” there are also “unintended consequences” to consider. He noted that the previous data collection policy might have discouraged credit unions from serving low-income and underserved communities. According to him, these fees can sometimes be “the best option in a bad situation,” helping individuals save money and protect their credit scores.
The announcement was made during a fireside chat with Jim Nussle, President & CEO of America’s Credit Unions, at the 2025 Governmental Affairs Conference. Under the former policy, federally insured credit unions with over $1 billion in assets had to disclose income from overdraft and NSF fees separately, making this information publicly available both individually and in aggregate form.
With the new policy shift, the NCUA plans to continue publishing aggregated data on these fees once updates to its examination system are completed. Chairman Hauptman emphasized that “our regulatory framework should protect consumers from predatory practices without depriving them of the financial tools they need.”
Hauptman also touched on what he termed “true financial inclusion,” advocating for reducing barriers to new credit unions and alleviating issues that have led to a decline in small credit unions. He stated that relieving regulatory burdens on smaller or newly formed credit unions is crucial for their survival.
The NCUA is an independent federal agency responsible for regulating federal credit unions and managing the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures deposits for more than 135 million account holders across federal and most state-chartered credit unions.
For further details or media inquiries, contact Joe Adamoli at JAdamoli@ncua.gov or call 703-518-6572.
