NCUA Board Approves 2025–2026 Budget and Succession Planning Final Rule

The National Credit Union Administration announced via a Dec. 17, 2024, Board Action Bulletin that the board approved the agency’s 2025–2026 operating budgets and a final rule on succession planning.

2025-2026 Operating Budgets

Combined, the 2025 Operating, Capital, and Share Insurance Fund administrative budgets will be $395.4 million and 1,255 staff positions. The combined budget for 2026 is $419.5 million, with 1,263 staff positions. 

The year-over-year increase in the 2025 budget is 2.5%. The 2026 budget increase is 6.1%. 

Additional information can be found in the Board Action Memorandum and on the Budget and Supplementary Materials web page on NCUA’s website.

Succession Planning Final Rule

The NCUA board unanimously approved a final rule that will require federally insured credit union boards of directors to establish a written succession plan that addresses specified positions vital to the credit union's operation and management, and regularly review these plans to ensure they are current. The final rule also requires newly appointed members of the board to be familiar with those plans within six months of their appointment. 

Smaller credit unions can develop succession plans by leveraging the succession plan template included in this rulemaking, getting assistance through the Small Credit Union and Minority Depository Institutions Support Program, and completing online training available through the NCUA’s Learning Management System.

To help ensure that federally insured credit unions have the necessary time to develop their succession plans, the effective date of the final rule is Jan. 1, 2026.