Last week, the National Credit Union Administration announced that the public budget hearing for the proposed 2026-2027 budget had been scheduled for November 6. On October 24, they changed the date to November 5th at 1:00 pm Eastern. The deadline for comments on the budget has remained November 7. The proposed budget for 2026, which can be found on the NCUA website, is dramatically smaller than the organization’s 2025 budget, coming in at a 20.6 percent reduction.
The proposal also includes a “34 percent reduction to contracted services budgets, reflecting the NCUA’s efforts to lower its total spending pursuant to the Administration’s directives.” The NCUA has come under criticism in recent years for its ballooning budget the last decade, though the primary driver of the reductions to this year’s budget can be attributed to the “Administration’s directives.” Reductions in force and voluntary separation programs have already resulted in millions of dollars saved for the organization.
Organizations like America’s Credit Unions have lauded the NCUA for its continued transparency, but request further clarification on how the reductions to staff and structure will affect all areas of its operation: “America’s Credit Unions encourages the NCUA to provide a clear description of the anticipated changes to its organizational structure, including how they are expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs.”
The NCUA has also withdrawn its November 20, 2025 board meeting with its December 18, 2025 marked tentative on its official calendar. This comes following the withdrawal of its October board meeting. The November board meeting marks the fifth of the year either withdrawn or cancelled following the removal of board members Todd Harper and Tanya Otsuka. As the courts sort out whether the removal was legal, those following the NCUA can likely expect more meetings to be withdrawn or cancelled.
