Annual Survey of Bank and Credit Union Executives Reveals Top Priorities, Concerns

Core Insights - Financial institutions are focusing on operational efficiency, growth in deposits and loans, and combating fraud amid economic uncertainty [1][2] Group 1: Strategic Priorities - Banks prioritize growing deposits, increasing operational efficiency, and expanding loans [7] - Credit unions emphasize increasing operational efficiency, growing loans, and acquiring new accountholders [7] Group 2: Leading Concerns - Banks are primarily concerned with net interest margin compression, fraud losses, and talent acquisition/retention [7] - Credit unions are most worried about fraud losses, attracting younger accountholders, and cyberattacks [7] Group 3: Technology Investments - 76% of banks and credit unions plan to increase technology investments over the next two years, with a third expecting a 6% to 10% increase in tech spending [2] - Both banks and credit unions are investing in digital banking, fraud prevention, and automation to enhance user experience and address rising cyber threats [7] - Credit unions are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI), while banks have significantly increased their AI investments compared to last year [7] Group 4: Small Business Services - 80% of banks and credit unions plan to expand services for small businesses over the next two years, up from 78% in 2024 and 65% in 2023 [7] - The top planned services for small businesses include payments, digital service tools, and credit/lending [7] Group 5: Payment Services - 89% of financial institutions plan to introduce new payment services over the next two years, with FedNow® being the top priority [7] - Other payment priorities include digital card issuance, same-day ACH, and contactless cards [7]