Navigating 2026: Advocacy, Partnership, and the Future of Credit Unions

We map a fast-moving year for credit unions with Defense Credit Union Council's President and CEO, Anthony Hernandez. From defending the tax exemption to tackling credit card legislation, launching CU Unplugged, and deepening partnerships that deliver real education and value, the focus stays on veterans, member outcomes, and moving faster than the narrative. 

In this episode, we explore:

• Early mobilization to protect the tax exemption, address risks of a 10% credit card rate cap and routing mandates, and pursue regulatory relief in coalition with community banks.
• Continued efforts on liquidity support, CDFI engagement, and extending longer loan terms.
• Strategic partnership with ALM First to scale education, expansion of webinars, and exploration of a potential DCUC rebrand.
• Launch of the "CU Unplugged Unconference" in San Francisco for the activation of DCUC Regional sub councils. 
• Election-year onboarding of new lawmakers using localized credit union stories to build relationships.

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Stage And Intros
• 1:08 What DCUC Is And Who It Serves
• 3:25 Protecting The Tax Exemption
• 6:08 Why Advocacy Must Move Fast
• 8:22 Formalizing The ALM First Partnership
• 10:16 Scaling Impact With Strategic Partners
• 12:17 Education, M&A, And Tech Topics
• 13:32 CU Unplugged: A No-Agenda Experiment
• 16:16 The Future Of Money And Futurists
• 19:02 2026 Advocacy Priorities On Credit Cards
• 22:13 Building Coalitions And Regulatory Relief
• 24:24 Expanding Access And Liquidity Efforts
• 27:05 Election Year Turnover And Messaging