Credit Unions: A Theoretical and Empirical Overview
78 Pages Posted: 5 Nov 2010
Date Written: November 4, 2010
Abstract
In 2009 there were over 49,330 credit unions across 98 countries with more than 184 million members and approximately $1,354 billion in assets. There is a great diversity within the credit union movement across these countries. This reflects the various economic, historic and cultural contexts within which credit unions operate. This paper traces the evolution of the credit union movement. It examines credit union objectives, and considers issues relating to efficiency, technology adoption, product diversification, merger, failure and demutualisation. The regulatory environment within which credit unions operate is also explored under the themes of interest rate regulation, common bond requirements, taxation, deposit insurance and capital regulation. The overview also considers demutualisation and the costs and benefits to credit unions of altering their organisational form.
Keywords: Credit unions, common bond, efficiency, technology, diversification, merger and failure, regulation
JEL Classification: G21
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
Consolidation in the US Credit Union Sector: Determinants of Failure and Acquisition
By John Goddard, Donal G. Mckillop, ...
-
Regulatory Change and Capital Adjustment of Financial Institutions
By John Goddard, Donal G. Mckillop, ...
-
The Evolution of Cost-Productivity and Efficiency Among U.S. Credit Unions
By David C. Wheelock and Paul W. Wilson
-
Credit Unions as Liquidity Creators
By Elisabeta Pana and Tarun K. Mukherjee
-
Are Profitable Microfinance Programs Less Efficient at Reaching the Poor? A Case Study in Cambodia
By Andrew Crawford, Michael T. Skully, ...