Welcoming New NACUSO CEO Randy Salser

Credit Union Service Organizations are evolving rapidly, and NACUSO's new CEO, Randy Salser, discusses the future of CUSO collaboration in this episode of Credit Union Conversations with host Mark Ritter. Salser shares insights on credit union innovation, the critical 1% capital rule restricting CUSO investments, and NACUSO's advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. The discussion covers member business lending, fintech partnerships, and how credit unions can leverage CUSO’s to gain a competitive advantage. Salser emphasizes that collaboration remains the credit union movement's superpower, highlighting upcoming initiatives, including the reimagined NACUSO conference and regional roundtables to foster year-round credit union networking.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

✅ How the 1% capital rule restricts credit union investments in CUSOs and limits stablecoin opportunities, member business lending initiatives, and other CUSO activities that could help credit unions compete with larger financial institutions.

✅ NACUSO's advocacy strategy focuses on CUSO model protection, third-party vendor oversight, and collaborating with America's Credit Unions and DCUC to address regulatory challenges while playing both offense and defense on Capitol Hill.

✅ The reimagined NACUSO conference format features intentional tracks, educational content on CUSO formation, regional roundtables, and collaborative networking opportunities that extend credit union engagement beyond annual events.

✅ How credit union collaboration through CUSOs enables innovation, risk mitigation, and scale that individual institutions struggle to achieve alone, with opportunities for credit unions, CUSOs, and fintechs to partner strategically.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Randy Salser, new NACUSO CEO, explains the history and how credit union collaboration through the CUSO model drives credit union innovation over 40 years

03:39 Randy shares his professional background

06:10 NACUSO advocacy on Capitol Hill addressing the 1% capital rule, Genius Act, stablecoins, and member business lending restrictions

13:02 April 2026 reimagined NACUSO conference in Orlando featuring educational tracks on CUSO formation, regional roundtables, and credit union networking

16:20 Randy shares his vision for the future of the CUSO

22:30 Credit union industry consolidation from 14,000 to 4,400 institutions and evolution of trade associations navigating CUSO complexity with fintechs and private equity

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

✅ The arbitrary 1% capital rule severely limits credit union investment capacity across ALL CUSO activities collectively—from stablecoins to insurance to member business lending—preventing credit unions from competing with mega players like Coinbase, Amazon, and Meta in emerging financial services.

✅ NACUSO is transforming from an annual event organization into a year-round credit union community platform with regional roundtables, modern educational resources, webinars, and collaborative opportunities that connect credit unions, CUSOs, and fintechs for strategic partnership development.

✅ Credit union industry consolidation — from 14,000 to 4,400 institutions — demands that trade associations deliver speed, clarity, and actionable data while cutting through complexity. NACUSO's unique positioning focuses on CUSO-specific advocacy and collaborative innovation as the movement's competitive superpower.

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