Number of credit unions in the U.S. 2016-2023, by assets

The number of credit unions in the United States declined, but the number of credit unions managing assets exceeding one billion U.S. dollars increased during the period from 2016 to 2023. In 2016, there were 272 credit unions that large, but the number increased to 432 at the end of 2023.   What is a credit union? Credit unions are created, owned, and run by their participants, and they perform many of the same functions that banks do. The total value of assets in such institutions increased steadily in recent years, making them a significant slice of the country's overall banking assets. However, since they are individually quite small, they have two disadvantages due to economies of scale. They have fewer funds to invest and fewer legal resources. While the major commercial banks have entire legal divisions, credit unions must navigate a similar regulatory framework with a much smaller team. Economies of scope While the economies of scale often work against credit unions, economies of scope work in their favor. Since they are typically based in smaller communities, they can tailor their products more specifically to local needs. This keeps millions of members banking at these institutions.

美国信用合作社的数量在2016年至2023年期间呈现下降趋势，然而，管理资产超过十亿美元信用合作社的数量却有所上升。2016年，此类大型信用合作社共有272家，而到了2023年底，这一数字增至432家。何谓信用合作社？信用合作社由其参与者创建、拥有并运营，它们执行与银行诸多相同的职能。近年来，此类机构资产总价值稳步增长，使其成为该国总体银行资产的重要组成部分。然而，由于规模经济的限制，它们在资金投资和法律资源方面存在两大劣势。它们拥有的资金投资较少，且法律资源有限。尽管大型商业银行拥有完整的法律部门，但信用合作社在面临相似的监管框架时，却必须依靠规模远小的团队进行应对。范围经济虽然规模经济往往对信用合作社不利，但范围经济却为其提供了助力。鉴于它们通常建立在较小的社区中，信用合作社能够更具体地针对当地需求调整其产品，从而使得数百万会员选择在这些机构进行银行业务。