Chartway Credit Union forms CUSO to build fintech partnerships

Chartway Credit Union has formed a new credit union service organization called Chartway Ventures that will invest in fintechs that complement its operations.

Brian Schools, Chartway Credit Union’s president and CEO, said developing its own CUSO will drive innovation.

"These investments will be carefully chosen for their innovative approach, scalability, compatibility with Chartway's operations and potential for strong economic returns for credit union members," the Virginia Beach, Virginia-based company said in the release.

The $2.6 billion-asset Chartway brought together several industry experts to serve on the CUSO's volunteer board, including Steve Warnecke as its chairman. 

Warnecke, a Chartway Credit Union board director, is a media executive with more than 20 years of domestic and international experience in TV program distribution, media sales, sponsorship and management in both broadcast and cable. 

"We're all very excited to see the impact Chartway Ventures will have on the credit union community," Brian Schools, Chartway Credit Union's president and CEO, said in the release. "Developing our own CUSO will allow us to drive innovation, foster collaboration, generate revenue and reduce costs, all of which help better serve our members."

The National Credit Union Administration recently indicated that it wants to regain its authority over third-party vendors — including credit union service organizations — that expired at the end of 2001. The NCUA conducts "CUSO reviews" and can currently only make recommendations to those groups. 

More than 1,000 CUSOs are in operation today including one newly unveiled by Glia.

Glia, a financial technology firm based in New York, recently launched a CUSO that enlists the financial backing and expertise of several credit union clients from various asset classes.

Chartway Credit Union earned $9.4 million in 2022, a 28% decrease compared with a year earlier, according to call report data from the National Credit Union Administration.

Chartway serves more than 200,000 members with branches in Utah, Texas and Virginia.

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