What Will Your Credit Union's Net Worth-to-Assets Ratio Look Like in 2012?

WASHINGTON – Many factors drive the range of net worth-to-assets ratios for credit unions including having the means to navigate away from prompt corrective action. NAFCU has a little known secret on figuring out the relationship between asset growth, return on average assets (ROA) and the net worth ratio. The association’s Research & Analysis Division has developed a calculator, using Microsoft Excel, which can determine a credit union’s 10-year net worth ratio. The calculator has been on the site for nearly a year, said Dr. Tun Wai, NAFCU’s director of research and analysis and senior economist. The tool allows credit unions to plug in numbers and instantly get net worth results for each year up to 2012. The calculator uses 10.8% as the default net worth ratio for an “average” credit union, an ROA of 1.1% and asset growth of 9.7%. Using those numbers, a credit union would have a net worth ratio of 11.5% after 10 years. Wai said to improve the 10-year net worth ratio further, the credit union can increase its ROA or reduce its asset growth. By increasing ROA to 1.2%, for instance, while holding asset growth at 9.7%, the ending net worth ratio after 10 years would be 12.1%. If the asset growth rate decreased to 5%, while holding ROA at 1.1%, the ending net worth ratio would be 15.3%. The calculator requires Excel and can be found under the `Economic Trends/Analysis’ link at www.nafcu.org.