Credit unions, generally speaking, tend to be fairly conservative in most everything they do. The reasons for this are multifold. They have a fiduciary duty to the members who build the capital in the organization so it can function and continue operating for years to come; they aren't looking to make a quick buck for shareholders. Credit unions can also focus on bettering the financial lives of their members because they are nonprofits.

Being conservative is not always best, but it has helped credit unions maintain the integrity and dignity of the industrywide brand. Those that have strayed too far from their roots or put all their eggs in one basket to chase the almighty dollar, like Norlarco Credit Union and Cal State 9 Credit Union, have been harshly hammered by reality. The Centrix fiasco is another prime–no pun intended–example of credit unions having their eyes on the prize rather than solid due diligence and being sent through the ringer.

According to Callahan & Associates, credit unions experienced a 53% jump in first mortgage originations and the fastest share growth in four years in the first quarter of 2008. This is specifically due to credit unions' long-term vision and not only focusing on their financials today but where they want to be two, five and ten years down the road. Evidence of that is in federally insured credit unions' aggregate 0.60% return on assets, according to NCUA, a figure unheard of before the agency's famous and much-hailed ROA letter.