Most of us can agree that we didn't begin our careers with credit unions because it was a way to get rich but because the movement is something we believe in. We offer an empowering alternative that allows members to take control of their financial situations. Another key point, at least for me, is that we consider it part of our mission to improve the communities we serve.

However, this past year has left me questioning what the movement will look like in the future. Factors such as failing credit unions, NCUA assessments and now the potential loss of 70% or more of our debit interchange income threaten to alter the movement to which many have devoted their careers.

In the aftermath of the Dodd-Frank Act, I spoke with a number of people who questioned whether we should have expended so much political capital to fight the Durbin amendment. The recent Fed-proposed rule on interchange has me thinking that may not be the right question. Perhaps we should be asking if we really have as much political capital as we thought.