CU Times recently reported the NCUA approved 54 mergers across 30 states during the first quarter of 2016, a significant increase over the 41 mergers approved during the same period in 2015.

While most industry experts expect the number of credit union mergers to stay within the range of 200 to 250 in 2016, as they have since 2011, insiders like Glenn Christensen, president of the CEO Advisors Group, believe that despite a shrinking pool of available credit unions, more institutions will pursue mergers and acquisitions as a preferred strategy to ensure their own continued growth in the future.

Because all credit unions, at their core, have a similar philosophy with respect to the way in which they treat members and return profits to them, credit union mergers and acquisitions typically tend to be relatively smooth affairs. Still, acquirers will have to overcome many of the same barriers to successful mergers that exist in other industries, all of which have the potential to disrupt operations, fuel vendor unrest and spur member defections.