Schools Financial Announces Last Pre-Merger Dividend

California CU is among six with special year-end rebates.

Schools Financial Credit Union of Sacramento, Calif., will issue its last special dividend before its acquisition by California’s largest credit union Jan. 1.

Schools Financial ($2.1 billion, 158,759 members) said it will pay members $4 million by Dec. 31 as special dividends. The amount represents about $25 per member and 19 bps of its 12-month ROA of 1.73%.

The dividends are in addition to $6.75 million it estimates its members will save each year through lower loan rates, higher deposit rates and lower fees after its Jan. 1 merger with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union of Santa Ana, Calif. ($16.1 billion, 920,031 members).

Starting Jan. 1, the former state-charter credit union will go by “Schools Financial, a division of SchoolsFirst FCU.” It will adopt its parent’s name when its integration with Schools First is complete, which is expected by fall 2020.

Based on Sept. 30 assets, SchoolsFirst would remain the nation’s fifth-largest credit union, but with about $18.2 billion in post-merger assets it will become much closer in size to No. 4, BECU of Seattle ($21.8 billion, 1.2 million members).

Schools Financial is among six credit unions announcing $8.9 million in special dividends to 340,098 members in December. The rebates represent about $26 per member and 20 bps of their returns of 1.17% on $4.5 billion in average assets for the 12 months ending Sept. 30. The other five are:

So far this season, 18 credit unions ($51 billion, 3.6 million members) have announced $152.7 million in special dividends. The amount represents about $42 per member and 31 bps of their 12-month ROA of 1.12%.