Planned 2023 Merger Could Create Wyoming’s Second Largest Credit Union

The proposed merger of Reliant Federal Credit Union with UniWyo Federal Credit Union will create Wyoming’s second largest financial cooperative by early 2023, if approved by members and regulators.

The combined organization, announced last month, will manage $697 million in assets and eight branches that serve nearly 50,000 members across the Equality State. Currently, the state’s second largest financial cooperative is the $671 million Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union in Cheyenne, and Wyoming’s largest credit union is the $1.7 billion Blue Federal Credit Union, according to Deposit Accounts.com.

“Long-term growth and the ability to best serve the state of Wyoming has always been and will continue to be our goal. This merger will benefit our membership and employees and will allow us to continue our long history of community involvement,” Steve Higginson, president/CEO of the Casper-based Reliant, said in a prepared statement. “UniWyo and Reliant share similar beliefs when it comes to charitable donations and giving back to the communities we serve.”

If approved by the NCUA and Reliant members, the merged credit unions will operate under the UniWyo brand.

“UniWyo and Reliant’s missions are already similar and together we will maintain the notion of bettering people’s lives and always putting people first,” Dave Krause, president/CEO of the Laramie-based UniWyo, said in a prepared statement. “We are incredibly excited to come together as one organization, to get to know all of our employees across all markets, and to reach more neighborhoods in Wyoming.”

The credit unions said the consolidation is expected to be completed in early 2023.