Interest rates have been holding steady for months, but a new article from Southwest Corporate's Asset Liability Management Services urges credit unions to position themselves for the inevitability of rising rates.
"Interest rates are expected to rise at some point in the future," said Mark DeBree, manager of ALM Services for Southwest Corporate. "So the question all should ask is, 'Is our balance sheet well positioned if interest rates were to begin rising tomorrow?' Being prepared is ultimately what NCUA regulators have been trying to drive home to credit unions for several years."
Sound risk management processes allow a credit union to monitor risk exposures and enact a balance sheet strategy when needed, DeBree said, and keeps interest rate risk from threaten earnings and capital.
To read or download a copy of the four-page "Managing Interest Rate Risk" article, visit www.swcorp.org.
