Credit union executives said auto and mortgage lending are the first and second best opportunities for credit union growth in 2015.

The consumer data firm TransUnion released the survey at a Las Vegas meeting it is hosting this week for some of its credit union clients.

TransUnion said 142 credit union executives participated in the October 2014 questionnaire.

According to the firm, 45.8% of participating executives said auto lending provided credit unions their best growth opportunity in 2015, with 83.9% ranking auto lending among the top three growth opportunities. Just over one-fifth of the executives (22.5%) put mortgage lending at the top of their list, with 49.5% rating mortgage lending among the top three opportunities.

Credit card lending, small business lending and share drafts rounded out the list of the top five growth opportunities, the firm said.

“While auto loan performance in the last few years has been strong across the board, it is clear that credit union executives continue to value these loans going forward over other growth areas such as mortgages, credit cards and home equity lines of credit,” Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion's financial services business unit said. “Overall delinquency levels for auto loans remain low and demand for autos is high, so the reasoning makes sense. In the longer term, we might anticipate greater focus on mortgage and HELOC growth as home values continue their upswing, but for now the auto loan is king.”

The Las Vegas meeting, which TransUnion closed to the media, offered credit unions an opportunity to share their lending and operational challenges with TransUnion and explore the way the firm's research and data can help solve them.

“We don't invite the press to the meeting because we want our clients to feel comfortable sharing their challenges with us and we fear they would feel less comfortable doing so if they knew a reporter was in the room,” Becker said.

Instant Insights /

Auto Loans, Mortgages Top 2015 Growth Opportunities

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