WASHINGTON — The NCUA will upload credit union membership data during regular examinations and take extraordinary steps to ensure the confidentiality of information, the agency said in a letter to credit unions. The agency will use geo-coding software to generate a membership income profile.

The software will determine the census tract for each member account, extract median family income information from the U.S. Census Bureau, and create individual FCU membership profiles. It is implementing a rules change approved by the board last May, as a way to attain additional data after criticisms from some in Congress that credit unions weren't doing enough to serve underserved areas.

The agency noted that examiners' computers are password protected and the examination data is encrypted. After the examination, the examiner destroys loan and share data downloads. While the reports may contain member data, they are considered confidential and exempt from public disclosure.