The NCUA Board presided over a monthly board meeting Feb. 21 that concerned mostly positive news for credit unions. Two new rules that expand investment powers and field of membership reach were approved. And year-end share insurance statistics showed improved CAMEL scores and legacy asset performance.

An approved final rule will expand the maximum threshold for rural district field of membership populations to 250,000, an increase over the current 200,000 maximum. The rule also includes a new caveat that the district not exceed 3% of the state's total population.

Chairman Debbie Matz said when the board revised the limit in 2010, it wrestled with settling upon an appropriate number and chose 200,000 thinking it could be revised if needed. Credit unions in high-population states like Texas, New York and California told the NCUA it was too restrictive. And, Matz said she met one credit union CEO in South Dakota who said the limit kept him from serving a nearby Native American reservation. Reservations are typically financially underserved, Matz said, so raising the limit is a "move in the right direction" toward fulfilling the rule's intent to serve underserved areas, as well as showing responsiveness to credit union feedback.