If yours is one of the NCUA's newly designated low-income credit unions, congratulations.

You've just received access to important tools that can be leveraged for growth, tools and options that aren't available to all credit unions like access to secondary capital and relief from the member business lending cap.

It shouldn't be surprising that nearly one-third of all credit unions are now designated as low-income by the NCUA. The Great Recession has taken a toll on Americans across this country. The economic realities facing consumers and the regulatory relief available to the credit unions that actively serve low- to moderate-income consumers represent an opportunity for growth and social impact.