For the first time, two NCUA board members said credit unionswould likely receive a rebate from the stabilization fund after2021.

A third board member, however, is not as optimistic.

“If our Guaranteed Notes continue to out-perform projections,and if NCUA continues to secure recoveries from litigation andsettlements, NCUA will likely be able to provide a rebate after2021,” NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz told Credit Union TimesThursday.

The NCUA announced Feb. 12 that the remaining projectedcorporate assessment range currently runs from negative $1.9billion to negative $400 million. That means, the agency said,future corporate assessments are unlikely, as long as both ends ofthe range remain negative.

Board Member Rick Metsger was even more optimistic about apotential corporate assessment rebate.

“There is a strong likelihood that in a number of years,certainly when this chapter closes in 2021, that is a realpossibility,” he said on Thursday.

“We always have to prepare for contingencies. We don't know whatthe economic climate is going to be for the next six years, but thedirection is moving in a positive way,” he added.

However, Board Member Michael Fryzel, who originally worked withCongress and the U.S. Treasury to create the corporatestabilization fund, said credit unions should not anticipatereceiving any rebates.

“From day one, I've always said that credit unions should notlook forward to receiving any money back. Now as time goes on,again this is a point of time that we look at these numbers and wesay, 'okay, things are going well, and conceivably there may nothave to be any more assessments,'” he said on Thursday.

“All this would then be paid off and maybe, maybe – sometime along way into the future – there may be some money that's still inthe fund that we don't have to use any more, and it will go back tocredit unions. I don't think they should anticipate ever receivinganything back,” he added.