Data Methodology

Primary Data Source

All data comes from the NCUA 5300 Call Report - the official quarterly financial filing submitted by every federally-insured credit union to the National Credit Union Administration. This is public domain data filed with the federal government, available through NCUA's open data portal.

Data Vintage

PlainCU maintains three annual snapshots: Q4 2023, Q4 2024, and Q4 2025. The primary display reflects Q4 2025 (the most recent available). Historical Q4 data enables year-over-year trend analysis. The NCUA releases quarterly Call Report data approximately 30–60 days after each quarter end.

Processing Pipeline

  1. NCUA 5300 Call Report bulk data files are downloaded from the NCUA public data portal for Q4 of each year.
  2. Records are filtered to natural person (retail) credit unions, excluding corporate and wholesale credit unions.
  3. Key financial metrics are extracted: total assets, total shares (deposits), total loans, net worth, return on assets, delinquency rate, and member count.
  4. Health scores are computed using a composite of five NCUA-standard metrics.
  5. Year-over-year change metrics are calculated by joining Q4 snapshots across years.
  6. All data is loaded into a structured SQLite database serving credit union profiles, state pages, and comparison tools.

Health Score Methodology

The composite health score (0–100) is based on five key financial metrics that NCUA examiners use to assess credit union safety and soundness:

  • Net worth ratio - Capital adequacy relative to total assets. Well-capitalized threshold: ≥7%.
  • Delinquency rate - Loans 60+ days delinquent as a percentage of total loans. Lower is better.
  • Return on assets (ROA) - Net income as a percentage of average total assets. Indicates profitability and efficiency.
  • Member growth - Year-over-year change in membership count. Indicates institutional health and community relevance.
  • Loan-to-share ratio - Total loans divided by total shares (deposits). Indicates lending activity relative to funding base. A very high ratio may suggest liquidity risk, while a very low ratio may indicate the credit union is not adequately serving its members' borrowing needs.

Coverage

  • Credit unions: 4,370+ federally-insured natural person credit unions
  • Geographies: All 50 states plus D.C. and territories
  • Historical data: Q4 2023, Q4 2024, Q4 2025

How the Source Agency Collects Data

Every federally-insured credit union is required to file the NCUA 5300 Call Report quarterly, reporting detailed financial data including assets, liabilities, shares (deposits), loans, income, expenses, capital, delinquent loans, and membership counts. Credit unions file electronically through NCUA's online system. The NCUA reviews filings for accuracy and completeness as part of its supervisory program. Call Report data is public domain information and is available for download from the NCUA website.

Credit unions are also subject to periodic on-site examinations by NCUA examiners, which provide verification beyond self-reported Call Report data. However, PlainCU relies on the published Call Report figures, not examination findings, which are confidential.

Data Accuracy Commitment

PlainCU presents NCUA data without modification. Financial metrics, health scores, and year-over-year comparisons are computed directly from reported Call Report figures using documented formulas. We do not interpolate missing data or adjust reported figures. If you find any information that appears incorrect, please contact us at hello@plaincu.com and we will verify against the NCUA source filing.

Limitations

  • Health scores are quantitative screening tools based on publicly-reported financial data. They do not constitute a regulatory assessment or financial advice.
  • Call Report data is self-reported by credit unions and subject to NCUA audit. Errors in source data propagate to PlainCU.
  • Rate comparison data reflects self-reported or market-sourced rates and may not match current member offers.
  • PlainCU is not affiliated with NCUA or any government agency.

Editorial Workflow

Content on PlainCU is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from the NCUA 5300 Call Report, FFIEC aggregate releases, and CUDATA is ingested programmatically by our ETL pipeline; narrative framing, guide text, rankings commentary, and methodology writeups are drafted by our editorial team and reviewed by the PlainCU editorial team before publication. We follow rigorous editorial standards: source data is loaded directly from official agencies, never invented or interpolated. No page on PlainCU is published without human review. We do not accept payment for coverage, placement, or rankings, the "healthiest" and "largest" lists are computed directly from NCUA-reported figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PlainCU's credit union data come from?

All credit union financial data comes from the NCUA 5300 Call Report, the quarterly regulatory filing every federally-insured credit union submits to the National Credit Union Administration. Rate comparison context is supplemented with FFIEC aggregate data and CUDATA public releases. All sources are public domain government or public-interest data.

How often is the data updated?

The NCUA publishes 5300 Call Report data quarterly, typically 30–60 days after quarter-end. PlainCU refreshes its database within days of each upstream release and tags every detail page with the source quarter. Credit union health and rates can change between releases, always confirm the current situation directly with the credit union.

Is PlainCU financial or investment advice?

No. PlainCU is informational only. A health score is a quantitative screening signal derived from public NCUA data, not a regulatory rating, deposit guarantee, investment recommendation, or personalized financial advice. All federally-insured credit unions are NCUSIF-insured up to $250,000 per share owner per institution regardless of score. Consult a qualified financial professional before making banking, borrowing, or investment decisions.

Does PlainCU receive payment from credit unions it covers?

No. PlainCU does not accept payment, sponsorship, referral fees, or promoted placement from any credit union, bank, or financial institution. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense, advertisers do not influence which credit unions we cover, how we score them, or how we rank them.

Related Federal Resources

Beyond our primary data sources, the following federal government resources provide additional context for transparency, methodology verification, and related public records:

  • FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act portal for requesting federal records.
  • USA.gov Government Works - Comprehensive directory of U.S. federal agencies and public datasets.
  • Data.gov - Central repository of U.S. federal open data, including the source agencies referenced on this page.
  • Regulations.gov - Federal Register notices, public comments, and rulemaking activity for source agencies.