Chairman’s Report
2020 proved to be an unprecedented year. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an indiscriminate crisis from both a health standpoint and a financial standpoint for many. Our Membership, employees and volunteers have all been impacted by the historic events we have been living through. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those we’ve lost and to those who continue to be impacted. Early in 2020, there were a lot of unknowns about how Frontwave Credit Union would navigate the pandemic and best serve the Membership. As Board Chairman, I am proud to report to the Membership that our management team, staff and volunteers all rose to the challenge without hesitation. The “can do” spirit of Frontwave Credit Union turned an uncertain year into one of the best years for Frontwave. One of the very first challenges to our community was the mandatory shut down of many local businesses. Our Members needed help and in response, Frontwave quickly rolled out the government sponsored Paycheck Protection Program, injecting much needed cash into local businesses. To date, Frontwave has funded over $10 million dollars to businesses in our local communities and continues to build upon the program. As the global economy faltered, interest rates began to fall. The management team and staff saw this drop in interest rates as an opportunity to help our Members save money and at the same time realize the benefits of home ownership. This drop in interest rates allowed homeowners and prospective home buyers the opportunity to lower their monthly mortgage payments or to qualify for home ownership. In 2020, Frontwave Credit Union grew our Real Estate portfolio to over $344 million, with over $51 million of that being VA loans to best serve our Veterans and Active-Duty Members. Our Membership also grew, rising from just over 109,000 Members in 2019 to more than 111,000 Members at the end of 2020. The
growth of our Membership, coupled with the impacts of the pandemic, contributed to a significant rise in share growth from 7.71% in 2019 to 25.5% in 2020. Further gains were also reflected in our asset growth, from 7.17% in 2019 to 23.2% in 2020, and an increase in equity growth from 2.57% in 2019 to 6.27% in 2020. The spirit of volunteerism at Frontwave Credit Union is strong. In 2020, we saw an overwhelming outpouring of interest from our Members to volunteer for both Board and Supervisory Committee appointments. At no time in the credit union’s history have this many well qualified volunteers stepped up to help guide the credit union and represent you, the Membership. Our 2021 election gave our Members an opportunity to choose who best to represent the voice of the Membership. These volunteers have diverse backgrounds and deep connections with our civilian community, the Marine Corps, and all areas our charter serves. Your credit union is strong, diverse, and focused on delivering on our promises to you. We will continue to face challenges head on and find opportunities to prosper. Continue to Dream big. We got you! Michael Brigagliano Chairman of the Board
Treasurer’s Report
2020 was a tumultuous year, yet Frontwave Credit Union finished strong. Asset growth continued to grow year over year; total assets increased $203.3 million or 23.2% over 2019. The loan portfolio increased $34.2 million or 5.6% for the year; residential real estate lending drove most of the growth with a net increase of $57.3 million or 19.9%. Direct and indirect auto lending decreased 9.6% or $19.3 million primarily due to people holding on to their funds due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. Similar to asset growth, deposit balances increased at a faster pace than previous years, growing $191.1 million or 25.5% over 2019. Deposit growth primarily occurred in savings and checking accounts, accounting for 73.3% of the net growth. Money Market accounts, certificates, and IRAs made up the other 26.7% of the growth. Net Income grew at a slower pace than asset growth, thus causing a decrease in our Net Worth Ratio from 12.89% at 2019 year-end
to 10.82% at 2020 year-end. We remain very well capitalized according to NCUA (which uses percentages over 7% as its benchmark). Total operating expenses decreased by 7.8% compared to the previous year, primarily due to the minimization of resources needed to run daily business operations in light of the pandemic and the completion of our rebranding efforts. Theprimary key ratios that aremonitored for financial performance all exceeded the annual expectation. Our Efficiency Ratio came in at 78.83% compared to the budgeted 79.56%. Return on Average Assets was 0.41% compared to a goal of 0.20%, Net Charge-Off was 0.51% compared to a budget of 0.72%, and Equity Growth ended strong at 6.27% compared to a goal of 1.71%. Kelley L. Mayer, CPA Treasurer
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