RIVERSIDE, CA (April 28, 2014) -- Altura Credit Union today reported net income of $3.04 million on total assets of $730.94 million for the quarter ended March 30, 2014. (This compares to net income of $4.97 million on total assets of $718.14 million for the same quarter last year.)
Altura also reported a Net Worth Ratio of 11.22%, up substantially from the same period last year when Altura reported a Net Worth Ratio of 10.13%.
“We had a very good first quarter that continues the trend we have seen for the past three years,” said Altura President/CEO Mark Hawkins. “We have reported 12 consecutive quarters of net gains, while the local economy continues slowly toward complete recovery. A still higher-than average local unemployment rate generates ongoing hesitancy in consumers about borrowing,which is a major source of Altura’s revenue.”
In fact, rather than take new loans, Altura Members, like most consumers, are continuing to pay down existing debit, Hawkins pointed out. “Year over year, loan balances are down about 2%, which is actually the smallest decline we have seen in about seven years. In other words, more new loans are being generated to slow the decline in loan balances. In March we saw an uptick in loan applications, approvals and production, the best in about six years. And, April has gotten off to a good start as well,” he added.
“We are seeing quite a bit of new car lending and also the return of some home equity lending,” Hawkins said. “We are encouraged by this recent lending activity and anticipate continued improvement.”
Plus, Hawkins added, the credit quality of borrowers is excellent and loan delinquencies are the lowest in nearly seven years. Delinquent loans declined to 0.76% compared to 1.23% for the same period in 2013.
For people whose credit rating was impacted by the Great Recession, Altura has introduced a series of products to help people rebuild their credit scores and get their financial lives back on track. Among these are Reliance and Renew Checking Accounts and the Credit Builder Loan. “These products are designed to assist people with no credit history or a damaged credit history. By helping them rebuild their credit score, they can take advantage of today’s low rates,” Hawkins added.
Hawkins also reported that Net Income this quarter wasimpacted slightly by increases in the costs of operations. “We added some new staff Members, and in addition, benefit and office operations costs are trending upward. Overall costs were up about 2.5% over our budget projections, which squeezed our bottom line this quarter,” he said.
Altura’s overall stronger financial position has enabled the credit union to offer rates on its share certificates that are significantly higher compared to those offered by commercial banks, across all balances and terms. Similarly rates for its Prestige Money Market account begin at 0.20% and go as high as 0.72%, depending on the balance. These are substantially higher than the best rates at commercial banks, which range from 0.05% to 0.15%
In addition, Altura continues to make investments in products and services for Members. A new mobile banking app, set to launch in late May, is adding remote deposit capture and a loan function to submit applications, receive approval and confirm funding all through a mobile device.
“Mobile banking is growing rapidly and Altura offers solid solutions for our Members. In addition to accessing their accounts, Members also have a range of functions designed to make their financial lives easier,” Hawkins said. Altura also is updating its online banking portal through its website, AlturaCU.com, to add new streamlined features in May. A full make-over of Altura’s website is slated for later this year.
Altura Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution owned by its Members. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Riverside and San Diego counties and select cities in San Bernardino and Orange counties. For more information, visit Altura’s website, www.alturacu.com.
Altura is very proud of its 57 years of service to Members in the Inland Empire. Altura is a past-recipient of the California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE), the state’s equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Today, Altura Credit Union has 85,500 Members and nearly $731 million in total assets. For more information on Altura, visit our website, www.alturacu.com, or call 1-888-883-7228