For consideration to receive a charter, the PFCU must have at least seven subscribers. Before beginning the charter application process, the NCUA recommends that you and your subscribers conduct extensive research into credit unions and the rules and regulations that govern them. This Guide is a useful resource to help you, and you can also refer to the following:
- The NCUA’s Regulations, with particular attention to Part 701 - Organization and Operation of Federal Credit Unions;
- Appendix B to Part 701 of the NCUA’s Regulations, also known as the Chartering and Field of Membership Manual (Review Chapters 1 and 2, and if the PFCU plans to request a low-income designation or serve an underserved area as part of its multiple common bond charter, also review Chapter 3); and
- The NCUA’s Learning Management Service (LMS) materials (log-in will be required on the LMS’ main page under “Account Access”).
These resources will help you throughout the chartering process. They provide an overview of what a federal credit union is, detail the regulatory requirements for a federal credit union, and describe the operational requirements involved in running a federal credit union.
You should perform comprehensive due diligence before applying for a federal charter so you have a clear understanding of the duties and responsibilities required for charter approval and credit union operations. You can check the applicable box in the Proof of Concept online application to document that you completed this research.
The NCUA will evaluate the charter application based on the requirements of the regulations.
Additional chartering information is found on the Chartering page of the NCUA’s website. Call or email NCUA if you have questions concerning the chartering process or need assistance obtaining information for your research.