The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has launched a streamlined Phase 1 system for new credit union charter applications, aiming to standardise and reduce burdens in the early stage of the process. Phase 1 is designed to support preliminary approval of a proposed credit union’s field of membership. Further releases for the remaining phases are planned as NCUA continues work on streamlining charter applications. The initiative follows a USD 2 million NCUA Board approval in December 2024 to develop an online chartering system. NCUA expects to deliver a fully automated system for processing charter applications in 2027.