FREEDOM FIRST

Charter #11111 | VA

1B-3B (304 CUs) Mid-Market (380 CUs)
8 1B-3B in VA

FREEDOM FIRST has 6 strengths but faces 10 concerns

Key Strengths

Areas where this CU excels compared to peers

  • + Wallet Share Momentum: Top 1.5% in tier
  • + Relationship Depth Leader: Top 2.3% in tier
  • + Emerging Performer: Top 30.2% in tier
  • + AMR Growth Rate: Top 2.6% in tier
  • + Share Certificate Concentration (%): Top 6.6% in tier
  • + Loan-to-Share Ratio: Top 9.2% in tier

Key Concerns

Areas that may need attention

  • - Stagnation Risk: Bottom 3.3% in tier
  • - Membership Headwinds: Bottom 4.6% in tier
  • - Liquidity Strain: Bottom 12.8% in tier
  • - Efficiency Drag: Bottom 16.7% in tier
  • - Credit Quality Pressure: Bottom 21.3% in tier
  • - Growth-at-Risk: Bottom 27.3% in tier
  • - ROA 0.12% below tier average
  • - Efficiency ratio 8.69% above tier (higher cost structure)
  • - Member decline: -8.8% YoY
  • - Member Growth Rate: Bottom 4.6% in tier

Core Metrics

As of 2025-Q3

Metric Current vs Tier Tier Avg State Avg (VA) National Avg Tier Percentile
Members 62,965
-8.8% YoY+0.6% QoQ
 -35.7K 98,678
-1.9% YoY
 220,190
+7.3% YoY
 33,089
+6.1% YoY
 Bottom 17.4% in tier
Assets $1.2B
+0.7% YoY+0.4% QoQ
 $-543.1M $1.7B
+0.5% YoY
 $2.9B
+6.5% YoY
 $547.7M
+7.8% YoY
 Bottom 20.7% in tier
Loans $1.0B
+2.0% YoY+2.2% QoQ
 $-222.7M $1.2B
+0.5% YoY
 $2.1B
+5.3% YoY
 $388.7M
+8.6% YoY
 38th in tier
Deposits $986.3M
+7.3% YoY+1.8% QoQ
 $-468.0M $1.5B
+1.3% YoY
 $2.4B
+8.1% YoY
 $464.6M
+9.3% YoY
 Bottom 17.1% in tier
ROA 0.6%
+7.9% YoY-4.0% QoQ
 -0.1% 0.7%
+13.4% YoY
 0.7%
+11.3% YoY
 0.7%
+273.4% YoY
 41st in tier
NIM 2.9%
+13.7% YoY+1.5% QoQ
 -0.4% 3.3%
+9.3% YoY
 3.9%
+2.0% YoY
 3.7%
+5.0% YoY
 Bottom 23.0% in tier
Efficiency Ratio 82.7%
-0.6% YoY-0.5% QoQ
 +8.7% 74.0%
-10.9% YoY
 80.4%
+0.4% YoY
 79.1%
-3.3% YoY
 Top 15.8% in tier
Delinquency Rate 0.4%
+16.4% YoY-5.1% QoQ
 -0.5 0.8%
+6.1% YoY
 1.7%
+32.7% YoY
 1.2%
-0.9% YoY
 Bottom 18.8% in tier
Loan To Share 102.4%
-4.9% YoY+0.4% QoQ
 +17.2% 85.2%
-0.8% YoY
 66.7%
-4.2% YoY
 68.0%
-1.7% YoY
 Top 9.5% in tier
AMR $31,711
+14.6% YoY+1.4% QoQ
 +$3K $29,172
+2.8% YoY
 $18,613
+1.9% YoY
 $19,418
+1.3% YoY
 72nd in tier
CD Concentration 15.0%
-14.7% YoY+5.5% QoQ
 -14.0% 29.0%
+0.8% YoY
 18.8%
+3.1% YoY
 19.6%
+6.2% YoY
 Bottom 6.3% in tier
Indirect Auto % 13.8%
-3.0% YoY+2.3% QoQ
 -5.0% 18.8%
-2.8% YoY
 9.7%
-0.5% YoY
 7.9%
-2.9% YoY
 44th in tier

Signature Analysis

Strengths (3)

Wallet Share Momentum

growth
#12 of 264 • Top 1.5% in tier

Average member relationship growing year-over-year. Members are deepening their engagement.

Why This Signature
AMR Growth (YoY): 14.61%
(Tier: 3.04%, National: 4.19%)
better than tier avg
264 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 1330 nationally
↑ Growing +60 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Relationship Depth Leader

growth
#18 of 264 • Top 2.3% in tier

Average member relationship growing year-over-year. Increasing engagement suggests members are consolidating more business here.

Why This Signature
AMR Growth (YoY): 14.61%
(Tier: 3.04%, National: 4.19%)
better than tier avg
Share Draft per Member: $3.6K
(Tier: $3.1K, National: $2.0K)
better than tier avg
264 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 1330 nationally
↑ Growing +60 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Emerging Performer

growth
#161 of 184 • Top 30.2% in tier

Profitable credit union with positive returns. May represent growth potential worth exploring.

Why This Signature
Return on Assets: 0.58%
(Tier: 0.71%, National: 0.71%)
but worse than tier avg
Member Growth (YoY): -8.78%
(Tier: 3.18%, National: 9.37%)
but worse than tier avg
184 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 852 nationally
↑ Growing +18 CUs YoY | Rank worsening

Concerns (6)

Stagnation Risk

risk
#9 of 85 • Bottom 3.3% in tier

Membership is declining. If profitability remains stable, current success may mask future risk from a shrinking member base.

Why This Signature
Return on Assets: 0.58%
(Tier: 0.71%, National: 0.71%)
worse than tier avg
Member Growth (YoY): -8.78%
(Tier: 3.18%, National: 9.37%)
worse than tier avg
Avg Member Relationship: $31.7K
(Tier: $29.2K, National: $19.4K)
but better than tier avg
CD Concentration: 14.98%
(Tier: 28.98%, National: 19.60%)
but better than tier avg
85 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 648 nationally
↑ Growing +6 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Membership Headwinds

decline
#12 of 85 • Bottom 4.6% in tier

Membership declining year-over-year. They need solutions to stop the bleeding before it impacts revenue.

Why This Signature
Member Growth (YoY): -8.78%
(Tier: 3.18%, National: 9.37%)
worse than tier avg
85 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 648 nationally
↑ Growing +6 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Liquidity Strain

risk
#68 of 183 • Bottom 12.8% in tier

Loan demand outpacing deposits. They're bumping against liquidity limits - need funding solutions.

Why This Signature
Loan-to-Share Ratio: 102.44%
(Tier: 86.35%, National: 67.96%)
but better than tier avg
Loan Growth (YoY): 2.00%
(Tier: 6.14%, National: 36.38%)
worse than tier avg
183 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 484 nationally
↑ Growing +10 CUs YoY | Rank worsening

Efficiency Drag

risk
#56 of 96 • Bottom 16.7% in tier

High efficiency ratio (>80%) indicates elevated operating costs relative to revenue. Margin improvement opportunities may exist.

Why This Signature
Efficiency Ratio: 82.66%
(Tier: 73.45%, National: 79.10%)
worse than tier avg
ROA Change (YoY): 0.04% points
(Tier: 0.07% points, National: 0.05% points)
worse than tier avg
Member Growth (YoY): -8.78%
(Tier: 3.18%, National: 9.37%)
worse than tier avg
96 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 624 nationally
↓ Shrinking -32 CUs YoY | Rank worsening

Credit Quality Pressure

risk
#164 of 217 • Bottom 21.3% in tier

Delinquencies are rising year-over-year. Credit risk is building - they may need better underwriting tools.

Why This Signature
Delinquency Change (YoY): 0.05% points
(Tier: 0.07% points, National: 0.07% points)
but better than tier avg
217 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 1002 nationally
↓ Shrinking -70 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Growth-at-Risk

risk
#153 of 161 • Bottom 27.3% in tier

Loan portfolio growing while delinquencies are rising. Expansion with deteriorating credit quality needs attention.

Why This Signature
Loan Growth (YoY): 2.00%
(Tier: 6.14%, National: 36.38%)
worse than tier avg
Delinquency Change (YoY): 0.05% points
(Tier: 0.07% points, National: 0.07% points)
but better than tier avg
161 of 380 Mid-Market CUs have this signature | 646 nationally
↓ Shrinking -30 CUs YoY | New qualifier

Metric Rankings

See how this credit union ranks across all tracked metrics compared to peers.

Strengths: Metrics in the top 25% (75th percentile or higher) | Concerns: Metrics in the bottom 25% (25th percentile or lower)

Comparing against 304 peers in tier

Top Strengths (7 metrics)

9
AMR Growth Rate
growth
Value: 14.61%
Peer Avg: 3.29%
#9 of 304 Top 2.6% in 1B-3B tier
21
Share Certificate Concentration (%)
balance_sheet
Value: 14.98%
Peer Avg: 28.53%
#21 of 304 Top 6.6% in 1B-3B tier
29
Loan-to-Share Ratio
balance_sheet
Value: 102.44%
Peer Avg: 85.19%
#29 of 304 Top 9.2% in 1B-3B tier
49
Fee Income Per Member
profitability
Value: $274.10
Peer Avg: $210.52
#49 of 304 Top 15.8% in 1B-3B tier
49
Net Charge-Off Rate
risk
Value: 0.22%
Peer Avg: 0.60%
#49 of 304 Top 15.8% in 1B-3B tier
52
Loan-to-Member Ratio (LMR)
engagement
Value: $16,047
Peer Avg: $13,213
#52 of 304 Top 16.8% in 1B-3B tier
58
Total Delinquency Rate (60+ days)
risk
Value: 0.36%
Peer Avg: 0.83%
#58 of 304 Top 18.8% in 1B-3B tier

Top Weaknesses (8 metrics)

291
Member Growth Rate
growth
Value: -8.78%
Peer Avg: 2.20%
#291 of 304 Bottom 4.6% in 1B-3B tier
261
Members Per Employee (MPE)
engagement
Value: 282.354
Peer Avg: 364.953
#261 of 304 Bottom 14.5% in 1B-3B tier
257
Efficiency Ratio
profitability
Value: 82.66%
Peer Avg: 73.97%
#257 of 304 Bottom 15.8% in 1B-3B tier
252
Total Deposits
balance_sheet
Value: $986.33M
Peer Avg: $1.45B
#252 of 304 Bottom 17.4% in 1B-3B tier
251
Total Members
engagement
Value: 62,965
Peer Avg: 98,678
#251 of 304 Bottom 17.8% in 1B-3B tier
241
Total Assets
balance_sheet
Value: $1.18B
Peer Avg: $1.72B
#241 of 304 Bottom 21.1% in 1B-3B tier
234
Net Interest Margin (NIM)
profitability
Value: 2.88%
Peer Avg: 3.26%
#234 of 304 Bottom 23.4% in 1B-3B tier
234
Asset Growth Rate
growth
Value: 0.66%
Peer Avg: 4.83%
#234 of 304 Bottom 23.4% in 1B-3B tier