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NAFCU staff attended NCUA's panel discussion Tuesday on how credit unions can reach out to growing Hispanic populations within their communities through the agency's Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives.

"We all know that credit unions are in the business of helping the communities in which they reside," said NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz. She noted that Hispanics make up the largest ethnic minority in the country with a population of 55 million, and she said nearly half of the population are unbanked or underbanked.

NAFCU Senior Regulatory Affairs Counsel Michael Emancipator and Regulatory Compliance Counsel Elizabeth LaBerge attended the panel discussion, which was led by OSCUI Director William Myers.

Panel member Miriam De Dios, the CEO of Des Moines-based Hispanic growth firm, noted that the Hispanic population's median age is currently 27. She emphasized the importance of reaching out to the Millennial generation: "This is a community that is thirsty for financial solutions and may not be aware of all of the options," she said.

NCUA Region V Supervisory Examiner Sergio Osuna also discussed how NCUA's proposed field-of-membership rule will make it easier for credit unions to add more underserved areas.

NCUA Office of Consumer Protection Deputy Director Matthew Biliouris will join NAFCU Director of Regulatory Affairs Alicia Nealon to discuss the FOM proposed rule during a free NAFCU webcast on Dec. 8.