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Federal credit unions' operating fee payments are due to the NCUA April 17, the agency notes in its Letter to Credit Unions 17-FCU-01, published this month. The fee scale was raised 25.5 percent by the NCUA Board last November.

The fee scale applies to consumer-based federal credit unions, but those with less than $1 million in assets remain exempt from the fees.

During November's open meeting, the NCUA Board approved a budget of $298.2 million for 2017, up 2.5 percent from 2016. Of that, $104.8 million will be funded through operating fees. The remaining amount will be funded through a 67.7 percent overhead transfer rate and miscellaneous sources.

The OTR, used to determine how much of NCUA's budget will be funded directly by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, was reduced for 2017. The NCUA letter explains that the primary driver for the growth in the operating fee is the reduction in funds provided through the OTR.

Letter 17-FCU-01 also breaks down the formula for the operating fee and provides a link to an online fee calculator. NAFCU-member credit unions can calculate and compare the respective dollar amounts of their fiscal 2017 operating fees with the association's Operating Fee Calculator.

NAFCU also has available an "NCUA Money Watch" page that keep tabs on the NCUA's budget and finances.