WHAT IS
SAFE AND SOUND?
Capital works as a bulwark against losses and as protection for members when a credit union is struggling financially. Therefore, when it comes to measuring an a credit union's financial fortitude, capital is essential. When looking at safety and soundness, the higher the capital, the better.
On our test to measure capital adequacy, BATTERY EMPLOYEES scored 30 out of a possible 30 points, better than the national average of 15.65.
BATTERY EMPLOYEES had a capitalization ratio of 30.00 percent in our test, higher than the average for all credit unions, a sign that it could have an easier time weathering financial trouble than its peers.
Bankrate uses this test to estimate the effect of troubled assets, such as past-due mortgages, on the credit union's loan loss reserves and overall capitalization.
A credit union with large numbers of these kinds of assets could eventually be forced to use capital to absorb losses, reducing its equity cushion. Many of those assets are also likely to be in non-accrual status and no longer earning money, diminishing earnings and increasing the chances of a future failure.
BATTERY EMPLOYEES scored 32 out of a possible 40 points on Bankrate's asset quality test, falling short of the national average of 38.09.
Troubled assets made up 0.00 percent of the credit union's total assets in our test, lower than the national average and potentially indicative of greater financial strength than other credit unions.
How successful a credit union is at earning money affects its long-term survivability. Earnings can be retained by the credit union, giving a boost to its capital buffer, or be used to address problematic loans, potentially making the credit union better able to withstand economic shocks. Credit unions that are losing money, however, are less able to do those things.
BATTERY EMPLOYEES scored 0 out of a possible 30 on Bankrate's earnings test, failing to reach the national average of 10.11.
One indication that the credit union is doing better than its peers in this area was its earnings ratio of 0.00 percent in our test, better than the average for all credit unions.
Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound Ratings provide a star rating system to evaluate the current financial status of financial institutions. The information gathered about banks, credit unions and thrifts is updated as set forth in the Terms of Use of Safe & Sound Ratings and Reports. The Safe & Sound Ratings information is grouped by categories of banks, thrifts and credit unions.
Bankrate.com evaluates the financial condition of institutions and assigns a one- to five-star rating for each with five stars representing the highest rating. Institutions with satisfactory performance will generally receive a rating of three or more stars. The majority of institutions fall into the three- to four-star range. An institution with an "NR" rating may be too new to rate or may have limited the publicly available information in their regulatory filings. The "NR" is not an indication of financial strength or weakness. The Safe & Sound rating is believed to be reliable, but the information is not guaranteed. In addition, events since the information was collected may have altered the institution's financial condition.