US Eagle Exits Regulated Market

U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union says it is ending its banking arm for licensee’s, a move that comes as competition among financial services providers in the industry has grown.

The Albuquerque-based credit union, one of the state’s largest, announced the move on Thursday. U.S. Eagle officials said the closure of the Aery Group, launched in 2019, will take effect Nov. 1.  

The Aery Group was one of the original financial institutions serving New Mexico’s industry when it was still only legal for medical use. The service allowed operators to have access to checking and savings accounts and deposit money at the credit union’s locations across the state. 

In an interview, Michael Moore, president and CEO of U.S. Eagle, said servicing the industry is not “part of our long-term strategy.” He said the consolidation of smaller operators — which Aery Group mostly served — and a proliferation of other financial institutions entering the banking ecosystem were factors that played into the decision. 

“It’s difficult to grow now without going out of state or into other markets,” Moore said. 

Damien Padilla, an industry insider and owner of CDM, a consulting firm, said at least 19 additional providers are now actively working with businesses in New Mexico — a far cry from the handful that were around before the adult-use market took off in 2022. 

“Once people realized, ‘Hey, there’s other options out there,’ it kind of took away from their pie,” Padilla said. “It’s just one of those things that comes with every market.” 

The credit union’s exit comes roughly a year after its proposed acquisition of Southwest Capital Bank collapsed — a deal that would have paired two of the state’s leading banking operations. 

That failed acquisition didn’t play a part in the closure of U.S. Eagle’s banking arm, according to Moore, who said that “it wasn’t the biggest focus of the deal that we were after.” 

There have been some federal shifts on policy, including a push to reschedule . But those changes haven’t been enough to help some businesses, including financial institutions, navigate the complex federal regulations that remain. 

Moore said U.S. Eagle could return to banking as the industry’s legal landscape evolves.

“We’re not trying to shut the door permanently at all,” Moore said. “Definitely not a no, but a time-will-tell approach.” 

Matthew Narvaiz is the Journal’s business editor. You can reach him at mnarvaiz@abqjournal.com.