Fellow Members, Thank you for being a valued member of Lighthouse Credit Union. Your trust means everything to us and inspires our ongoing commitment to shine a light on financial well-being. Guided by our mission and strengthened by the dedication of our Board, volunteers, and team, we remain focused on serving you with excellence while making a meaningful difference in the communities we call home. Today, our commitment is stronger than ever. Every decision we make is rooted in our mission to enrich and nourish the lives of our members, our communities, and our employees. As we look ahead, the Board of Directors remains dedicated to doing well by doing good for our members and the community. We believe true success is measured not only by financial strength, but by the positive impact we have on the people and places we serve. We’re grateful to have you with us on this journey. And together, we’re building a brighter future for all. Within this Annual Report, you’ll find highlights of our accomplishments and impact from 2025. On behalf of the Board of Directors and our dedicated volunteers, thank you for placing your trust in Lighthouse Credit Union.
President’s Report
As we look back on 2025, I want to begin with a sincere thank you. You have many choices when it comes to your financial well‑being, and we are truly honored that you continue to place your trust in Lighthouse Credit Union. Your commitment fuels our mission and strengthens our ability to serve our communities with purpose and heart.
Our Commitment to Community
Competitive rates, low fees, convenience, and great service matter, but the true measure of our impact is reflected in the lives we touch and the communities we help strengthen. When you choose Lighthouse, you are not just selecting a financial partner; you are helping shape a more vibrant and resilient future for our region.
2025, A Year of Strength and Meaningful Progress
This past year marked one of sustained growth and financial strength. Total assets, loans, deposits, and capital reached or approached the highest levels in our history. In a challenging economic environment, Lighthouse continued to deliver stability, growth, and meaningful value for our members. Your trust, combined with the dedication of our Board of Directors, our talented team, and our business partners, made 2025 a year of strong performance:
Financial Growth and Performance
- Revenue increased by 6.18%, reaching $130 million in 2025.
- Our loan portfolio grew 5.56% to $1.739 billion.
- Deposits, consisting of member shares and nonmember deposits of the organization, rose 7.76% to $1.770 billion.
- Loan growth remained our greatest strength, supporting ongoing stability and deepening the impact we can create in the communities we serve.
- Strong member shares and nonmember deposits provided an additional foundation for our financial health.
- Disciplined expense management has enabled us to invest directly in our members, maintaining a continued focus on enhancing the overall member experience.
- We also increased reserves to safeguard against future economic uncertainty, reinforcing our long‑term stability.
- Lighthouse remains financially strong with a net worth capital ratio of 10.60%, positioning us to continue offering competitive rates, low fees, and solutions that meet our members’ needs.
Community-Centered Lending
- We originated 20,790 loans with balances of $580 million supporting critical priorities like debt consolidation, small business investment, transportation, and housing.
- With our government loan options, we assisted 476 individuals, delivering more than $2.28 million in relief.
Membership Growth and Appreciation
- We closed 2025 with 167,257 members, a reflection of the trust you place in us and the growing need for accessible, financial services. In November, we celebrated Member Appreciation Month with exclusive perks, special savings, and rewards designed to give back to those who give us purpose.
Expanding Wealth Management
- Our wealth management services expanded across New England, helping more members navigate life’s transitions and plan confidently for the future. Wealth Management grew nearly 22% in 2025, supported by an expanded team of Wealth Advisors dedicated to long‑term, relationship driven guidance.
Reducing Barriers to Homeownership
- In addition to our Accessible Dwelling Units (ADU) offering that helps homeowners keep their current mortgage rate intact, we rolled out another type of loan for homebuyers. This year we launched Pathways, a unique mortgage option designed to reduce barriers to homeownership by enabling friends and family to provide support in ways that benefit both homebuyers and their supporters. This product reflects our focus on addressing real‑world challenges with innovative financial solutions.
Investing in Our People and Our Purpose
Our members are at the center of everything we do. By investing in an engaged and empowered team, we ensure our members receive thoughtful, responsive, and personalized experiences at every interaction. Our culture, rooted in collaboration, leadership development, and meaningful career growth, continues to fuel innovation and service excellence. Our mission to enrich and nourish the lives of others came to life through our 2025 community impact: 2025 Impact Metrics
- Volunteerism: More than 4,199 volunteer hours served across our footprint.
- Food Security: 21,244 pounds of food donated to local food banks, in partnership with our members. This equates to 25,493 meals.
- Housing Stability: In alignment with our goal to house 50,000 people by 2030, we supported stable housing for 4,856 individuals through commercial and residential lending, partnerships, and charitable investments.
- Community Investments: Over $323,000 contributed to nonprofits focused on housing, food security, and education.
- Educational Support: $53,000 in scholarships awarded to 16 student‑members. Our financial education initiatives reached 84 schools, 373 teachers, and 38,000 students.
2025 Recognition and Awards
Member feedback helps us improve, innovate, and strengthen the experience we deliver. When our members share their voices publicly, they help shape the future of Lighthouse, and this year, that feedback contributed to several meaningful honors:
- Portsmouth Herald, Community’s Choice Award, "Best of the Seacoast"
- The Conway Daily Sun, Reader’s Choice Award, "Best of Mount Washington Valley"
- Discover Downtown Westbrook, "Partner of the Year"
- Forbes, Number 1 Credit Union in New Hampshire
- Webby Award, “People’s Voice” winner in Financial Services and Banking for digital excellence across web and mobile - The first time a credit union has ever won this award.
These recognitions reflect the dedication of our team and the deep trust of our members, and we are incredibly grateful.
Impact Through the Lighthouse Credit Union Foundation
Since 2023, Lighthouse Credit Union and the Lighthouse Foundation have provided more than $926,000 in financial support to 336 nonprofit organizations focused on housing stability, food security, and education. Key 2025 Foundation Highlights:
- Hosted our annual golf tournament, raising over $70,000 for accessible housing needs.
- Foundation membership experienced rapid growth, expanding from a few hundred to 5,800 members.
- Launched the Housing Impact Collaborative, bringing together more than 40 nonprofits, developers, and advocacy groups to address regional housing challenges.
- Mobilized community efforts to respond to food insecurity intensified by the federal shutdown and cuts to SNAP benefits.
- Activated organization wide service initiatives, including food and essentials drives that resulted in nearly 1,000 food and hygiene kits assembled for those in need.
These efforts reflect our shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient communities across our region.
Looking Ahead
The future is bright at Lighthouse Credit Union. In 2026, we proudly celebrate our 90th anniversary, a milestone made possible entirely by the trust and loyalty of our members over nine decades. As we reflect on our history and look ahead to what is next, we remain focused on expanding products and services, investing in technology, and enhancing efficiency, always with a singular goal, to serve you better. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you throughout the year and honoring the role you have played in our journey. At Lighthouse Credit Union, our purpose remains clear, to enrich and nourish the lives of our members, our neighbors, and the communities we serve. Your loyalty inspires us every day, and we are grateful to continue this journey together.
Top Left: From creating a food distribution site at our headquarters to donating $5,000, the Lighthouse team rallied in just a few short weeks to create impact for SNAPback Seacoast during the government shutdown. Their efforts helped ensure community members and food pantries had access to food resources and support during a time of growing insecurity and widening resource gaps. Top Right: Thanks to the dedication of our Foundation members and Lighthouse Impact Team, we were proud to support neighbors experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire and Maine at the Home For All’s first-ever pop-up care village in Dover. Together, we helped provide nourishing meals, clean clothing, access to healthcare, and most importantly - meaningful human connection. Inspired by the farmers market model, these pop-up villages foster dignity, hope, and a pathway to stability. Middle Right: Our Foundation scholarship program celebrates student members who demonstrate academic excellence, community involvement, and personal growth. Their passion for leadership and service reflects our mission to enrich and nourish the lives of others. A heartfelt thank you to our team members and Foundation stakeholders who took the time to personally honor these scholars at their hometown award ceremonies and graduations. Bottom Left: Lighthouse team members and the Portland Sea Dogs recognize the winners of our Nice Catch program, celebrating kids who make a difference in their communities. Bottom Right: Dismas Home of NH is helping justice-involved women rebuild their lives through recovery, housing, and reentry support. Their Hard Hat Tour celebrated the expansion of their program, adding 20 beds at their new Rochester location to serve even more women in need. Lighthouse is proud to stand behind their mission and support their work toward sustainable housing solutions in New Hampshire.
Top Left: At our Lighthouse Credit Union Employee Summit, team members partnered with United Way of Southern Maine to assemble more than 800 hygiene and food kits for children experiencing homelessness. Each bag included handwritten notes of encouragement and was distributed through The Locker Project and Preble Street—supporting their vital work addressing housing and food insecurity in our communities. Top Right: We were honored to recognize 13-year-old Jesse from Caribou, ME, at a Portland Sea Dogs game as we wrapped up our 2025 Nice Catch program. Jesse leads with courage, empathy, and integrity—jumping into action to help a classmate in need, caring for his grandmother, and standing up for others in his community. Middle Left: Our Foundation was proud to be out in the community at the Nourish Network Golf Classic, raising awareness and support for safe, stable housing across New Hampshire and Maine. Beneficiaries United Way of Southern Maine and Granite United Way are making a powerful impact through programs like the Housing Crisis Response Fund and KeyConnect NH, helping families find housing faster, prevent evictions, and access essential services. Bottom Left: Lighthouse Credit Union and members of our Berlin team volunteered their time at the Androscoggin Valley Chamber’s River Fire Festival, an event that brings neighbors, businesses, and organizations together to celebrate the spirit of the North Country. Bottom Right: We were proud to recognize Rowen and Harper at a Portland Sea Dogs game through our Nice Catch program. Rowen leads with compassion — always sharing, standing up for others, and showing outstanding sportsmanship on and off the field. Harper inspires with her big heart, helping neighbors, supporting family, and giving back to causes she cares about. These two remind us that kindness and courage can have a powerful impact every day.
Supervisory Committee Report
The Supervisory Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors to independently evaluate the safety and soundness of Lighthouse Credit Union’s operations by engaging an external auditor and directing internal audit activities. The committee is also responsible for ensuring that management adheres to policies established by the Board of Directors and maintains a strong internal control system in alignment with the approved risk appetite of the Board and senior management, NCUA, state banking regulations, Lighthouse’s bylaws, and generally accepted accounting principles. The Supervisory Committee engaged Wolf and Company, P.C to perform a consolidated financial statement audit for the period ending December 31, 2024. Results of this audit were presented to the Committee on April 25, 2025. An unmodified opinion was rendered for the audit, indicating that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Credit Union as of December 31, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. More recently the Supervisory Committee engaged Wolf and Company, P.C. to complete the consolidated financial statement audit for the period ending December 31, 2025. This audit is currently in process with completion anticipated prior to the end of April 2026. A regulatory examination commenced on October 14, 2025, by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This annual examination provides further assurance that the Board of Directors and management oversight of the credit union’s corporate affairs is effective. The results of the examination were presented to the credit union on December 15, 2025 which conclude that Lighthouse remains fundamentally sound. The Supervisory Committee also engaged the audit services of Doeren Mayhew Assurance, CPAs and Wolf and Company, P.C. to perform various operational, compliance, and information technology audits throughout the 2025 calendar year. Lastly, Lighthouse continues to employ an Internal Audit Department to further strengthen the internal control and risk environment throughout the Credit Union. It is the Supervisory Committee’s opinion that the Credit Union remains well-managed and continues to maintain its status as a sound financial institution. Lighthouse Credit Union enters 2026 in an excellent position to continue its mission to enrich and nourish the needs of its members, employees, and communities.