CUNA to publish electronic compendium of CU federal laws, regs

WASHINGTON - Looking for a specific NCUA regulation? Having difficulty finding a federal credit union law? By the end of the summer, credit unions will be able to trace that type of information - and more - through CUNA's "E-Guide to Federal Laws and Regulations" on the association's Web site. Information to be included in the e-guide will cover about four dozen regulations and laws broken down by topic. Credit unions will be able to retrieve summary information about the regulation or law, as well as review answers to frequently asked questions. There will also be an "Other Resources" section that will direct credit unions to links where they can access the specific related NCUA regulation. The new tool will be available to CUNA members only. By the time it's published, CUNA's e-guide will complement NCUA's examiners guide for credit unions that's available now on the agency's Web site. The last time the examiners guide was updated was June 1997, so credit unions browsing the site can expect to find a lot of changes to related information, especially in the chapters on CUSOs and lending. The new electronic format means it is easier for NCUA to update the guide and provide the most current information, "so there's more of a comfort factor," Katherine Thompson of CUNA said. "It's better than having to read through more than 1,200 pages of text." NCUA plans to continue to make the printed version of the examiners guide available to credit unions. It costs $85.