WASHINGTON -- NCUA Board Member Gigi Hyland highlighted theirony of banker statements that credit unions are not doing enoughto serve those of modest means while simultaneously havingsuccessfully sued to bar non-multiple common bond credit unionsfrom adopting underserved areas.

"While we will provide the GAO with the raw data the agencycollected, such data will be accompanied by a full analysis andreport that effectively responds to the questions asked of theagency and reflects the ways credit unions are reaching out to allof their members," Hyland assured. Credit unions and their tradeassociations have raised concerns that credit union fields ofmembership, often restricted to an employee group, have restrictedthem from serving some of the underserved.

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.)noted the lack of data on credit unions' service to the underservedduring a hearing last November, prompting the NCUA survey. "It's abit ironic that the agency is being asked to statistically verifycredit unions' outreach to all segments of their membership,especially people of modest means, yet the primary tool to do suchoutreach--adding an underserved area to a field of membership--isnot available to all federally chartered credit unions," Hylandstated.

She added that field of membership issues will continue topresent challenges for credit unions. Hyland encouraged creditunions to look for opportunities within their existing fields ofmembership. "It is the size of a credit union's vision, not assets,that will determine its future," she said. [email protected]