Credit unions in Alabama and Florida ended 2012 with a recordnumber of assets for the third straight year, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions reports.

The 285 credit unions in the two states added $3.1 billion inassets. For Alabama, this equates to a 6% growth for the year and arecord $17.7 billion in total assets, the league said. Alabamacredit unions added just over $1 billion in new assets for theyear, according to the LSCU.

For Florida, the growth rate in 2012 was just under 5% for arecord $45.5 billion in assets. Florida credit unions added $2.1billion in new assets for the year, the league said.

“A trend we've noticed for the past three years now isthat credit unions are gaining a greater share of wallet fromexisting members,” said LSCU & Affiliates President/CEO PatrickLa Pine.

“While membership is rising most quarters, there are more assetsbeing added than members. This shows existing credit union membersare seeing the value and moving more of their money to the creditunion,” La Pine said.

Alabama credit unions added 6,000 new members for the fourthquarter of 2012 to end the year with a record 1.83 million members.This equates to a 3% membership growth rate, well above thenational credit union average, the league said, and gives Alabamathe 17th highest credit union growth rate in the country.

Florida credit unions membership numbers dipped in the fourthquarter, however, when financial institutions typically purgedormant accounts.

On the lending side, Alabama and Florida credit unions saw apositive growth rate for the first time in three years. Memberbusiness lending also continues to gain in both states, LSCUreported.

Alabamacredit unions saw nearly a 13% gain, year over year, in memberbusiness loans. This is twice the national average and equates to$54 million in MBL growth.

What's more, Florida credit unions outpaced the national average byproducing a 6.8% growth rate, adding $81 million in new MBLloans.

Alabama's overall lending jumped 3.4%, year over year, in thefourth quarter, stemming two years of no growth. Floridacredit unions saw a 3.3% overall loan increase, year over year, inthe fourth quarter, the league said.

This stops more than three years of no loan growth. Alabama andFlorida credit unions continue to see good demand for automobileand first mortgage loans. Both are above the national credit unionaverage, according to LSCU.

In a sign that the loans being made in each state are betterquality, delinquencies and net charge offs continue to fall.Florida's delinquent loans to loans and net charge offs fell forthe third year in a row. In Alabama, delinquentloans to loans remained consistently low, while net charge offsfell for the fourth straight year. The Alabama net charge off rateis lower than the national credit union average.

“For the first time in years, Alabama and Florida credit unionsare seeing loan growth. This is a testament to an improving economyand more members purchasing homes and autos,” said La Pine. “Creditunions typically have lower rates and more consumers are findingpurchasing a home or vehicle from a credit union saves themsignificant money.”