The NCUA approved 18 completed credit union mergers in June,compared to 15 completed mergers approved in June 2012, the agencysaid last week.

In the first half of this year, there have been 132 mergers,surpassing the 114 mergers during the first half of 2012.

Eleven credit unions consolidated to expand services for theirmembers, according to the June Insurance Report of Activity fromthe NCUA.

However, three credit unions merged due to poor financialcondition. They are:

the $4 million Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises FCU in New Yorkthat merged with the $24 million L'Oreal USA FCU in Mountainside,N.J.;

the $23 million NWS FCU in Yorktown, Va., which consolidatedwith the $580 million 1stAdvantage FCU in Newport News, Va., and,

the $498,733 Runnells Hospital Employees FCU in BerkeleyHeights, N.J., that merged into the $2 billion Affinity FCU in Basking Ridge, N.J.

According to the NCUA report, poor management drove the $5million Lithuanian CU in Los Angeles, Calif., to merge with the $87million Clearpath FCU in Glendale, Calif.

Losing its sponsor or its support forced the $812,791 SherwilCredit Union in Hubbard, Ohio, to merge with the $24 million FirstChoice Community Credit Union in Niles, Ohio, the NCUA reportshowed.

Loss of or declining field of membership led the $860,037 PublicService CU in Kewaunee, Wis., to merge with the $1.8 billionCommunity First Credit Union in Appleton, Wis.

The $10 million CNG Federal Credit Union in East Harford, Conn.,was unable to find an appropriate CEO and decided to merge with the$33 million Hartford Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union.