The NCUA approved 24 mergers in August, the highest number ofconsolidations in one month so far this year. In July, the federalagency approved only 11 mergers.

Five credit unions were approved to merge because of their poorfinancial condition, and two because of lack of growth, accordingto the NCUA's Insurance Report of Activity.

The cooperatives approved to merge in August because of theirpoor financial condition included the $61,506 Love Gospel AssemblyFederal Credit Union in Bronx, N.Y. into the $1.2 billionUSAlliance Federal Credit Union in Rye, N.Y.; the $7 million St.Landry Parish Federal Credit Union in Opelousas, La., into the $310million Pelican State Credit Union in Baton Rouge; the $3.9 millionOSU Institute of Technology Federal Credit Union in Okmulgee,Okla., into the $83 million First Family Federal Credit Union inHenryetta; the $26 million Integrus Credit Union in Dubuque, Iowa,into the $567 million Vibrant Credit Union in Moline, Ill., and the$1.7 million Madco Credit Union in Edwardsville, Ill., into the$694 million 1^st MidAmerica Credit Union inBethalto.

Because of lack of growth, the $33 million Apex Financial CreditUnion in Florissant, Mo., received NCUA approval to consolidateinto the $200 million West Community Credit Union in O Fallon, Mo.,and the $467,490 Peru Municipal Credit Union in Peru, Ill., got theOK to consolidate with the $26 million Illinois Credit Union alsobased in Peru.

The largest credit union merger deal approved by the NCUA last month was the $184million Pacific Community Credit Union in Fullerton, Calif. withthe $1.2 billion Credit Union of Southern California in Anaheim,Calif. The second largest merger approved by the NCUA was the $84million General Credit Union in Fort Wayne, Ind., into the $283million Partners 1^st Credit Union also headquartered inFort Wayne, and the third largest consolidation was the $83million Frontier Financial Credit Union in Reno, Nev., with the$729 million Greater Nevada Credit Union in Caron City.

The fourth largest consolidation deal approved by the NCUA inAugust was the $50 million Financial Federal Credit Union in Miami,Fla. with the $657 million Tropical Financial Credit Union inMiramar, Fla., and the fifth largest merger deal was the $41million Apex Community Federal Credit Union in Stowe, Pa., into the$1.9 billion American Heritage Federal Credit Union inPhiladelphia.