Credit Union Times Magazine July-02, 2008
News
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CUSO Financing of Entertainment Center Breathes Life Into Downtown Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa -- With a treacherous flood in the early 1990s and a stubborn reluctance from residents to stay in the city past working hours, downtown Des Moines had seen its share of plights over the years including another wave of recent flooding.
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Langley FCU Helps Fight Pain at the Pump With Carpool Day for Employees
HAMPTON, Va. -- With staffers feeling the pinch at the gas pump, Langley Federal Credit Union helped out by launching its first employee carpool day.
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Fla. League's Guy Hood: I've Been Fortunate, Have a Great Management Team
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Guy Hood's 15-year-old granddaughter can't imagine needing to visit a bricks-and-mortar location to care of a banking transaction.
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Dan Mica Sees Value and Necessity in Taking a Positive Approach on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON -- During CUNA President/CEO Dan Mica's tenure as spokesman and lobbyist with the association, he has seen changes in how Congress functions and has revamped CUNA's operations to focus more on grassroots efforts, helping the organization fine tune its message.
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Lemonade Stand Video Good for $5,000 Prize From SELCO
EUGENE, Ore. -- Depicting a young girl earning her first dollars at a lemonade stand was good for $5,000 for SELCO Community Credit Union members Marshall and Haley Roeman.
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Minn. CU Reps Visit Paraguay
ASUNCION, Paraguay -- Two representatives from the Minnesota Credit Union Network participated in an internship program in Paraguay from May 23 through June 3, as part of the two groups' ongoing WOCCU partnership.
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Kawakami Monitors Cash Management to Ease the Lives of CU Members
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Working for two governors and then coming to the second largest credit union in Washington might be a cultural shock for some but not Wayne Kawakami.
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Opportunities for Growth and Development Help The Members Group Snag Prize
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Even as most of the news from Iowa has focused on the record flooding this year, a card processing CUSO has been recognized as a best place to work.
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US Postal Outsources ATMs to Select-A-Branch Network
CLINTON, Md. -- The $182 million US Postal Service Federal Credit Union has taken the unusual step of outsourcing the provision of ATM services in five branches to Select-A-Branch ATM Network.
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Terrin Griffiths and Samuel Inman Join Credit Union Economics Group
WASHINGTON -- Terrin Griffiths, economist and industry analyst at the California/Nevada Credit Union Leagues and Samuel Inman, chief financial officer of Community First Credit Union of Jacksonville, Fla., have joined the Credit Union Economics Group.
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Many Credit Unions Need Basic Education on Interchange, Card Executives Say
WASHINGTON -- As the fight over card interchange legislation heats up in Congress, credit union staff and volunteers may find themselves awash in conflicting claims about the source of noninterest card income. To provide a greater understanding, Credit Union Times is providing a primer on some of the card interchange...
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Fryzel One Step Closer to NCUA Board
WASHINGTON -- A Senate panel cleared one more hurdle between Michael E. Fryzel and the board of the National Credit Union Administration.
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Listen Washington, Do You Hear It? Change Is Calling
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Consumers here have got a secret to share--change is calling.
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SECU Makes Substantial Investment in N.C.'s Future
RALEIGH, N.C. -- State Employees' Credit Union is doing its part to ensure the state will have student loan funding by teaming up to finance education loans for North Carolina families and colleges.
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And You Thought BEER Was Only an Education Requirement in College
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- With the pressures of the current economy stressing most employees out, Brewery Credit Union says to give BEER a try.
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New Study Suggests the Importance of Data Security Breach Recovery Programs
SAN FRANCISCO -- A survey of card data security breach victims suggests that implementing a strong data security program, even after a breach has occurred, may be the most important thing credit unions can do after a breach.
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NCUF Launching Ad Campaign Support CIF
WASHINGTON -- For the first time ever, the National Credit Union Foundation will launch a series of print advertisements in the national trade press to increase awareness of its Community Investment Fund.
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Internships Used to Entice Gen Y to the Credit Union Way
SAN FRANCISCO -- It's time to rethink how you view Gen Y. More than just being an elusive but necessary target market for membership growth, Gen Y also represents the talent pool of the next generation of credit union leaders-provided they're interested.
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Kinecta FCU CEO Lagomarsino Says 'The Honeymoon Isn't Over' With Nix
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- They say summer romances don't last, but $4.5 billion Kinecta Federal Credit Union and its subsidiary, Nix Check Cashing, are still going strong nearly one year after the credit union acquired the alternative financial services provider.
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CUNA Lobbyist Shuns Arm Twisting and Strives to Be an Honest Broker
WASHINGTON -- Every Sunday morning, Ryan Donovan sings tenor in his church choir where he blends his voice in with others. During the week, however, he tries to make his voice stand out and bring attention to the cause of credit unions.
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Tornadoes, Floods Beg the Question: Are CUs Better Prepared for Disaster Season?
WASHINGTON -- Information on disaster preparedness and recovery has been flowing from federal officials to both credit unions and their members since Hurricane Katrina focused attention on the need to anticipate problems and react appropriately.
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Making A Real Difference
Summer Internship Helps Pay For College Expenses for Atlanta Senior
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Beyond The Job
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Mike Lawson and Mark Borja learned to never say never when a competitor's "ama" smacked Lawson upside the head, despite the length of their "iakos." That may have been their biggest wakeup call since their first "huli."
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Alliant's Proposed Kaiperm Merger Would Increase West Coast Presence
CHICAGO -- Officials at $5.5 billion Alliant Credit Union say they're not worried about absorbing the loan losses of Oakland-based Kaiperm Federal Credit Union if their proposed merger goes through, because the seemingly odd couple makes a good match.
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Tech Vendor MShift Bolsters User List by Adding Eighteen
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Eighteen more financial institutions have signed on as users of MShift Inc.'s carrier- and device-independent mobile banking technologies.
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Northeast Leagues Launch CenterPoint Quarterly Publication
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Credit Union Services has launched a quarterly magazine, CenterPoint, that covers news for the Massachusetts Credit Union League, New Hampshire Credit Union League and the Credit Union Association of Rhode Island.
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CUNA Lobbyist Shuns Arm Twisting and Strives to Be an Honest Broker
WASHINGTON -- Every Sunday morning, Ryan Donovan sings tenor in his church choir where he blends his voice in with others. During the week, however, he tries to make his voice stand out and bring attention to the cause of credit unions.
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Merger of Accounting Firms Creates Third Largest CU Practice
WASHINGTON -- A combined accounting firm will have the third-biggest credit union practice.
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NAFCU Taking Fight Over Military Card to Congress
WASHINGTON -- NAFCU is taking a fight over the issuing of a cobranded credit card on U.S. military bases to Congress.
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In Savings, Credit Unions Shine Brighter Than Banks, Says Carolina Postal
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Postal Credit Union is shining a spotlight on the latest bankers' illusion. The credit union is on a mission to show members that bankers' new spend and save debit card accounts can't measure up to good old fashioned payroll deduction saving.
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Aite Survey Uncovers the Needs and Value of Serving Small Business Members
BOSTON -- Perhaps easy to overlook while each focuses on retail consumers, small business owners can become a vital part of a credit union's revenue stream.
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United, Continental Form an Alliance to Link Flights, Reduce Costs
CHICAGO -- In an effort to boost revenue and stem rising fuel costs, Continental Airlines and United Airlines have announced an alliance that will link the two carriers' flight and fare systems.
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AmeriChoice FCU Gets Pinned for 80th Jubilee Day in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- AmeriChoice Federal Credit Union is the premier sponsor for the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce 80th annual jubilee day.
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Evangelical Christian CU Far Ahead of Member Business Lending Pack
WASHINGTON -- At nearly $1.3 billion in outstanding member business loans, Evangelical Christian Credit Union is well ahead of the other 49 credit unions with the largest portfolios.
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Two West Coast Credit Unions Are Feted by Digital Dialogue
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- A pair of West Coast credit unions received top honors from Digital Dialogue recently.
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Founders FCU Aids Local Police
LANCASTER, S.C. -- Founders Federal Credit Union is helping to keep its local police force safe.
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Rise in Elder Investment Abuse Motivates MEMBERS Trust to Ramp Up Training
TAMPA, Fla. -- With the number of older people living longer and accounting for a growing amount of wealth, investment fraud toward senior citizens is on an alarming rise.
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Two Longtime CDCU Leaders Receive Annie Vamper Awards for 2008
NEW YORK -- Two noted CDCU leaders have won the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions Annie Vamper Awards for 2008. The Federation also recognized long-time leader Maurice Calder??n of Arrowhead Credit Union with a friend of the federation award.
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HSA Battle Lines Will Be Drawn on the Customer Retention Front, Study Finds
NEW YORK -- With an eye on separating health savings accounts hype from actual performance, Celent recently released the inaugural round of its semiannual HSA Benchmarking Survey.
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Foundation Aids Literacy Efforts
SAN FRANCISO -- The Richard Myles Johnson Foundation recently granted $22,500 toward two financial literacy efforts here.
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SEC Distributes $103 Million to Harmed Banc of America Fund Investors
WASHINGTON -- The SEC said it has distributed more than $103 million to investors who lost money because of mutual fund market timing and late trading involving Banc of America Capital Management LLC and several of its affiliates.
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Security Service Federal Credit Union took some military members from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, and United States Northern Command out to the ballpark.
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California and Nevada CU Financials Document 2007's Economic Downturn
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues' latest WestScan economic report, which compares year-end 2007 statistics to those of 2006, provides ample evidence of last year's economic downturn on credit union balance sheets.
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Sharetec Systems Announces Signings
LINO LAKES, Minn. -- Sharetec Systems Inc. said it has signed two new credit unions to use its core processing system. They are the $11 million Los Alamos Schools CU in Los Alamos, N.M., and the $74 million Southwest Oklahoma FCU in Lawton, Okla. The New Mexico credit union currently...
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Counting Coins: Municipal Credit Union Finds Automation Adds Up in Cash
NEW YORK -- While her credit union's new change counting machines might not be decorated with dancing pennies, they do the job well, and they provide a return on investment that can't be measured in cash.
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Canada's Film, Radio and TV Artists Celebrate Birth of a New Credit Union
TORONTO -- Thousands of artists based in Canada will have another resource to turn to for their financial needs.
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Dort FCU Sees Shades of IndiGO
FLINT, Mich. -- Dort Federal Credit Union has launched IndiGO, a high yield, self-service online savings and checking account.
Front Page News
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Rep. Royce Optimistic About Reg Relief
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) has been a major backer of credit unions and the key GOP backer of many bills that would provide regulatory relief for credit unions.
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As Fort McPherson Closure Looms, FMC CU Clings to Hometown Feel
FORT McPHERSON, Ga. -- When word came that Fort McPherson, a former training ground for troops during the Civil War would close for good after serving as a 173-year old military fixture in Georgia, the rumblings began.
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Bank-CU Reg Reform Passes House, But Fate in the Senate Is Uncertain
WASHINGTON -- It happened one night.
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Midwest CUs Brace for Loan Requests
DES MOINES, Iowa -- As the harsh economic reality of the Iowa floods took hold last week, with the hardest-hit credit unions girding for an avalanche of loan applications from members who lost homes and jobs.
News Briefs
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Fortney Heads Up Women In Housing and Finance
WASHINGTON -- NASCUS President/CEO Mary Martha Fortney is wearing another hat.
Departments
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Donations
South Jersey Federal Credit Union, Deptford, N.J., presented the Greater Delaware Valley chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society with a $1,000 donation check. The donation was made in honor of the annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk in Washington Township. Cate Anderson, a member service representative at South Jersey...
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Scholarships
Boulder Valley Credit Union, Boulder, Colo., awarded scholarships to three Boulder Valley School District high school seniors. Each were awarded a $1,500 or $1,000 college scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Mary Lanaghen from Monarch High School received a $1,500 scholarship recipient and Zachary Luna and Christina Buehler from Centaurus...
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Community Events
Meriwest Credit Union, San Jose, Calif., funded a loan to Ken Nakatsu, the owner of San Jose's 4th Street Bowl. The bowling alley is the only alley in downtown San Jose that sill caters to league bowlers and hosts 14 leagues. It is also known as a favorite among the...
Facilities
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Mountain America to Build New Annex
SALT LAKE CITY -- Eight years ago Mountain America Credit Union executives thought their new corporate headquarters had plenty of room for growth.
Tech Bytes
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Allegiance Adds Consulting
SALT LAKE CITY -- Allegiance Inc. is adding consulting services to its product lineup.
Special Report
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Exchange Traded Commodities Make Headway in Financial Markets
BOSTON -- After a slow start following their launch in 1993, exchange traded funds grew significantly in the late 1990s due in large part from institutional investor demand, according to Aite Group.
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Demand for Collective Investment Trusts Increases, Aite Finds
BOSTON -- The key drivers behind the increased use of collective investment trusts are the focus of a new report from Aite Group LLC.
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Lumping Mass Affluent Into One Monolithic Group May Stall Outreach Efforts
NEW YORK -- For more than 20 years, financial service firms have tried and failed to successfully capture those with a net worth of $250,000 to $2 million mainly because this large segment of the population has been grouped into a monolithic category.
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Sweep Agreements Target Business Deposit Account Holders
MINNEAPOLIS -- Many financial institutions are turning to sweep repurchase agreements and money market mutual fund sweep agreements to better serve business deposit account customers, according to Art Doten, an attorney with Wolters Kluwer Financial Services.
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Lively Peer Talks Offer Ideas to Tweak, Reinvent Investment Programs
PHOENIX -- Alison Chamlet said she is always amazed at the amount of sharing that takes place in the credit union world.
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Coastal FCU Helps Lawyers Assist Children, Elderly, Disabled with Legal Aid
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Hoping to build more relationships with local attorneys, Coastal Federal Credit Union has joined the short list of credit unions that are now offering interest on lawyer's trust accounts or IOLTAs.
Opinions
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CUs Can Be in the Driver's Seat in Recruiting Top Notch Financial Advisers
Finding experienced, qualified financial advisers has always been a challenge. However, over the last 12 months, finding those same candidates is even more difficult. In today's economic environment, competition is higher than ever for the best candidates and they are more nervous to make a change. However, we continue to...
Editor-in-Chief's Column
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A Lesson in Relativity From Pollyanna
I typically take a glass-half-full, look-on-the-bright-side attitude. Even when situations stink--like putting together two large magazines two weeks in a row--I try not to get overwhelmed and just know it will get done.
Columns
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Verbatim
"Credit Unions Continue to Push for Expansion," recently appeared on the Oklahoma Bankers Association Web site (www.oba.com). It was written by the group's President/CEO Roger Beverage and is reprinted below in its entirety with permission from the OBA.
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Searching for a Credit Union, but Coming Up Empty
After graduating college, like many recent graduates I answered the same question over and over, "So, what are you doing now?" When I tell my friends and my peers from high school that I work for a magazine about credit unions, the immediate reaction is "Oh" followed by a blank...
Opinion
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How We Can Work Together to Counter the Bankers' Political Advantage
There is, to put it mildly, an imbalance between credit unions and banks, especially when it comes to political clout. And in this, among the most electric of political years, countering that imbalance is of most importance to credit unions.
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Ten Things You Must Know to Boost Web Site Visibility
The world of search engines is fast-paced and ever-changing. Google, Yahoo!, MSN and numerous other engines are the gateways to the Web's valuable content. As they continue to evolve, it's important to keep their latest developments in sight. Why? Because your Web site's visibility in search engines makes a significant...
On-Site Conference Coverage
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CUDL, Prime Alliance to Merge Mortgage, Auto Lending Conferences
LAS VEGAS -- Two credit union CUSOs are doing some high-level networking next year on conferencing by merging two of their high level meetings on mortgages and auto lending.
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Those Damn Yankees: America's Historically Anti-Credit Union Team
NEW YORK -- When CUNA members attend a game at Yankee Stadium during the group's annual conference here, they'll be watching a team whose values and traditions are polar opposites to those of credit unions.
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Seven Years After Attacks, CUs at Ground Zero Have Healed, but Scars Remain
NEW YORK -- Credit unions and credit union organizations that were in and around the heart of the 9/11 attacks in New York City have managed to recover along with the city, but not without changes.
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Welcome to the Greatest City in the World!
NEW YORK -- The bright lights and the hustle and bustle, CUNA's America's Credit Union Conference and Expo brings you right to the center of it all.
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Credit Unions and CUNA Mutual Thrive on a Symbiotic Relationship
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- CUNA Mutual has been going gangbusters on is financial figures over the last few years, but this year is tough on everyone.
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Motorcycle, RV, and Boat Lending Can Forge the Trail for CU Growth
LAS VEGAS -- With surprising results so far, three promising areas for indirect growth are motorcycles, RV and boats, CU executives at a breakout session at the annual CU Direct Auto Lending Symposium were told.
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Despite Current Gloom, Brighter Future Is on the Horizon for CU Auto Lending
LAS VEGAS -- Credit unions may be witnessing an auto lending gloom these days and yet there's a bullish future, provided the industry takes heed of problem areas, attendees at the annual CU Direct Corp. Auto Lending Symposium were told last week.
Billlionaires Club
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American Eagle FCU CEO Dokas and Directors Figure That Growth Is the Name of the Game
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Members of American Eagle Federal Credit Union may not have exchanged high fives when their financial institution hit the $1 billion mark about two years ago, but the board and CEO saw it as a landmark on a path that pinpoints growth as essential.
Clarifications/Corrections
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Corrections
In the June 11, 2008, Credit Union Times an article ("Meriwest CU CD Special Creates National Buzz") mentioned that a merger with Golden Bay CU earlier this year extended Meriwest's branch network to Tucson, Ariz. Meriwest has had branches in Tucson since 1981.
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