Credit Union Times Magazine July-07, 2010

House Passes Regulatory Reform; Bill's Fate in Senate Is Uncertain

By David Morrison

Death and taxes kept the effort to reform the nation's financial industry regulations from passage last week as the unexpected exit of the longest serving U.S. senator confused and delayed the bill's supporters.

NCUA Says Arrowhead's Books Were 'Inaccurate'

By Heather Anderson

The controversy over whether or not the NCUA was justified when it seized the $876 Arrowhead Credit Union

Udall Introduces MBL Hike

By Claude R. Marx

Credit unions wanting to make more business loans received another glimmer of hope last week

Fannie Mae to Target Walk-Aways

By David Morrison

Credit union mortgage servicers face an expanded and more important role under a new Fannie Mae policy designed to crack down on borrowers who walk away from their mortgage commitments.

Matz Serves Up Hot Topic Buffet

By Heather Anderson

Despite Washington-area thunderstorms that at times compromised audio quality, the NCUA addressed several hot topics during a 90-minute town hall webinar on June 28.

NCUA Liquidates SW Community FCU

By Claude R. Marx

After several quarters of subpar results, the NCUA last week liquidated the $139 million Southwest Community FCU of St. George, Utah, and announced that its assets and liabilities would be purchased and assumed by Chartway FCU.

Despite Weak Economy, Attendance at Big Trade Shows Is on Track

By Jim Rubenstein

The economy may be struggling, but the summer series of big credit union conferences upcoming in Las Vegas and Chicago seems to be wooing good crowds even though many participants are on tight travel budgets.

Dave Serlo, PSCU CEO, Remembered for His Devotion to CU Values

By David Morrison

Dave Serlo, longtime CEO of PSCU Financial Services and the CUSO's first employee, passed away from the complications of cancer on June 25. He was 63.

PSCU Goes Forward Under Team Management

PSCU Financial Services is moving forward under team management while its board of directors launches a search to replace long-time CEO David Serlo.

Fewer Than 100 Credit Unions On Track to Receive TARP Money

By David Morrison

Although the funding process is nowhere near complete, it appears that fewer than 100 credit unions may wind up receiving any money from the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program.

SBA's Open Government Plan to Increase 7(a) Lender Participation

By Michelle A. Samaad

If all goes as planned, there will be 3,000 more active lenders in the SBA's 7(a) loan program by September 2011.

Paying Down Debt Is More Attractive Than Saving for Some Members

By Michelle A. Samaad

The slowdown of savings growth at credit unions may be attributed to members wanting to pay down their high-cost debt first.

Young & Free, Who Nixed Daddy's Oldsmobile, Can Now Snub Mama's Checking

By Myriam DiGiovanni

Young & Free has landed in St. Louis courtesy of Vantage Credit Union. The more than $642 million credit union has kicked off its search for a spokesperson to be the voice of local 18- to 25-year-olds.

Alaska USA Shakes Off Its Shock

The serious problems at Arrowhead Credit Union may have been on regulators' radar for months, but the NCUA's June 25 takeover of the $876 million California CU surprised some in the CU community, including the

NAFCU Presses FTC to Lift Premerger Notice

NAFCU is renewing its push with the Federal Trade Commission to give federal credit unions an exemption from premerger notification rules and accompanying fees under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Minn. CUs Prep Merger

With the recent proposed merger announcement from $2.7 billion Wings Financial Community Credit Union and $41 million Highgrove Community Federal Credit Union, the pool of small credit unions just got a little smaller.

New London Auditor Challenges NCUA

By Michelle A. Samaad

The accounting firm that reviewed the financials and performed audits of the defunct New London Security Federal Credit Union's records has denied claims that it failed to detect fraudulent activity, an allegation made by NCUA in a March 19 complaint.

Chatfield Returns to Leagues With No Reluctance to Voice His Views

By Heather Anderson

David Chatfield, interim California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues president/CEO, wasted no time jumping back into the spotlight, harshly criticizing the NCUA in a June 30 interview with Credit Union Times from his home in Prescott, Ariz.

DFCU Merging With MidWest Financial

The $2.7 billion DFCU Financial CU of Dearborn, Mich., announced it has filed an application with regulators to merge the $181 million MidWest Financial FCU of Ann Arbor,

NY League Introduces Compromise Muni Bill

Despite vigorous banker opposition, the Credit Union Association of New York is moving ahead this month with its legislative campaign to win support for a compromise bill allowing the deposit of public funds in CUs with a $250,000 cap.

11th Grader Is First Biz Account Holder at CU

Steve Solway, an 11th grade high school student and the owner of a clothing line, recently became the first member to open a business account at People's Credit Union.

Interchange Fight Gives Extra Heft to Ad Blitz

The interchange debate in Congress has put the spotlight-and burden-on credit unions in the nation's capital to convey a strong message on CU

Twister-Damaged CU Finds Temporary Home

Its roof whisked away and windows blown out by a tornado, the $10 million Wadena Federal Credit Union in Minnesota found itself a temporary home in rented space.

CUs, Banks Own A Million Homes

Credit unions and banks now hold 1 million homes as home loan delinquencies exceed 10%, according to CUNA Mutual Group President/CEO Jeff Post.

Sweat Equity, Creativity Are Keys to Financial Services' Brave New World

By Sarah Snell Cooke

Reg restructuring is not quite law yet but essentially a foregone conclusion. Time to quit whining over the loss of interchange fee income and figure out what to do about it. Face your new reality.

In Today's Environment, the Small Credit Union's Days Are Numbered

On May 20, I posted remarks on BRUEN Credit Union Blog (www.cbruen.com/blog) about the failure of a very small 213-member, $175,000-asset and, surprisingly, 50-year old credit union with a delinquency rate of 40%.

Perfect Time for More MBL Market Analysis

Honoring small business owners of the year, President Obama recently urged Congress to pass two major programs to increase lending to small businesses.

Reality Sets In: Many Boomers Expect to Continue Working

By Eileen Courter

Credit unions may continue to receive direct deposit of payroll checks from their baby boomer members for some time after those members would traditionally be expected to retire.

Resilient Boomers Shift From Worrying to Repairing the Damage

I recently spoke at league conferences in Virginia, Oklahoma and Hawaii on the importance of building programs for boomer members.

PEOPLE

HarborOne Credit Union, Brockton, Mass., announced the appointment of Terry Sobolewski to branch officer of the Mansfield office.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Andrews Federal Credit Union, Suitland, Md., employees fell into step with the 600 Maryland residents who participated in the Annual Riverfront Revolution Run and Walk.