WASHINGTON -- Among its many other provisions, the 1998 Credit Union Membership Access Act prevents federally insured credit unions from raising capital by any other means than retained earnings. At the same time, the law put into place a system of Prompt Corrective Action, which effectively set a 7% of assets floor for the vast majority of credit unions to be considered well-capitalized, a standard significantly higher than that set for other types of financial institutions....

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- For its part, the NCUA said it would continue to pursue the changes to its administration of PCA that it has already recommended but appeared open to a change in the law regarding the CU capital definition....

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- UT Federal Credit Union is doing what it can to be the financial resource University of Tennessee students and faculty turn to....

MERIDEN, Conn. -- One small change to eco-friendly coffee cups in its branches last year has helped spark a green movement at Seasons Federal Credit Union....

LAKE JACKSON, Texas -- Young & Free is hitting the Lone Star state courtesy of Texas Dow Employees Credit Union....

LLOYDMINSTER, Alberta, Canada -- Larissa Walkiw has taken Common Wealth Credit Union's innovative social media initiative, Young & Free, and is doing what many didn't think was possible--not only getting credit unions on the Gen Y radar but making them relevant....

PEARL RIVER, N.Y. -- Palisades Federal Credit Union invited members to take a load off this summer....

LAKE JACKSON, Texas -- While national headlines expose the questionable decisions and lending practices of some banks and mortgage lenders, Texas Dow Employees Credit Union is making sure consumers know that credit unions are a safe and sound option....

CLEVELAND -- Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio), a strong supporter of credit unions, died Wednesday evening, a day after suffering a brain aneurysm while driving in her Cleveland district....

HERNDON, Va. -- Keys Federal Credit Union used e-mail as part of its response to Tropical Storm Fay as the storm hit Key West last week....

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- In a burst of industry enthusiasm for charity giving and image promotion, credit unions in North and South Carolina are finding the "Little Guy" mascot has mighty strong legs, suitable for carrying CUNA's banner in relay runs while also serving to make "lots of new credit union friends" in the branches....

WASHINGTON -- The NCUA's proposed changes to the rules on what constitutes an underserved area could hurt those the rule intends to help by deterring credit unions from applying to serve those areas, CUNA and NAFCU told the agency....

TULSA, Okla. -- The outsourcing and partnership pact between the Oklahoma and Texas Credit Union Leagues moved forward last week, with a restructuring deal in 2009 "now very close to being finalized."...

SAN CARLOS, Calif. -- As credit unions consider whether to add the mobile channel, the question is often which of the three modes of delivery to adopt....

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Among the arsenal of security software and services deployed by Patelco Credit Union is a solution that aims to be polite but firm....

WASHINGTON -- Leading credit union executives and economists suggested competing priorities, combined with apathy and the passage of time have kept credit unions from seeking an alternative source of capital for credit unions....

ODESSA, Texas -- Once again, a credit union that tried and failed to convert to a bank has taken legal action against some of its members who opposed it....

DEARBORN, Mich. -- A loan participation that went south as part of the current mortgage and economic downturn is haunting a merger involving Michigan's largest credit union....

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Given the marketplace unrest rolling throughout the industry, are the days approaching when CUSOs, many of which take pride in being 100% credit union-owned and served, will seek out more alliances with banks?...

WASHINGTON -- Presenting a new home to a returning veteran, policy discussions and parties....

The headline to a brief article (page 12) in the Aug. 6 issue was incorrect. Daryl J. Cady, executive vice president/chief financial officer at St. Mary's Bank CU, is the first female and the first CU executive to serve as board chairman of the Financial Managers Society. She is not the first credit union executive to serve on the association's board....

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- NCUA Chairman Michael E. Fryzel used his first letter to credit unions to provide them with a list of resources to help them inform members about the safety of their deposits....

DENVER -- Gateway Services Group LLC, an insurance, investment and trust management CUSO, will launch its new consolidated Program Resource Center for its credit union clients....

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Innovation is among the latest buzz words in the credit union industry. However, before setting forth on the newest product or service, identifying exactly what innovation is and how it becomes a focus are some of the critical early steps toward implementation....

PORTLAND, Maine -- Credit unions here in the Pine Tree State looking to start or even bolster their mortgage and member business lending programs have another resource to turn to....

DEARBORN, Mich. -- If there is a painful lesson coming from Ford Motor Co., which is suffering behind an $8.7 billion second-quarter loss and nearly a decade of sluggish auto sales, Brad Sova is gentle when he shares it with his clients....

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- To appeal to middle-income Americans, particularly those under 45, MEMBERS Development Co. has launched Brightleaf Financial Network, a set of marketing, training and technology tools to help them execute their financial plans online....

Google the phrase "student lending crisis" and you'll be inundated with nearly two million links to a myriad of articles, blogs and editorials detailing the demise of the student lending industry. Before you chalk it up to governmental blunders and greedy bankers and move on to more pressing credit union issues like how you're going to sell used car loans to a membership base whose average age is pushing 50, take heed of a statement made by John F. Kennedy in 1959....

Despite the gloom and doom in the mainstream and trade press regarding the economy--things humming along as they should isn't news--there are many locations that are not affected as much as the headline-grabbing vortexes of California, Florida and some other places....

SEATTLE -- Monitor your credit union's operations, but don't micromanage. Differentiate isolated incidents from trends. Don't do something just because your competition does....

EAST...

Tyndall Federal Credit Union, Panama City, Fla., presented five graduating seniors with $1,000 scholarship awards. The recipients were Trevor Burch, Katelyn Davidson, Carolyn Holmes, Kristina Nguyen and Valerie Simmons. The selection was based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service, accomplishments and awards and volunteer work and job experience. Tyndall Federal established the scholarship program two years ago and has since awarded $10,000 in scholarships....

AmeriChoice Federal Credit Union, Mechanicsburg, Pa., supported a young member in the 2008 York Arthritis Walk. Americhoice raised $425 for the walk in support of Dakota Boring, age 11. Boring is a AmeriChoice Dollar Dog Kids Club member and participated in the walk for the third year in a row. Boring's seven-year battle with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis led him to become an advocate for other arthritis sufferers. He was named the 2007 junior volunteer of the year by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and attended the National Arthritis Summit in Washington, where he met Congressman Todd Platts in support of the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act....

American Bankers Association Senior Economist Keith Leggett sent a letter dated Aug. 13 to the NCUA opposing easing restrictions on member business loans, contending that it could threatening the financial health of credit unions and the NCUSIF. The full text of the letter can be found at: www.ncua.gov/Regulations OpinionsLaws/Comments/723/...