PHOENIX – Arizona State Savings & Credit Union has launched Arizona Financial Network LLC to help small and midsize employers participate in joint purchasing agreements that will lower costs for offering employee benefits. Initial areas targeted by the new CUSO include helping employers with health benefits, life insurance, disability, and flexible benefit programs. Medical benefit plans are being offered to individual consumers. The credit union used its own employee benefit program as a model for the new CUSO, said Garth Griese, president/CEO of ASSCU, which reversed a three-year trend of annual double-digit increases in employee benefit costs. Arizona State is the largest state-chartered credit union here with 114,000 members and $800 million in assets.