HOBOKEN, N.J. — Mergers, for credit unions and banks, commanded the front page of Credit Union Times ten years ago.

The Citicorp-Travelers merger to create Citigroup was one of two front-page news stories on mergers. At the time, the $83-billion deal to merge the two to create a $700 billion-asset financial services company was just announced. The credit union industry responded by saying that even though banks were continuing to deliver the message that bigger is better, credit unions believe the bigger the more distant the customers become.

"Once again banks send the message to the American consumer that it's better to be big if you're a bank, but if you're a credit union you have to be small with limited opportunities for growth," CUNA CEO Dan Mica said in the article. "Through holding companies and mergers, consumers will have fewer choices of financial institutions."