ALEXANDRIA, VA -- NCUA says it began posting savings and loanrate data on its Web site after it noticed that some credit unionswere referencing data from converted CU's as part of the conversionprocess.

Agency documents show the agency had been posting saving andlending data from all CUs and banks generally since it promulgatedthe rule requiring such data to be part of charter conversiondisclosures in 2006 but that the addition of data from convertedCUs is relatively new.

"NCUA noted in 2007 is that the converting credit unions wereusing rate data from the few credit unions that had converted tobanks to support their conversion proposals," NCUA director ofpublic and congressional affairs John McKechnie wrote in an e-mailresponse to questions. "NCUA began started tracking rates ofconverted credit unions as well, and posted that data for January2008 and again for March 2008 to ensure that future credit unionscontemplating conversion had access to this data."