WASHINGTON — Fueled by real estate and economic uncertainty, Loan Health Check-Ups produced by Credit Union Mortgage Alliance Network and the $94 million DVA Federal Credit Union have drawn standing room only crowds in Washington this summer. DVA is an acronym for Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the federal agency hosted the event and promoted it internally among staff.

The credit union, a CUMAnet client, invited members to attend the lunch and learn event and bring their loan documents along for review. Organizers said most attendees didn't need assistance with subprime mortgages but were searching for peace of mind that their home loan didn't contain any hidden clauses or rate increases.

"People come away with a better idea of what a subprime loan is, and even if they don't have one, they'll have the education to avoid it when they go mortgage shopping again," said Leo O'Donnell, CUMAnet's assistant vice president for credit union relations. "And because of the economy, everybody is trying to streamline their finances, so some ask if we can look at every loan they have."