The financial struggle plaguing the $157 million Cumorah CreditUnion in Las Vegas can be traced to one big factor: Nevada'scommercial real estate bust.

That's according to Paul Simons, the president/CEO of adownstate Illinois credit union called in by the CU's privateinsurer for workout duty. "If you eliminate the commercial realestate loans from the portfolio, Cumorah is a very solid creditunion but unfortunately you can't do that," explained Simons, headof the $574 million Credit Union 1 of Rantoul. He was brought in byAmerican Share Insurance less than two weeks ago as interimCEO.

The provision set aside for Cumorah's commercial real estateportfolio in net capital has indeed "been challenged," he saidmaintaining his temporary CEO role remains "simply as a stabilizinginfluence" until a final determination is made by the board, whichhe acknowledged could be an eventual merger.