Two of southern Washington's largest credit unions, the $279 million Yakima Valley and the $184 million Catholic, both competitors in the same community, are planning a June merger.

The CUs, healthy, well-capitalized and six blocks apart in Yakima, said the proposed pairing works in fending off recent market intrusions by both regional banks and other CUs.

Informal discussions between the two CUs have been ongoing for nearly a decade, but a decision to push a consolidation was triggered most recently by branch and indirect loan forays by a Wenatchee bank and Hapo Community CU of Richland into Yakima, a community of 70,000 near the Oregon line.