The spillover from Bank Transfer Day produced a 65% jump in loanapplications for the $9.6 billion BECU, the Seattle credit unionreported this week.

“The increase over the last two months came in auto, Visa andhome equity lines so it was apparent that new members just didn'topen new savings accounts,” observed Todd Pietzsch, BECUpublic relations manager.

Since the height of the October/November BTD frenzy, new accountactivity has declined from those dizzying 280% climbs “but it isstill growing by one-and-a-third” from a year ago levels, saidPietzsch.

“If you take just one day – Dec. 9 – we opened 350 accounts buta year ago that number was 254,” said Pietzsch, noting the fullBECU membership now tops 750,000, up from 740,000 before BTD.

Pietzsch said also BECU has no information about a reported BECUmember quoted in the Seattle media who had been protesting on adaily basis during the lunch hour in front of Bank of America,Wells Fargo and several other banks carrying a sign encouragingcustomers to switch to a CU.

A Seattle Times article identified him as Tom Behan, aVietnam veteran and retired marketing executive whose daughterreportedly lost her home to a bank foreclosure during therecession.

One bank reportedly told the police he was trespassing but Behanstood his ground citing freedom of speech rights on a publicsidewalk, said the Seattle paper.

“I think you could say he was one of those typically frustratedbank customers,” Pietzsch concluded.