Using its close Missouri ties, a Michigan credit union, Service 1 FCU, has now completed the merger of a struggling Ozarks CU, the tiny Table Rock FCU of Shell Knob, it was announced Wednesday.

The industry-funded and nationally syndicated Biz Kid$ program received its biggest shot in the arm this week--a $700,000 pledge from an Invest in America unit of the Michigan Credit Union League.

It's been nearly eight months now since plans for the nation's biggest credit union merger, the $4.6 billion consolidation of First Tech CU and Addison Avenue FCU, was unveiled--and there is still no word on any regulatory approval.

The handful of financial consulting firms that track national and individual credit union data is getting some competition

The ailing $791 million Silver State Schools Family CU of Las Vegas is making slow but steady progress toward recovery even as it seeks to negotiate a five-year extension of a $22

Nearly a week after the event, Maine credit union executives are still talking about a rousing speech given to a record crowd by Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary, urging CUs to press ahead with advocacy programs.

Preparing for the November mid-terms, CUNA is stepping up its grassroots advocacy this month with what it calls a refined "partisan communication" campaign aimed at getting CU members to have more direct involvement with candidates.

North Carolina has its first new charter in 10 years, the recently opened Shepherd's FCU in Charlotte.