In today's Oregon primary, credit unions are coordinating their support for one of the industry's leading "friends," state Sen. Rick Metsger running for State Treasurer on the Democratic ticket.

The nation's biggest proposed merger of First Tech CU of Oregon and Addison Avenue FCU of California, in a $4.6 billion combination, remains on track to receive member and regulatory approval, CU management reported Tuesday.

The $1.9 billion Lake Michigan Credit Union is merging with the troubled $62 million Citizens CU of Kalamazoo, giving the Grand Rapids CU an expanded entry into the Kalamazoo market.

The industry's massive lobbying effort this week to oppose Sen. Durbin's interchange amendment triggered an estimated 35,000 letters and e-mail messages to U.S. senators but that was apparently dwarfed by retailers' counter campaign.

Foolproof, the financial literacy package of the Credit Union Associations of Colorado/Wyoming, jumped into the "national branding" debate Thursday about how to promote CU awareness after claims its AOL promotion spiked widespread public interest.

The California/Nevada Credit Union League formally picked a seven-member search committee Monday to recruit a replacement for CEO Bill Cheney, also selecting O'Rourke and Associates of San Francisco as its search firm.

Arizona may have a new regulatory team to deal with banks and credit unions but the state has also had to face down a daunting budget crisis, which CU executives claim is hindering the examination process.

The $312 million Connexus Credit Union of Wausau, Wis. announced Monday it expects to complete the merger of the $3 million Wausau City Employees CU by June 1.