News

If you think the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates in the next six months to a year, rattle this copy of Credit Union Times you're holding.

An analysis of NCUA's year-end data from Asset Exchange, a leading broker of credit union card portfolios, indicates that fewer credit unions reported the sales of their credit card portfolios to NCUA in 2006 than in 2005 and the value of the outstanding balances of the portfolios also decreased.

In the latest effort to aid low-income tax filers in avoiding predatory "refund anticipation loans" or RALS, the Wisconsin Credit Union League launched last week a public service radio campaign linked to a consumer Web site.

Since 2000, agency securities have led the pack in terms of the most favored investments among credit unions.

Consumer protections are more and more on the minds of lawmakers in Washington, including pressing issues like data security and credit card issues.

Bankers are still worried about credit union competition, but that's not their biggest threat.