Thanks to the new online network activated last August by the National Credit Union Foundation for disaster relief, CU donations and pledges have now soared past $144,000 to help CU members who suffered losses in the California wildfires during October, NCUF officials reported today.

The increasing cost of gas and home heating is the greatest single factor in consumers' holiday spending, according to survey results released by CUNA and the Consumer Federation of America today.

Membership expansion slowed significantly in September with the month-only gain at 18,000 members versus an average monthly gain of 240,000 for January through August, according to CUNA Mutual Group's Credit Union Trends Report.

NCUA liquidated the remains of the troubled Huron River Area Credit Union on Saturday, Nov. 17 and sold it to Detroit Edison Credit Union in a purchase and assumption.