Using employee incentives and a corps of "retention specialists," the $3 billion Kinecta Credit Union is scoring sharp gains in membership retention, attendees at the annual Marketing Association of Credit Unions conference were told Thursday.

Des Moines-based Community Choice Credit Union won the top prize in the Marketing Association of Credit Unions' 2007 Awards Competition, which was announced Thursday during the group's 21st annual conference here.

Democrat Christopher Carney (Pa.) has signed on to the ever-lengthening list of co-sponsors to the Credit Union Regulatory Improvements Act (H.R. 1537).

The National Association of Realtors may charter a federal credit union to provide a variety of services to its 1.2 million members, including health savings accounts and retirement planning.