The Global Women's Leadership Network, an advocacy group that connects credit union women leaders worldwide, has nine new participants from the Iowa Credit Union League.

Credit unions have been handed "a tremendous opportunity" to gain new market share as a result of those continuing reports of big banks dropping free checking, the head of New Jersey's second largest CU said Wednesday.

There's a new twist on financial management and Payoff.com (www.payoff.com) hopes to help consumers fund their dreams.

Moving to protect market share, two mid-sized Washington State credit unions, Yakima Valley CU and Catholic CU, both in Yakima and located six blocks apart, are planning a June merger creating a $460 million CU.