Coming around the same time a nationally-known business lending CUSO opened its first regional office and NCUA Vice Chairman Rodney Hood's praise of a credit union's program here, Hawaii is poised to make it easier for small businesses to have a say.

While in Hawaii for NAFCU's 40th Annual Conference, NCUA Vice Chairman Rodney Hood visited with Hawaii's two NeighborWorks America affiliates to better understand their work.

While the eventual legal outcome of lawsuits filed against credit unions by Lyndon Insurance, including The CU of Texas, may drag on, Credit Union Times has learned that Lyndon assured the NCUA back in late August 2005 that it was not aware of loan alterations changing coverage of Centrix loans.

The Smart Card Alliance, an association of companies working in the smart card industry, has praised the Federal Reserve for a regulatory change which the Alliance said will help advance smart cards.