Three West Coast credit unions, planning the industry's largest merger, filed their applications with the National Credit Union Administration on Aug. 25.
The new entity, called Pacific Technology Federal Credit Union in the applications, would have $1.3 billion of assets and 180,000 members.
Pacific Tech would be federally chartered, said Ed Callahan, president of $906 million-asset Patelco Credit Union, one of the three partners. Based in San Francisco, Patelco is state-chartered.
The other two credit unions are First Technology Federal Credit Union, Beaverton, Ore., and Seattle Telco Federal Credit Union, each of which has $239 million of assets.
"I don't see the NCUA looking fondly upon two federally chartered credit unions merging into a California charter," Mr. Callahan said.
Also, California state-chartered credit unions must pay taxes on their investment earnings; federally chartered credit unions do not. Mr. Callahan said this had led him to consider switching to a federal charter prior to the merger plan.
Seattle Telco will be considered the surviving institution of the merger, and the new credit union's headquarters will be in Seattle.
