Michael Bartlett

LAS VEGAS — Credit unions must be aware of and adapt to fundamental changes in the world around them, such as a younger generation that would rather use financial applications than go to financial institutions.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of the State Employees Credit Union voted in favor of merging into First Florida Credit Union, formally creating a CU with more than $725 million in assets and 60,000 members.

Gabe Krajicek, CEO of Austin, Texas-based BancVue, a wholesale financial services company, reminded credit unions to be aware of the potential for a short-term interest rate hike in 2015.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Altura Credit Union reported $3.82 million in net income during the second quarter of 2014, marking 13 consecutive quarters of positive earnings.

LAS VEGAS — Credit Union Journal asked attendees of NAFCU Annual Conference last month to look ahead to the strategic planning season and answer the question: Is your credit union adding any new agenda items this year?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The biggest trend in credit union strategic planning over recent years has been considering it more as a process than an event.

LAS VEGAS — With less than a year before implementation, the clock is ticking for financial institutions that need to overhaul mortgage disclosures.

WESTERN, Wis. — WESTconsin Credit Union on Thursday named Lora Benrud as the new CEO of the $907 million CU.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA issued only prohibition order in July, after nine such orders in May and six in June.

WESTMINSTER, Colo. and WARRENVILLE, Ill. — System United Corporate Federal Credit Union, better known as SunCorp, on Wednesday announced its intent to merge with Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union of Illinois.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Tiny $12.2 million Nashville Credit Union is looking to merge into $198 million Southeastern FCU here, in a move both institutions are calling "strategic in nature."

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NCUA Board will go over the regulator's 2014 mid-year operating budget when it holds its next scheduled meeting Thursday morning, and plans to introduce a rule that is expected to bring significant relief to credit unions.

WICHITA, Kan. — Two Kansas credit unions on Monday announced their intent to merge, a move that would create an institution with a combined 15 branches, $525 million in assets and more than 70,900 members.

LAS VEGAS-The board of directors at 1st Community FCU wanted to surprise chief executive Bill Nikolauk with the news he had been named CEO of the Year for credit unions with under $250 million by NAFCU.

LAS VEGAS — Loan growth was far and away the most commonly used determining factor for credit union top executive bonus pay, according to a new study by Burns-Fazzi Brock and NAFCU, released at the trade group's annual conference here Wednesday.

LAS VEGAS — Despite NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz's repeated promises of significant changes that will be made to the agency's proposed risk-based capital rule — most recently at NAFCU's annual meeting here — there's still a lot of anxiety among credit union executives about how the final rule will shake out.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Just listening to Robin Brulé detail all the hats she wears on a daily and weekly basis is tiring.

When it comes to improving credit union board diversity, performing a self-assessment is one of the best practices to consider, according to Jim This, president and co-founder of the Paragon Group, an Olympia, Wash.-based CUSO owned by $894 million TwinStar Credit Union that offers board effectiveness evaluations.

Achieving diversity among board members is difficult enough at most credit unions, but community development and low-income credit unions face special challenges of their own.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — If community development or low-income-designated credit unions are forced to hold board seats for people of certain income classes, it would be counterproductive.