Washington

WASHINGTON — As NCUA sifts through more than 2,000 comment letters on the risk-based capital proposal, CUNA and NAFCU hope the agency pays close attention to a letter the regulator received Wednesday from leaders of the Senate Banking Committee.

OLYMPIA, Wash. and EUGENE, Ore. — A pair of small Pacific Northwest credit unions bid farewell Tuesday, with the two different merger announcements going out just four minutes apart.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee approved a bill Tuesday to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act for seven years.

RENTON, Wash. — A woman who allegedly robbed an Alaska FCU office here last Thursday showed up at the same location the following day and was arrested by police.

WASHINGTON — Financial institutions are still feeling negative effects from last year's sudden rise in medium- and long-term interest rates, but plenty of signs in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s latest industry update continue to point to a lending resurgence soon.

WASHINGTON — Now that the risk-based capital rule comment period is over, and a record number of letters reached NCUA, the credit union community's two main trade groups say the agency faces the tough task of reviewing and responding to the collective points.

WSECU, a credit union that has replaced tellers with universal agents, offers a case study in how to sell the concept to employees.

WASHINGTON — Despite over 1,000 letters reaching NCUA Wednesday morning, CUNA and NAFCU contend the risk-based capital rule comment period has been too short and may lead to a final rule that would negatively impact credit unions.

John Blizzard, who has more than 23 years of banking and financial services experience, most recently served as president and chief executive of Northwest Bank in Boise, Idaho. He succeeded Patrick Patrick, who has been the $216 million-asset Seattle Bank's CEO for four years.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee passed major legislation to overhaul the housing finance system on Thursday, but observers say a quiet death likely awaits it due to a lack of greater support from key lawmakers.

WASHINGTON — After three regulatory relief bills sailed through the U.S. House of Representatives last week — two of which were written specifically for credit unions — industry insiders are cautiously optimistic.

WASHINGTON — The Financial Stability Oversight Council on Wednesday expanded its transparency policies in an attempt to address criticism that it is a secretive group with minimal oversight.

Washington Federal (WAFD) in Seattle negotiated a discount on its recent purchase of Bank of America (BAC) branches after deposits levels at those locations fell.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee continued negotiations over the weekend on landmark legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance system, but it remains unclear when, or if, panel leaders will reschedule a key vote on the bill.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Numerica Credit Union is the first financial institution in the state of Washington that will accept business from recreational marijuana processors and producers, according to the Washington Liquor Control Board.

WASHINGTON — As a bill that could bring monumental changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac works its way through the Senate, some credit union executives are concerned that larger players would have too many advantages at the expense of small lenders.

WASHINGTON — The indications from Congress are clear: there will be reforms made to the secondary mortgage system that long has relied on government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — but the $9.4-trillion question is: what will the new system look like?

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed several changes to its biggest mortgage rules on Wednesday which would effectively allow lenders to get more loans defined as "qualified mortgages."

WASHINGTON — The future of housing finance reform remains in limbo after Senate Banking Committee leaders postponed a key vote on legislation to unwind Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee voted Tuesday to advance the nomination of J. Mark McWatters to join the board of the National Credit Union Administration.