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ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA reported Friday it approved 25 mergers last month, 20 of them involving one or more credit unions struggling with losses or other financial problems.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA's corporate assessment was booked by most credit unions in the first quarter of 2009, and its effect can be seen in the March 30 call report data, with many credit unions reporting losses as a result.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA Chairman Michael Fryzel is calling on credit unions to get behind its legislative plan to replenish the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) over time.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Available financial institution: CU w/loyal membership ISO larger, stronger mate for LTR, mutual benefits.

MADISON, Wis. — Outright declines in credit union capital in February — and over the past year — led to a decline in the capital-to-asset ratio, which now stands at 10.2%, according to a recent report by CUNA Mutual Group.

SAN FRANCISCO — In response to double-digit unemployment numbers in this state, Patelco CU is taking drastic measure to prevent delinquency.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An analysis by NCUA of the investments held by U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp FCU prior to the March 20 takeover of the troubled corporate credit union giants shows a vast exposure to risky subprime, Alt-A and Option ARM mortgage securities held by the two institutions.

A Positive Moving Forward, But...BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Corporate credit union earnings in 2009 will look much better than the previous year thanks to FASB's mark to market ruling, according to a former NCUA chairman.Dennis Dollar, principal at Dollar Associates, said the accounting changes will boost the bottom line at corporates and natural person credit unions with impaired investments going forward, but those institutions will still be forced to write down the actual credit losses on the mortgages that back those securities.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As bank customers are displaced because of financial sector turmoil, analysts are saying it is more important than ever for credit unions to keep a tight control on member satisfaction and manage their external images.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-Despite the toll the corporate failures and the economy in general is taking on credit unions, most are sticking with to their gameplan, experts told CU Journal.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – The Members Own FCU, buried under $4 million of losses for 2008, said Wednesday it is searching for a merger partner.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – State regulator approved an application from The Golden 1 CU to acquire Steinbeck CU, the $50 million Salinas credit union that reported more than $800,000 of losses last year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Members of WesCorp FCU, describing the devastating effect of last month’s failure of the corporate credit union giant, are petitioning NCUA for repayment of their lost capital.

ORLANDO, Fla.–Dr. Barry Asmus, a well-known free-market economist, is giving the thumbs up to the recent changes in mark-to-market accounting rules by FASB, “I like mark to market, but not when there is no market to mark to,” Asmus told PSCU’s annual meeting here. “Mark to market makes no sense. I can’t tell you how I’m breathing a little easier having this asinine rule revoked. Mark to market was the biggest liquidity bubble on earth.”

WASHINGTON — Though the Federal Reserve Board remains the leading candidate to assume oversight of systemically risky firms, two Senate votes last week demanding that the central bank hand over details about its activities demonstrated its waning political support.

ARLINGTON, Va.–NAFCU is pressing NCUA for clarification on accounting issues should Congress pass legislation creating a Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Keys FCU, which lost $1.8 million in 2008, said it trimmed its staff by an undisclosed amount, including its well-known vice president Charlie Bickford.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee endorsed a measure that would provide as much as $24 billion in funding for the National CU Share Insurance Fund on an emergency basis, moving ahead with help for NCUA's corporate credit union bailout.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Going "green" is red hot, which is why MAX CU created the EcoMAX Home Expo, an inititiative that not only created buzz for the CU but has become part of its overall growth strategy.

NORWALK, Conn. — The Financial Accounting Standards Board voted several changes to its mark-to-market rules last Thursday to ease the strain on CUs and other financial institutions-but rejected requests to allow the entities to apply the changes retroactively to their 2008 financials.