Corporate governance

CHELSEA, Mass. – Metro, one of the biggest credit unions in the Bay State, will get access to more than 100,000 students at a dozen area colleges with the planned merger of University CU.

SEATTLE – In the latest mega-merger among credit unions, on Monday Watermark CU announced it is combining with Tacoma’s Sound CU to create a credit union with more than $1.1 billion in assets.

LANSING, Mich. – Auto Body CU, chartered in 1949 to serve workers at the Fisher Auto Body company, in April will be changing its name to Astera CU to reflect a broader marketing effort.

WASHINGTON-CUNA next week plans to unveil a new web-based tool the trade group says "can play a critical role in helping not only to tell the credit union story, but to convince more consumers nationwide to consider-and then join-a credit union."

CHANDLER, Ariz.-First Credit Union has a lofty plan for 2011: to save its members a million dollars or more.

SAN ANTONIO – Firstmark CU this week is launching a brand overhaul featuring a series of television spots imprinted with its new positioning statement, “Great with People. Great with Money.”

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Framingham Municipal FCU is eliminating checking and Internet banking fees and changing its name to Metro-West Community FCU as part of a rebranding around its expanded field of membership serving almost 700,000 residents in communities west of Boston.

ST. LOUIS — Relationship pricing has reduced Gateway Metro FCU's membership by more than 5,000 over the last five years, yet it has also boasted assets by $16 million.

David Barton, who recently turned over the reins of Gateway Metro FCU, spoke with Credit Union Journal about the road he — and the CU — traveled to get GMFCU to where it is today.

BOSTON – As credit unions pile into new avenues of social media they will want to measure carefully the effects of this growing marketing tool, according to a new study released this week by Aite Group.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Metro CU, which built on its local image with a 2009 Super Bowl commercial touting banks’ “Fee Pigs,” scored again with a 30-second spot on Sunday’s local broadcast of the big game.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-After 38 years as CEO, Larry D. Morgan has retired as CEO of APCO Employees Credit Union. During his tenure Morgan oversaw tremendous growth, from $3 million in assets to more than $2 billion, and from 3,200 members to more than 61,000.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-Credit unions have three big growth opportunities in 2011, according to PSCU Financial Services.

LANCASTER, Penn. – United People’s FCU, a 25-year-old credit union chartered to serve employees of St. Joseph Hospital, was granted a trade, industry or profession-wide charter to serve all health care employees in Lancaster County, NCUA reported yesterday.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Framingham Municipal FCU was approved to expand its field of membership to serve almost 700,000 residents in 30 communities west of Boston.

SLEEPY EYE, Minn.-SouthPoint FCU ranks at the very top of its peer group for cross selling, and the credit union says it owes that good fortune to not paying employee incentives.

LAUREL, Md. — While interchange rules have created debate around potential shifts in checking account marketshare, Tower FCU here continues to see strong response to an offer that pays up to $125 to new members.

Juxtaposed, U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo's 4Q reports suggested the banks most likely to grow business loans fastest are those simply most willing to offer more favorable rates.

SEATTLE-Starbucks Corp.'s Grande-sized mobile payments trial has gone Venti. The Seattle coffee chain last week said it has expanded its smartphone payment system to include about 6,800 company-operated stores after piloting the technology for more than a year.

DALLAS-Credit unions have shown in recent months that mortgage lending is a potential area for growth, but Angela Calvert warns CUs to tread carefully.