FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Fort Financial CU and ITT Employees' FCU here have announced plans to merge.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The death of Jim Payne, head of Wilkes-Barre City Employees FCU, has been ruled a suicide and the federal investigation surrounding the CU has heated up.

Senate Banking Committee leaders released their highly anticipated legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance market Sunday afternoon, after announcing they had reached agreement on a plan last week.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — James Schenck will become president and CEO of Pentagon Federal CU on April 1, succeeding Frank Pollack, who is retiring after more than 13 years leading the credit union.

A selection of images featuring credit unions' efforts in their communities.

HUNTINGTON, Ind. — Huntington Schools CU is now Partners 1st FCU after the two shops finalized a merger this week.

Record profits at agriculture-focused rural lenders could be coming to an end. Farm revenue is expected to decline sharply this year, and ag lenders are watching warily to see if this is a one-year blip or the start of a downturn.

TAMPA, Fla. — From smartphone control of plastic to a growing need for tokenization, all the data breaches that have occurred in the last six months have created a buzz among analysts about how the compromises will affect cardholders and FIs.

MANSFIELD, Texas — Texas Trust Credit Union says it wants to be a $1 billion institution by the end of 2016, and the CU is moving in that direction with double-digit growth in assets, loans and members last year.

WICHITA — The Kansas Credit Union Association has created a reality-type TV show along the lines of the "Biggest Loser," but in reality, these contestants could end up being the biggest winners.

Technology invites the explorers, the risk takers, to get "ahead of the curve." In a word, technology invites the young.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — Many credit unions are missing out on auto lending opportunities because they're not engaging with their members early enough in the car-buying process.

During the last five and a half years I have had the opportunity to see the good works that credit union people are capable of doing outside of their offices

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — After switching to a new analytics vendor, $16.8 billion Pentagon Federal Credit Union reports that it has improved the application process for its branded credit card, increasing the conversion rate on applications.

The Internet is the mother of "disruptive technologies," so woven into our everyday existence that it only seems to make sense that a company that specializes in talking to people via the telephone should have been disrupted right into shutting its doors.

In the first quarter of 2014 the outlook for auto lending is bright, especially coming off a strong 2013 when 15.5 million new light vehicles were sold in the U.S.

MADISON, Wis. — One of the most visible changes at credit unions in the wake of the Great Recession has been the sharp increase in expectations for credit union directors — especially when it comes to financial education.

KIEV, Ukraine — World Council of Credit Unions CEO Brian Branch returned Wednesday from a last-minute, three-day visit to Ukraine, where credit unions are struggling to react effectively to the turmoil taking place in the country.

ARLINGTON, Va. — NAFCU has introduced its own risk-based capital calculator the trade association says will help credit unions carefully evaluate the impact of NCUA's proposed capital rule on their operations.

WASHINGTON — Mark McWatters shared insights into what kind of regulator he would be if confirmed to a seat on the NCUA board during testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Thursday.