Prompts One CU To Drop Int'l Wire Transfers; Others Say They Will Have To Raise Prices.

RIVERDALE, Utah. — America First Credit Union has introduced a mobile app that allows its Visa cardholders to personalize their debit or credit cards with photos they've uploaded from their smartphones.

MADISON, Wis.—CUES has introduced its new Strategic Innovation Institute, a two-year program designed to drive greater strategic thinking and innovation within the credit union community.

WARREN, Mich.—Member Driven Technologies, an IT CUSO, has acquired CUsource LLC for its data-processing, draft, print mail and security services.

LOS ANGELES — University CU said Charles Bumbarger, its president and CEO for 37 years, is retiring from the $480 million credit union Dec. 31.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — The common bond requirements for credit unions, more commonly known as field of membership, used to create barriers to credit unions acquiring bank and non-related assets because affected customers would have to reside within an acquiring credit union's FOM.

SAN FRANCISCO—Credit unions are being urged to make better use of electronic games to drive success within their organizations.

LAS VEGAS — Silver State Schools CU reported its sixth straight quarterly profit, but the one-time $1 billion institution, one of the biggest privately insured credit unions, still has a huge hole to fill from losses racked up during the state's financial crisis.

WASHINGTON—More consumers are becoming comfortable with paying their bills on the fly and using their smartphones to make retail purchases, a new CUNA study reveals.

NEW YORK — NCUA will receive $78 million from Ally Financial under a settlement of claims the credit union regulator filed over mortgage-backed securities the former GMAC subprime loan subsidiary known as Residential Capital, or ResCap, sold to three corporate credit union failures.

WASHINGTON — Two members of the Senate's Economic Mobility Caucus introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow prize-linked savings accounts like the ones pioneered by credit unions nationwide.

WASHINGTON — A prominent credit union executive called on Congress Tuesday to undertake major changes to ease the authority of the fledgling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over credit unions and banks.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren weighed in publicly for the first time on the substance of the housing finance reform debate on Tuesday, describing the elements she supports in a new system while stopping short of backing a specific plan.

MADISON, Wis.—The National CU Foundation reported it has distributed more than $208,000 in grants to 248 credit union members in Colorado affected by recent flooding.

MIAMI — A small credit union involved in a whistleblower suit with employees alleging they were fired for cooperating with NCUA investigators has applied to convert to a state charter, according to a local newspaper.

DEARBORN, Mich. — DFCU Financial, the one-time Ford workers credit union, announced Tuesday morning a $23 million bonus dividend — the biggest ever by a credit union — will be paid to members at year-end.

ATLANTA — Payments processor First Data Corp. reported Tuesday morning that debt service related to its huge 2007 leveraged buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. continues to leave it in the hole.

SAN FRANCISCO — Though credit unions are enjoying relative prosperity despite the recent economic downturn, what are they willing to do to adjust to a "new normal" going forward?

SEATTLE—Before a number of consumers even got a glimpse of the advertising inside the Seattle Auto Show earlier this month, they were learning all about Sound Credit Union outside.

VIENNA, Va. — Navy FCU reported Monday that it added another 234,000 new members in the third quarter and 445,000 new members over the past 12 months — for a total of 4.6 million.