WASHINGTON — Industry observers are bracing to see whether the cost of international wire transfers will skyrocket once a new Consumer Financial Protection rule goes into effect starting Monday.

WASHINGTON — With the leading House Republican plan to overhaul the mortgage finance market stuck in limbo, several Democrats have begun work on alternative proposals that could further divide support for the GOP bill.

WOODLAND, Calif.—Yolo FCU announced that President/CEO Clyde Brooker will retire at the end of December after 16 years of service.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Honor CU, fresh off its acquisition of $80 million SIR FCU and its three branches, has agreed to buy the Decatur, Mich., branch of St. Joseph-based Edgewater Bank, along with 850 customer accounts and $14 million in assets.

Carolina Trust FCU, Myrtle Beach, S.C., hired Leigh Anne Nettles as a teller at its Lake City branch and Lori Poston as a teller at its Johnsonville office.

OCTOBER

CARSON CITY, Nev.—While some might refer to the recent economic downturn as a financial crisis, a recession, or even the ""Great Recession," Wally Murray calls it "The Dark Times."

SAN FRANCISCO—As credit unions from California and Nevada converge here for the Annual Meeting and Convention of their two state CU leagues this week, the answer to the question "How are you doing?" will depend greatly on which state is called home.

ONTARIO, Calif.—The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues are rolling out a soft launch of a partnership with MOGL, a San Diego-based provider of a merchant funded restaurant rewards platform.

PLEASANTON, Calif.—Patelco Credit Union said its "Switch to Save" loan refinance program recently hit a milestone as participating members have saved more than $1 million.

VENTURA, Calif.—Bank Transfer Day is gone but it is not forgotten-especially at Ventura County Credit Union.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The nation's biggest credit unions continued to trim their loan-loss provisions and cost of funds in the third quarter pushing net income higher still, according to reports filed last week with NCUA.

SHREVEPORT, La.—Credit unions' interest in new lending streams and small businesses' need for operating capital are making micro-loans a growing opportunity for CUs.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla.—Like many Sunshine State businesses, the recession proved challenging for Edda's Cake Company. In 2011, the Miami-based bakery needed a line of credit to expand operations, but local banks weren't interested in what they considered a small-dollar loan.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A year after the wind-down of U.S. Central FCU-the industry's ultimate source of liquidity-the NCUA Board voted Thursday to require all credit unions over $250 million to contract for a federally backed source of emergency liquidity, either the Central Liquidity Facility or the Federal Reserve's Discount Window.

Mortgage Rates Fall Again To Hit Four-Month Low

BALTIMORE-When members walk into the Golden Ring office of Point Breeze CU these days, Branch Manager Shannon Carter likes what she sees-and hears.

Just two years since its inception, the Credit Union Financial Exchange has made big strides developing vendor-agnostic standards.

SHAZAM Offers Mobile App

COLUMBUS, Ind.—With banking transactions increasingly moving toward mobile, Centra Credit Union has successfully adopted smartphone lending technologies here, which has more than doubled the number of loans closed each month.