LAS VEGAS – One Nevada CU and two credit union technology firms will introduce a new mobile payments system specifically geared for credit unions Monday, called CU Wallet.

OGDEN, Utah – NCUA reported today it has approved the merger of Goldenwest CU with USU Charter CU, creating the 209th credit union over $1 billion in assets.

WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates declined this week, after a long-term rise, as signs of a weakening economic recovery emerged, according to Freddie Mac.

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon Community CU has installed CO-Financial Service’s and Diebold’s NextGen ATMs – which the companies said combine the functionality of a deposit-taking ATM and a shared branch – at its new Salem branch.

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia CU League stepped into the high-profile governor’s race and endorsed Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

BOULDER, Colo. – Elevations CU has committed $100,000 to house flood victims and has presented a $100,000 challenge grant to the community and the credit union’s membership.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve and merchants challenging the Fed’s Durbin amendment caps on swipe fees asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to expedite the Fed’s appeal of a lower court ruling invalidating the cap as too high.

TUKWILA, Wash. – BECU on Thursday said it also welcomes NCUA’s proposal to conduct stress testing on the largest credit unions, adding it has been conducting its own stress tests for years to determine the proper level of capital adequacy.

HONOLULU – The Queens FCU was awarded a $659,000 grant from the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Program, one of three Native American credit unions to win CDFI grants yesterday.

NORWALK, Conn. – Credit unions are calling on the Financial Accounting Standards Board to exclude them from the definition of a public business entity under new accounting classifications – potentially exempting them from new rules by FASB or other regulatory entities.

CHICAGO--Self-Help FCU, the California community development credit union which acquired Second Federal Savings & Loan in 2012, is officially reopening the failed southwest side thrift in conjunction with the city’s the Resurrection Project, as Second FCU

WESTBY, Wis. – Westby Co-Op CU announced plans for an unusual deal this morning in which it will acquire the deposits and loans at Citizens Community Bancorp’s Wisconsin Dells Walmart branch, part of the bank’s plans to close three Walmart branches.

NEENAH, Wis. – Lakeview CU drove business to a Menasha bar and grill Tuesday night by giving away money, as part of a new marketing campaign.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Navigator CU, the state’s second-largest credit union, announced the resignation yesterday of longtime President Laurin Avara earlier this week.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Patrick Conway has been named the new president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association.

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. – Even though credit union and bank balance sheets have improved since the financial crisis, loan growth has mostly stalled or has fallen at small credit unions and community banks, according to a new study from Moebs $ervices.

SAN FRANCISCO – NCUA has filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to reinstate claims against Wachovia Capital (now a unit of Wells Fargo & Co.) and Nomura Asset Acceptance Corp.

WASHINGTON – As they lobby Congress for repeal of the credit union tax exemption, the bankers, predictably, have a different estimate of how much revenue a tax on credit unions would raise – one of the keys being looked at by lawmakers as they weigh proposals for tax reform.

RALEIGH, N.C. – State Employees’ CU, one of four $10 billion-plus credit unions that would be stress-tested under a proposal being discussed by NCUA, is all in favor of the tests now undergone by big banks and insists the results should be made public, as they are for the banks.

SAN FRANCISCO – NCUA filed an appeal yesterday with the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to reinstate claims against Wachovia Capital (now a unit of Wells Fargo & Co.) and Nomura Asset Acceptance Corp., which both originated subprime loans packaged into mortgage-backed securities that figured into the 2009 failure of WesCorp FCU.