ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Credit unions continued to chop loan reserves and to prune their expenses in the first half of the year by slashing cost of funds—the dividends they pay to members—in order to maintain the record net income of the past two years.

ONTARIO, Calif. – CU Direct Corp. has signed with TMG Financial Services to streamline loan originations.

HOUSTON – Cardtronics said it signed with Discover Financial Services to provide its cardholders with access to its surcharge-free Allpoint ATM network.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Bethpage is raffling off a new Chevrolet as part of its month-long “All-American” celebration campaign aimed at underscoring the benefits of credit union banking.

GREENVILLE, N.C. – State Employees’ CU said its SECU Foundation has awarded a $2.2-million grant to Eastern Carolina University for its rural teacher education program.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio HealthCare FCU and Akron’s MedPro FCU have joined forces to share back-office duties and expenses through a partnership called HealthCare Credit Union System.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Pentagon FCU, for a limited time, is offering auto loans for as low as 0.49% when shoppers use the PenFed online Car Buying Service.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA on Monday reported more ailing credit unions were approved for mergers, either because of financial difficulty, lack of growth or inability to find officials.

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – TDECU has agreed to acquire seven branches in greater Houston previously slated for closure – along with $34 million of loans and $30 million of deposits at the branches – from Hancock Bank, as part of a sell-off of assets of the company’s Whitney Bank unit.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Mountain America CU will expand its presence in Idaho with a deal for $16 million A+ CU, one of three privately insured Idaho credit unions approved to be merged into federally insured credit unions, NCUA reported today.

WASHINGTON – The Senate introduced a bill this afternoon that would bar credit unions and banks from reordering customer payments so as to create the most overdrafts, a practice known as batching.

WICHITA, Kan. – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has agreed to review a lower court’s July 9 ruling dismissing the credit union regulator’s claims against Barclays Capital for the sale of $555 million of faulty mortgage-backed securities the bank sold to U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp FCU.

OTTAWA, Canada—A number of credit union leaders were honored with the World Council of Credit Union’s Distinguished Service Award here, while five young people were awarded scholarships and 12 more were presented with International Credit Union Development Educator (ICUDE) designations.

OTTAWA, Canada—Canada’s largest faith-based credit union has taken steps to live that faith. Benjamin Jantzen, whose title is Stewardship in Action Advisor with the (CDN) $850-million Mennonite Savings and Credit Union, told the World CU Conference his credit union has for the last four years been working to “change the way we were growing our community.”

OTTAWA, Canada—A twenty-something branch manager with Canada’s Bayview Credit Union is offering suggestions on what it takes to recruit and retain people in her generation as employees.Cheryl McCormack told the World CU Conference the keys with Gen X and Gen Y as workers are development, motivation and empowerment. McCormack began in 2006 as a part-time MSR (when her goal was to be an electrician) before being named branch manager in 2012.

OTTAWA, Canada — More than 110 female credit union leaders from 12 countries gathered here as part of the 2013 Global Women’s Leadership Forum, held in conjunction with World Council of Credit Unions’ World Credit Union Conference. Discussion centered on advancement of credit union women leadership.

OTTAWA, Canada — It is no secret that a credit union's success starts from the top down, according to Simon Sinek, author of “Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,” who was the closing speaker for World Council of Credit Unions' World Credit Union Conference here.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Navigant CU is partnering with the Furniture Bank of Rhode Island to help financially struggling families raise funds for affordable basic comforts, such as a bed to sleep on.

SALT LAKE CITY – America First CU announced a partnership with Larry H. Miller Megaplex that will allow credit union members to receive all-day matinee pricing every Monday.

LIVE OAK, Texas – Randolph-Brooks FCU has partnered with Pedernales Electric Cooperative to offer PEC members low-interest loans to finance energy efficiency or renewable energy projects.