MOOSE LAKE, Minn. -- Lake State CU is adding a new branch in Duluth, Minn. -- more than 40 miles away from its nearest branch -- by using interactive video technology from NCR.

PHOENIX — Of the 19 firefighters who were killed here fighting the wildfire in Yarnell, Ariz., seven have now been confirmed as members of Arizona State Credit Union.

WASHINGTON – Students who take out a subsidized government loan beginning this week will see their interest rate more than double to 6.8%.

PHOENIX – Arizona State Credit Union has created a matching gift fund to help the victims of the fire in Yarnell, Ariz. that killed 19 firefighters and has devastated half the community.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Bethpage FCU has hired Jack Bransfield, former president of Roslyn Savings Bank, as a consultant to facilitate community outreach programs, as well as provide counsel on real estate and development initiatives.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Members First CU has appointed Bruce Leighton, a former executive at nearby St. Mary’s bank (credit union) and People’s United Bank in Portsmouth, as president and CEO of the $145-million credit union.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy Federal Credit Union announced a three-year marketing and sponsorship contract with the Army Athletic Association and Army Sports Properties, its multimedia rights holder.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Valley Co-op CU and Preferred FCU completed their combination yesterday and have applied to Michigan regulators for a broad community field of membership encompassing 28 counties and 2.5 million people in the western part of the state, from Traverse City to Lansing to the Indiana border.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Credit Union Journal is now calling for nominations and entries for its 2013 Best Practices Awards.

NEW YORK – What does the future hold for credit unions? If the overflow attendance at one session during CUNA’s America’s Credit Union Conference here is any indication, plenty of people would like to know.

NEW YORK – Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell told attendees of CUNA’s America’s CU Conference a little guy may enter a fight as an underdog, but the underdog can overcome with constant pressure, what is known in basketball as a “full-court press.”

NEW YORK – CUNA President Bill Cheney on Monday said though no one in Congress has endorsed repeal of the credit union tax exemption, the threat is real because last week congressional leaders said they are starting with a clean slate regarding all tax preferences as they draft a reform package.

SPOKANE, Wash. – Global CU is expanding its mobile suite with Mobile MoveIt, a person-2-person service driven by PayPal that gives members the ability to send money to almost anyone, anywhere from their mobile phone.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – CO-OP Financial Services is beginning the first phase of what it says is a comprehensive marketing initiative to rebrand and promote credit union shared branching.

SAN DIEGO – A man who drew multi-colored anti-bank messages in chalk urging customers transfer their funds to a credit union outside of three Bank of America branches during the height of the Bank Transfer Day movement was found innocent of vandalism charges in state court yesterday.

NEW YORK – The credit union movement has apparently recovered from the worst recession in 75 years, but thousands of small credit unions are continually being left behind, with negative growth and negligible or non-existent profitability, CUNA economists explained during America’s CU Conference this afternoon.

Best Reward CU has acquired the troubled PEF FCU in Highland Heights, Ohio, the 11th credit union failure of the year.

SAN FRANCISCO – Intuit Inc. announced this morning it is selling its Intuit Financial Services, the one-time Digital Insight, to private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $1.03 billion.

LoanSifter Integrates Underwrite

Expect the second half of 2013 looks to bring a slow but steady increase in mortgage rates as the Fed begins to reduce the amount of mortgage-backed securities being purchased as Q3 winds down.