Credit Unions had their eyes on a number of important races.

There is an interesting little theme to be found in Credit Union Journal’s ongoing coverage of the one-year anniversary of Bank Transfer Day. And perhaps it’s not so little after all.

The Members Group (TMG) has released a new white paper in which two payments experts explain the liability shift deadlines proposed by the major card networks are not EMV mandates.

A recent FIS consumer survey indicates it may not take a great deal of CU effort to encourage a sizeable portion of members to swipe their debit and credit cards more often.

With credit card competition from banks heating up again, credit unions are responding to the challenge with marketing analytics, creative promotions, and simply greater attention to a lending product that’s essential to ROA.

EMV is coming, that’s certain. But what’s not clear is the final form in which EMV will be delivered.

While analytics are being touted as the best means to target members, at least three credit unions have found that creativity is not a bad second strategy.

Some mortgage applicants continue to be surprised they need to prove they actually have a job and do not carry too much debt.

Awareness that they make mortgage loans has long been an issue for credit unions. Not so for the $5.7-billion San Diego County CU.

With low rates largely a commodity but with fees that are below market, the $2-billion Redwood CU has found another factor is helping drive mortgage volume: being locally owned.

As the San Francisco Bay Area housing market continues its recovery, $3.8-billion Patelco Credit Union expects to set a record for mortgages this year and top it in 2013.

This seaside city has long been the bell cow for California real estate market, which may be good news.

As credit unions from the California and Nevada leagues stage their annual meeting this week, there are finally signs that health is returning to the housing and mortgage markets.

The Golden 1 Credit Union is in the middle of one of the biggest refi booms in its history.

With the housing market staging a “minor recovery” in the Silver State’s capital city, one credit union lender here is finally seeing an equal number of purchase mortgages and refinances.

Don’t try telling Jennifer Denoo, chief operations officer for Great Basin Credit Union, it is difficult or impossible for consumers to get a mortgage due to tighter underwriting standards in a post-crisis market.

Although this market has a well-earned reputation as a depressed real estate market crushed by a glut of unsold housing, Wayne Tew, president and CEO of Clark County CU believes already strong mortgage volume would be even better if there were more homes to sell.

The housing market’s gradual recovery on a national level has picked up “measurable speed,” according to new analysis from Veros Real Estate Solutions.

Wright-Patt CU believes strong member growth is due to the everyday good work it does, as opposed to the bad practices of banks.

Credit unions added more members–nearly 2.15 million–in the one-year period of June 2011 to June 2012 than they have added in any June-to-June period over the past 13 years.