SAN JOSE, Calif. – Big credit unions are being targeted anew for their practices on overdrafts for debit transactions, with three new class action suits filed yesterday in federal court here charging Star One CU, Kern Schools FCU and SchoolsFirst FCU with unfair and deceptive practices regarding their use of “batching,” or paying off the biggest transactions before the most recent.

COTTONWOOD, Ariz. -- Authorities say a man fatally shot himself after robbing a Credit Union West branch yesterday afternoon.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Credit Union Journal is still accepting entries for its 2012 Best Practices Awards, but time is running out.

MARIETTA, Ga. – Associated CU donated $11,000 to Operation HomeFront Georgia, money it raised during its second annual Making Caring Count Golf Tournament at Dunwoody Country Club.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – CommonWealth One FCU and Intuit Financial Services are trying to boost mobile banking adoption by offering a $10 iTunes gift card every time a member downloads and reviews iPhone, iPad or Android mobile banking applications.

BROWSNTONE, Mich. – Advantage One FCU will offer its members mobile banking services through a partnership with MShift and Card Services for CUs.

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco FCU has implemented a new mobile banking solution from PM Systems, the credit union’s second version of m-banking.

OAK RIDGE. Tenn. – ORNL FCU announced it contracted with INVEST Financial to provide its members with brokerage and investment services.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Kinecta FCU has adopted Shastic’s Facebook lead generator, called Calcubot, which allows loan estimates to be saved and feedback to be solicited from friends, family and advisors.

WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates declined again near record lows this week amid worsening economic indicators, after rising slightly last week, according to Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON – The regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday said it will give the two mortgage giants the ability to allow military members who are ordered to switch bases – known as Permanent Change of Station orders – and who are still current on their mortgages to sell their homes through a short sale.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The Abundant Living Family Church, one of

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In the latest of a growing number of consumer suits over overdraft practices, a group of America’s First FCU’s members claims the credit union manipulates electronic debit transactions from the highest to the lowest dollar amounts, in order to create overdrafts and the accompanying fees.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Pen Air FCU announced this afternoon the hiring of Stewart Ramsey, president of Tennessee’s Fort Campbell FCU, as president and CEO of the $1.2 billion credit union.

WASHINGTON – A community bank in Texas is filing a class action suit this afternoon challenging the constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Act and its establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

WASHINGTON – A top credit union business lender urged Congress this morning to extend two fledgling Small Business Administration programs that have provided billions of dollars in capital to community borrowers and are scheduled to expire in September.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Credit Union Journal is now accepting entries for its 2012 Best Practices Awards.

PHILADELPHIA – Employees and members of American Heritage FCU took a plunge into 700 gallons of red gelatin, helping to raise $25,000 for the Children’s Seashore House at the Children’s Hospital during the credit union’s 19th annual Gelatin Olympics last week.

LONGVIEW, Wash. – A homeless man accused of robbing Lower Columbia Longshoremen’s CU on March 7 was charged with first-degree robbery this week.

PHILADELPHIA – American Heritage FCU opened a new branch inside a ShopRite in Rexborough, which was remodeled recently.