PSCU Sponsors Miracle Day RacesST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-PSCU Financial Services said the Credit Union Miracle Day Family of Races, of which it is lead sponsor, have now generated $5 million in donations to the Children's Miracle Network since CUs began sponsorship of the Cherry Blossom Run 10 years ago.For info: www.miracleday.org or www.pscufs.comVantiv Signs Six CUsCINCINNATI-Payment processor Vantiv said six CUs have signed new contracts for processing services, including ATM and debit card transaction processing, ATM driving, card production and network gateway access: SU Credit Union, Amalgamated CU, Pinnacle FCU, Shipbuilders CU, Western Cooperative CU, and Genie Watt CU.For info: www.vantiv.com.SmartGFE Now AvailableLA JOLLA, Calif.-ClosingCorp, a provider of residential real estate closing cost data and technologies, said its SmartGFE Service is now available and will enable credit unions, whether direct or supported by a CUSO, to create instant, accurate RESPA-compliant GFEs, with current rates for real estate closing services nationwide, and transfer taxes and recording fees.For info: www.smartgfe.com/oneclick or www.closingcorp.comNeighbor Bench, MWCUA Team UpROCKVILLE, Md.-NeighborBench, a provider of advanced compliance solutions, and the Mountain West CU Association have entered into a strategic partnership.For info: www.neighborbench.comPCSi Signs 5 CUsIRMO, S.C.-PCSi, an affiliate of CUSO Palmetto Cooperative Services, said five more CUs have outsourced their item processing operations to the company: Chartway FCU, Virginia Beach, Va.; Grow Financial FCU, Tampa, Fla.; CSE Federal Credit Union, Lake Charles, La.; Envision CU, Tallahassee, Fla.; and FCU, Chesapeake, Va.For info: www.trypsci.comCU Members Mortgage Turns 30DALLAS-CU Members Mortgage officially recognized its 30th anniversary at its 15th National Mortgage Lending Conference. CU Members Mortgage currently has more than 1,000 CU partners, and has originated more than 85,000 loans since 1995.For info: www.cumembers.com PCUA Teams Up With LEVERAGETALLAHASSEE, Fla.-LEVERAGE, the League of Southeastern Credit Union's service corp, is collaborating with the Pennsylvania CU Association to bring CUs in Pennsylvania LEVERAGE's "Ventelligence" vendor management system, along with the buying platform ePurchasing. Ventelligence is fully automated and includes contract management, risk assessment and due diligence. For info: www.lscu.coop or www.pcua.orgDALLAS-Credit union mortgage services provider CU Members Mortgage said it has signed 11 new clients since January: Mississippi FCU, Jackson, Miss.; Mississippi Postal Employees FCU, Jackson, Miss.; Central One FCU, Shrewsbury, Mass.; Central Vermont Medical Center CU, Berlin, Vt.; River City CU, San Antonio; Alamo FCU, San Antonio; Space City CU, Houston; Roanoke Postal Employees FCU, Roanoke, Va.; Veridian CU, Waterloo, Iowa; GESA CU, Richland, Wash.; and Omaha Police FCU, Omaha, Neb.For info: www.cumembers.com CINCINNATI-VendorINSIGHT said $1.1-billion MECU of Baltimore signed with the company for its vendor risk and performance management program.For info: www.vendorinsight.com NEW BRIGHTON, Minn.-CU Companies, a mortgage services CUSO, said it has developed a correspondent lending channel it will offer to credit unions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. For info: www.cucompanies.com TROY, Mich.-Commercial Alliance, a business lending CUSO that serves 21 credit unions, received the Community Lender of the Year award from the Michigan Certified Development Corp. For info: www.commercialalliance.com MONETT, Mo.-Jack Henry & Associates said its ProfitStars division has formed a partnership with ACH Alery. As a result, ProfitStars has introduced two new solutions, ACH C.O.P.S. and ACH A.L.E.R.T., to financial institutions using its ACH Client and Enterprise Payment Solutions (EPS) platform.For info: www.profitstars.com or www.achalert.comPHILADELPHIA-VINtek, a provider of automotive collateral management services, electronic lien and title (ELT) services, and direct finance processing for automotive lenders, reported revenue growth of more than 15% and almost 500 new clients in 2011, continuing a three-year span of double digit revenue and client growth.For info: www.vintek.comDES MOINES, Iowa-Four CUs have signed on to begin offering prepaid card programs from The Members Group and its sister company Coopera: Cornerstone CU, Des Moines, Iowa, offering ATIRAreload; First Central CU, Waco, Texas, offering the Coopera Card, ATIRAreload and ATIRAgift cards; Randolph-Brooks FCU, San Antonio, offering ATIRAgift; and, Veridian CU, Waterloo, Iowa, offering the Coopera Card and ATIRAreload. For info: www.themembersgroup.comHARRISBURG, Penn.-The Pennsylvania CU Association formed a partnership with CRIF Lending Solutions to bring merchant lending to Pennsylvania credit unions. For info: www.criflendingsolutions.com or www.ibelong.orgST. LOUIS-Enterprise Car Sales unveiled a co-branded website with Anheuser-Busch Employees' CU, which the company developed in cooperation with Jazel Automotive Solutions. The co-branded sites are hosted on the new Enterprise Car Sales website, giving CUs the ability to promote current local auto loan rates and incentive offers exclusively to their own members. For info: www.enterprisecarsales.com/abecuALBANY, N.Y.-Covera, a provider of debit, credit and ATM programs to more than 300 credit unions, said it is partnering with the Massachusetts CU League, giving MCUL's member CUs training opportunities, portfolio development support, fraud prevention and marketing support. For info: www.coverasolutions.comCITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif.-Repo Remarketing, an auto repossession and remarketing service, said its recent customer satisfaction survey found 96% of its customers are satisfied with its services and deliverables, and 45% reported they were "extremely satisfied."For info: www.reporemarketing.com

Heritage Community CU Launches Business Services

Alloya Corporate Federal Credit Union, of the former Members United Corporate FCU, said it had signed a letter of intent to combine with Central Corporate CU of Michigan to create the nation's largest corporate with almost $5 billion in assets.

In the latest dispute over similar names, FirstEnergy Family CU is challenging the legal right of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Energy FCU to use a new name, FirstEnergy FCU, after the chief corporate sponsor for the Ohio CU, Akron's FirstEnergy Corp. acquired Allegheny Energy Corp., the sponsor for the Pennsylvania CU.

The National Credit Union Association is bringing 1,190 staff to Orlando over the next two weeks to focus on improving examiner performance and exam program consistency, and is spending $1.3 million in the process.

The question of whether the current mortgage market is "risky" or "ripe" depends on how a financial institution delivers the loans, according to Kim Westover VP of mortgage lending for $686.6-million One Nevada Credit Union.

The real estate lending process at $3.6-billion Patelco Credit Union has been "transformed completely" in the last 18 months, according to Vince Salinas, VP-home loans.

It's probably not an exaggeration to say that the financial services industry relies on the post office more than any other sector of the U.S. economy. More than half of all statements and bills sent through the mail come from financial institutions, savings and loans, and credit unions.

Credit Union Journal asked attendees at the recent NAFCU Technology & Security Conference here, "Where is your credit union investing its technology dollars in 2012?

REALTORS FCU may have its head in the cloud, but it knows how to grow members: the credit union keeps at least one foot on the ground.

Image Capture Adoption 'Nearly Ubiquitous'

A vote on a bill to increase the member business loan cap for credit unions could be held as early as this week in the Senate.

'Cash-to-Close' Quotes Offered

In the latest effort by the CU community to target younger people, the Texas league has launched a new program it is calling the "Texas 12."

As credit unions continue to battle fraud across a variety of channels, Credit Union Journal compiled this list of anti-fraud tools and terms.

FANNIE, FREDDIE PROPOSAL

Aventa CU Takes Over SCCU

In the headfirst rush into digital branding and social media strategies some credit union leaders are getting into trouble by not taking a strategic approach, according to a new study by the Filene Research Institute.

Attorney Michael Bell recalls reviewing the proposal for United Credit Union to acquire Indiana's Griffith Savings Bank and telling UCU CEO Gary Easterling, "There's no reason why we can't do this."

The weather may be warming, but in Minnesota they're still feeling the chill from "Bankziety." Bankziety is the name of a new campaign launched last week by the Minnesota Credit Union Network