Was it 650,000 or 440,000 or less than 250,000 as claimed by the bankers? I don't know and don't really care. But as Frank J. Diekmann recently commented, we should wish to eat this kind of crow again.

In today's market the challenge to earn reasonable returns on savings and retirement funds have brought about a renewed interest in a time-tested benefit plan.

MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Bancorp is the latest financial company to settle patent infringement claims with DataTreasury, a small Texas company that holds several patents on Check 21 technology.

MADISON, Wis. – A would-be robber reportedly made it easy for police to find him after he tried to rob a Summit CU branch last month by writing his holdup note on the back of his pay stub.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The 22-year-old autistic son of a woman who was killed making an ATM withdrawal outside Knoxville TVA Employees in December 2010 filed suit against police who roughed him up and handcuffed him in the confusion following his mother’s shooting.

SCRANTON, Penn. – Jim Kanaley stepped down as CEO of Tobyhanna FCU on Jan. 3 after nine years.

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. – PCM CU paid $370,252 in year-end patronage refunds to its members for 2011.

FAIRBORN, Ohio – Wright-Patt CU members started off the new year last week with a $5 million special patronage dividend paid to their accounts from their credit union.

EL MONTE, Calif. – SCE FCU is rolling out a mobile banking offering to its members that includes downloadable apps for the iPhone, Android and a universal Mobile Browser App.

MIAMI – A former Miami police officer on Friday was indicated on charges she stole $200,000 from a police charity she oversaw to finance her gambling at area casinos.

WASHINGTON – The National Credit Union Foundation will release a report today that shows the impact CUs have made in financial education and counseling.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Telesis Community CU has bought back a mixed-use building at 460 Tennessee St. for $3 million at a foreclosure sale.

LARGO, Fla. – Pinellas FCU has fired its highly regarded CEO Linda Reynolds and frozen hundreds of thousands of dollars in her accounts and her incoming military pension amid allegations she embezzled funds from the $85-million credit union, located in the Tampa area.

RICHMOND, Ind. – Perfect Circle CU is piloting a different method of disposing of the homes it obtains in foreclosure, by fixing them up, furnishing them and making them available in a rent-to-own sale.

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PHILADELPHIA – NCUA this afternoon took People for People Community Development CU under conservatorship while it tries to nurse the troubled CDCU back to health.

ALBANY, N.Y. – The New York Court of Appeals agreed yesterday to allow the National Association of Federal CUs to argue that the state’s federally chartered credit unions should be exempt from the state’s mortgage recording tax.

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Texas Dow Employees CU said last night it’s TDECU Insurance Agency has acquired Associated Insurance Agency, which provides property and casualty, and commercial products to the business community.

GREENFIELD, Wis. – A 63-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested last week and charged with robbing a CU Service Center here twice shortly after the second holdup on Dec. 29.

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – A man who was wearing droopy pants held up a First Service FCU branch here yesterday morning.