LAKELAND, Fla. – In a landmark deal, MidFlorida CU has agreed to acquire six Tampa-area branches, 16,000 member accounts and $115 million in assets from Space Coast CU, the Melbourne, Fla., credit union giant.

WARMINSTER, Penn. – Three employees of Freedom Credit Union joined with others in the community to participate in the Build Day of Mayfair Memorial Playground in Northeast Philadelphia.

CHAMBERSBURG, N.Y. – Members of American Community FCU here have agreed to merge into Corning Credit Union, Corning, N.Y., effective Jan. 1.

NEW YORK – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. plans to issue four certificates of deposit linked to stocks as record low interest rates drive investor demand for the potentially higher-yielding CDs.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the second straight year Credit Union Service Centers of Alabama will pay a shareholder dividend.

BURLINGTON, Mass. – Eastern Corporate FCU and its CUSO, Vertifi Software, reported two large credit unions have chosen its DeposZip Mobile remote deposit capture solution.

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Achieva Credit Union has presented the deed to a house and property on Park Street here and a $9,000 check to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County to fund its demolition.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – One lucky member of University of Illinois Employees CU here will win the opportunity to join the Fighting Illini football team when it plays UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Dec. 31 in San Francisco.

CHICAGO – Just days after data was released showing Americans’ overall mortgage debt is at its lowest level in five years, new data also shows U.S. credit card delinquency rates are at their lowest levels in 17 years.

NATURAL BRIDGE, N.Y. – The former manager of United Neighbors FCU here has admitted to embezzling more than $34,000 from the credit union.

NEW YORK – Next year could be a “transition” year in which consumer deleveraging slows significantly and borrowing improves, spurring credit card growth.

WASHINGTON – The Mortgage Bankers Association is calling on the government not to make proposed changes in the GSE servicing compensation model.

WASHINGTON – A new proposal is being floated in Congress here that calls on the federal government to start from scratch and create an entirely new secondary market agency that would replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

ONTARIO, Calif. — Shareholders in shared branching network Financial Service Centers Cooperative, Inc. (FSCC) have voted to approve a merger with CO-OP Financial Services. The transaction is expected to close in early 2012, unifying the two largest CU shared branch networks in the country.

ONTARIO, Calif. – A recent card reader scam at San Francisco area Lucky supermarkets has resulted in identity theft for some store employees and customers, and others fearful that their debit or credit card accounts may have been compromised.

FREDERICK, Md. – COMSTAR FCU has named Victoria M. Johnston president and CEO.

NEW YORK – While home sales remain sluggish, rates on mortgages remain at near record lows.

WASHINGTON – The mortgage debt held by Americans has dropped to its lowest level in five years, thanks in part to foreclosures and fewer people buying homes.

SAN ANTONIO – USAA has filed a lawsuit claiming the publication Military Times has been falsely presenting Navy Federal Credit Union as the sponsor of this weekend’s college football game between Army and Navy, even though USAA is in the second year of a 10-year agreement to be the game’s presenting sponsor.

LAS VEGAS – Board members were reminded that beginning in January examiners will begin reviewing credit union risk assessments and that in the board room, credit union need to be prepared to comply.