MADISON, Wis.-The National Credit Union Foundation has approved 19 new grants for 2012, totaling $287,387. All of the grant projects have a financial education component.

United Educational CU, Battle Creek, Mich., appointed Mary Faurot VP of lending.

RALEIGH, N.C.-State Employees Credit Union is in the process of creating a CUSO that will offer life insurance and annuities to members, following passage by the North Carolina legislature of an amendment to the state's credit union statute to allow credit unions to own insurance companies.

NEW YORK-Brian Branch, CEO of the World Council of Credit Unions, and Bill Cheney, CEO of CUNA joined with Ramone Imperial, president of the Caja Popular Mexicana during a United Nations roundtable discussion here organized as part of the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives.

Cardholder-Level Data Analysis NeededDES MOINES, Iowa-Credit and debit card issuers should be drilling down to the cardholder level to get a true understanding of their members' purchase behavior, according to a new white paper by The Members Group titled, "The Whole Picture: How cardholder-level data is changing the way card managers make decisions."For info: www.themembersgroup.com/PRdataCoastal CU Joins CU24BILOXI, Miss.-Coastal CU, formerly Biloxi Municipal CU, has joined Credit Union 24, the nation's largest fee-free ATM and point-of-sale network.For info: www.cu24.com2011 Scorecard Winners AnnouncedDALLAS-CU Members Mortgage recognized five of its credit union partners and one league for great achievements in their mortgage departments in fiscal year 2010/2011: Greater Texas FCU, Riverland CU, Eli Lilly FCU, Security Service FCU, Sandia Area FCU, and the League of Southeastern Credit Unions.For info: www.cumembers.comILT, CO-OP Member Center Team UpSALT LAKE CITY-Integrated Lending Technologies, LLC has entered into a partnership with CO-OP Member Center to provide its Dealer Indirect Lending and Leasing System (DILLS) solution to agents working in the Ft. Worth, Texas-based Member Center. "Having well trained and experienced CO-OP Member Center underwriters always available will provide our credit union clients with a simple and immediately available way to provide better service to their members and dealer partners," said ILT President William McGregor.For info: www.co-opfs.org or www.iltech.us.CO-OP Matching CMN FundraisersRANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.-Applications are now available for the 2012 CO-OP Miracle Match, enabling credit unions to maximize their Children's Miracle Network Hospitals fundraisers through the $1-million matching program from CO-OP Financial Services.For info: www.co-opfs.orgJustice FCU Signs With CRI SolutionsELKRIDGE, Md.-CRI Solutions, Inc. announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with Justice FCU, Chantilly, Va., to provide a variety of technology and financial services, including debt protection, GAP and auto warranty products.For info: www.crisolutions.netLending Solutions Helps CU GrowELGIN, Ill.-Lending Solutions Consulting said $147-million Canton Schools Employees FCU, Canton, Ohio, has grown in many measurable categories-including loan income and net income-after working with lending consultant Rex Johnson.For info: www.lendingsolutions.comApple FCU Extends Credit Card Servicing Agreement With PSCUST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-PSCU Financial Services said $1.4-billion Apple FCU, Fairfax, Va., signed a contract extension for credit card servicing of its portfolio of 24,000 accounts and $60 million in outstandings through 2014.For info: www.pscufs.comTMG Adds Department To Address Influx of Prepaid ClientsDES MOINES, Iowa-Payments solutions provider The Members Group created a new client-service department, the TMG Retail Payments Team, which will manage prepaid product implementations, support client portfolio growth and provide prepaid cardholder service.For info: www.themembersgroup.comLoan Saver Generates $1M In New Loans For Congressional FCUWASHINGTON-Code Green, LLC, a marketing technology company for credit unions, said $690-million Congressional FCU's Great Loan Makeover campaign, which used Code Green's Loan Saver lead generator system, generated 186 loan leads that resulted in $1.03 million in approved loans in just eight weeks.For info: www.codegreen.org

CUMIS ORDERED TO PAY

SAN DIEGO-The field of potential acquirers for WesCorp/Western Bridge Corporate CU has been narrowed down to four unidentified bidders, with action expected by the end of November.

Extreme Classroom Makeover

A risk-based fraud detection and authentication system allows institutions to make customer relationship and transactional decisions based not on a handful of rules or conditions in isolation, but on a holistic view of a member's identity and predicted likelihood of associated identity-related fraud.

Why are the simple things so complex? We've come to live in a world where "a click away" might as well be "a mile away." It's basic Web Retailing 101 stuff, yet so many still can't seem to get it right.

Wow! NCUA getting scolded by the likes of JP Morgan in the tone of an adult to a child-and then, by their own "no comment" policy, not being able to respond. Now that's got to burn.

I seldom hear "experts" talk about the substantive elements that contribute to the mystical FICO. Perhaps we should talk to our members; ask them some questions as opposed to making decisions based on one sacred metric.

A case that began when two people bought "free" cell phones and eventually led all the way to the Supreme Court has resulted in a decision that will provide some degree of protection to credit unions in civil litigation.

ORLANDO, Fla. – CFE FCU held a grand opening for its second student-operated branch in an Orange County high school and fourth high school branch.

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco FCU is implementing MeridianLink’s loan origination system.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Metco CU said it has signed with Sharetec Systems to convert to the company’s core processing platform.

ST. LOUIS – St. Bernadette CU was approved by the Division of CUs to serve all 1 million residents of surrounding St. Louis County.

MIDLAND, Mich. – Dow Chemical Employees’ CU has added FamilyMint’s hands-on budgeting and educational application designed specifically for children ages 6 to 16.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – ESL FCU is launching a video contest, with gift cards of $2,500, $1,000 and $500 going to videographers who submit the best ESL “love stories” – things the credit union has done to make life better for the contestant or the community.

PITTSBURGH – CUNA Mutual Group has filed suit against the former CEO of a small Pennsylvania credit union claiming the manager charged almost $265,000 for unauthorized personal expenses to the credit union.