WASHINGTON – Mortgage rates declined again this week, for the fifth week in a row, to their lowest level this year, according to Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Tester, leading the effort to delay the controversial debit interchange fee rule, has agreed to shorten his proposed delay to 15 months from 24 months, giving credit union and bank regulators time to study the impact of the rule on the institutions they supervise.

WASHINGTON – Lawyers for Vensure FCU, the Arizona credit union processing millions of dollars in online poker bets that was taken under conservatorship April 15, on Thursday told a federal court NCUA is content to let the tiny credit union “wither on the vine” and self liquidate during the conservatorship.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NCUA Board this morning proposed a plan that would allow credit unions to prepay their annual assessments for the corporate credit union bailout, which they project will amount to $2.94 billion, or 38 basis points, for this year and next.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Apparently you can return to the scene of the crime.

CLARK, N.J. – CU Student Lending, LLC, a CUSO that developed and manages the cuStudentLoans private student loan program, has launched its 2011 EdAccess Private Student Loan, which features zero origination fees to the borrower.

LANSING, Mich. – Marcie Graham, 30, has been indicted on federal embezzlement charges related to her employment as an assistant branch manager of Case Credit Union.

NEENAH, Wis. – Evergreen Credit Union President Sherry Johnson said she will retire June 20, after 27 years at the credit union.

NEW YORK – Just three U.S. institutions are among the 20 strongest banks in the world, according to new rankings from Bloomberg Markets magazine.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Credit Union Journal is now accepting entries for its 2011 Best Practices Awards.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – NCUA has liquidated the $2.7-million Hmong American FCU here, after earlier placing it in conservatorship.

SAN DIEGO – The economy is improving, as is the financial position of most credit unions, but one thing will keep CUs inefficient: regulation.

WASHINGTON – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s prototypes for a single mortgage disclosure form won praise from industry groups yesterday for their streamlined format, as well as the unorthodox way they are being developed.

WASHINGTON – Responding to progress credit unions and banks have made in Congress to delay or derail new interchange caps that are included in the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act, the National Retail Federation is rolling out a major, nationwide, 60-day lobbying, grassroots and media campaign aimed at ensuring that the law goes into effect as scheduled.

Matt Weidler, IT Asset Coordinator with Evangelical Christian Credit Union of Brea, Calif., has been named the winner of the first annual CO-OP THINK Prize for his idea to allow members to access ATMs using their cell phones.

RESTON, Va. – Sallie Mae said it is reducing the rates it charges on private student loans for the 2011-2012 academic year.

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. – Listerhill CU donated $50,000 to the Northwest Alabama chapter of the American Red Cross for disaster relief services.

CHELSEA, Mass. – Metro CU, which expanded through Boston with the acquisition of University CU, opened a new downtown branch on Mass. Ave.

BOSTON – Boston Bruins star forward Shawn Thornton has been signed to represent City of Boston CU as a spokesman.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Area Teachers’ CU is converting to a federal charter and will be known starting in mid-June as Orion FCU.