WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-Credit Union Journal is now accepting nominations for its 2010 Best Practices Awards.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-CU Journal is accepting nominations for its 2010 Best Practices Awards. We've deliberately made it very easy to enter. Nominations may be submitted by credit unions themselves, a CUSO, a trade association and suppliers to the CU community that have clients they believe exemplify the best practice in implementing a particular product or service. Go to www.cujournal.com for details.The criteria are as follows:* Best practice must have been deployed since June 1, 2009.* Create a category for the nomination. Categories can be from any aspect of running a credit union. A credit union can be nominated in more than one category. Nominators are welcome to nominate more than one credit union.* The entry should include: 500 words or fewer on why it believes it has created a best practice within its operation. * The nomination essay should include as many tangible measures as practical (including ROI where available) documenting the best practice; the background on environment prior to the implementation of the best practice; factors driving adoption of the best practice, and any new products/solutions deployed to achieve the best practice.And here's the part that always has great appeal: there is no charge for entries. It's free! Nominations should be e-mailed to the Managing Editor Lisa Freeman at lfreeman@cujournal.com. You can also visit the Letters to the Editor form and submit your Best Practice there.Deadline for entries is July 1. Winners will be profiled in Credit Union Journal later this year.

MIAMI-Banking giant Bank of America is working to regain the trust of consumers by revamping its product and services offerings to promote their broader financial health.

PITTSBURGH-According to some small credit unions, there is a disconnect between the direction NCUA is providing examiners on evaluating small CUs and what field staff are actually doing.

Stock Prices Of Fannie, Freddie Plunge After Report

PITTSFIELD, Mass.-Angelo Stracuzzi, the well-known CEO of Greylock FCU, has resigned as president of the $1.2-billion CU, in the wake of an investigation into his parole-which was being overseen by a fellow board member-on misdemeanor assault charges.

MIAMI-The unbanked and underbanked do not all share the same profiles or the same financial wants and needs.

WASHINGTON-The chief sponsor of the Senate's interchange amendment creating price controls agreed last week to exempt all government programs from his provision, eliminating an argument being used by credit unions and banks lobbying against the measure.

MIAMI-Leading up to its decision to offer check cashing services, including a check-cashing only relationship, Cleveland-based KeyBank was surprised to find that individuals who use those services are not doing so simply because they don't know any better.

SALEM, Ore.-The path to the eight CUSOs that MaPS Credit Union wholly or cooperatively owns is one that is both simple and complicated.

SALEM, Ore.-Here are the CUSOs MaPS Credit Union's wholly owned or partially owned CUSOs.

SALEM, Ore.-MaPS Credit Union has emerged as one of the top practitioners of leveraging CUSOs, as its eight wholly owned or multi-owned subsidiaries are contributing as much as 30% of its annual net income.

WASHINGTON-For the first time in history, credit unions in the U.S. have reached the 10% mark in terms of share of retail consumer deposits.

BEAVERTON, Ore.-After 20 years of discussing the idea, the Credit Union Association of Oregon and the Washington CU League are hammering out details of a merger.

DEARBORN, Mich.-Several large credit union mergers were announced last week.

TAMPA, Fla.-GTE FCU is hoping is efforts to capitalize on a local icon will generate some real monkey business. The $1.6 billion credit union launched its "Mystery Monkey Tour" based on a rhesus monkey that has achieved cult status in southwest Florida as it has roamed around the area for the last year, narrowly avoiding capture multiple times.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Collaboration and CUSOs are credit union strengths, but one analyst is warning there are conditions that can tear collaboration apart.

PITTSBURGH-From the impact of NCUA assessments on already low ROAs to coping with examiners who fail to recognize the special needs of small credit unions, Clifford Rosenthal addressed the state of community development and low-income CUs.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.-Royal Credit Union said it expects to open the 11 branches it is acquiring from troubled Anchor Bank as credit union branches by the end of the month.

AUGUSTA, Maine-Maine credit unions have launched a new summer and fall campaign for participating credit unions focusing on "SURF Dude," a new mascot, to highlight the benefits of their surcharge-free ATM SURF campaign with message counter signs, posters, web banners and buttons.