AUSTIN, Texas-The state CU Department said it handled 100 written consumer complaints last year, up from 77 the year before, and complaints about overdraft fees were the most common, by far.

WASHINGTON-The Federal Home Loan Banks are offering $500 million of bonds linked to mortgage prepayments.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA, which approved only 27 underserved expansions last year, okayed five underserved expansions for the month of February, including several large ones.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA has approved mergers of several ailing credit unions, including $13 million First State FCU in Dover, Del. and $11 million Community FCU in Tacoma, Wash.

ROCKVILLE, Md.-NCUA has granted a broad TIP charter to National Institutes of Health FCU that will enable the $490 million credit union to serve anyone in the health services field in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia. The credit union currently serves hundreds of select groups in those states.

Jim Tenhundfeld was named as the new president of Cincinnati-based Frost Financial Services.

Eckhardt Resigns From CUNA Mutual Bod

EUGENE, Ore-Credit unions across the country have invested significant funds to raise their profile. Northwest Community CU here has done the same with a stationary bicycle that powers a smoothie-making machine.

ATHENS, Penn.-The namesake company of Ingersoll-Rand FCU recently announced it would shutter its location here and consolidate operations in North Carolina by the end of the year.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-Pending regulations and a new economic environment will force many corporate CUs to change their business models. With "legacy assets" clogging the ledgers of many institutions, the future of the corporates is still uncertain. What is certain: once a plan is developed to clear those assets, corporates will have to go back to the basics of making money on services instead of investments. CU Journal asked corporate executives and regulators to discuss what the future holds for corporate credit unions.

MIDDLETOWN, Penn.-NCUA's plan to deal with legacy assets will likely play an even more critical role in determining the fate of corporates than changes to Regulation 704, several suggested.

METAIRE, La.-Consolidation won't cure the ills corporate credit unions or restore confidence at natural-person institutions according to one corporate CEO.

TALLAHASEE, Fla.-Corporates will need to rely on one another if they are to survive in a new environment.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-Running a corporate credit union is a thankless job these days, but Brad Miller is embracing his new role as the head of Southeast Corporate FCU here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio-Corporates must to go back to the basics and learn how to be both efficient and competitive if they are to survive, as the drive towards greater operational efficiency will be the "transforming factor" for corportes' future, according to Lee Butke, CEO of Corporate One FCU here.

TOPKEA, Kan.-The proposed rule to reform the corporate system is a bit too one-size-fits-all for some state supervisors.

GREENSBORO, N.C.-Though most of the discussion on the future of the corporate credit union system has revolved around troubled large institutions and "pass throughs," medium-sized corporates could provide a strong business model going forward.

Tobyhanna FCU, Scranton, Penn., hosted a concert for the Old Forge School District as part of its financial literacy outreach efforts.

MIAMI-The number of consumers behind on their mortgage payments but current on their credit cards continues to rise, while bankruptcies are also set to increase.

MIAMI-Big banks are acting more like credit unions, at least it when it comes to collections, and their efforts are apparently paying off. With unemployment near double digits nationwide, many customers are newly delinquent and in positions to which they are not accustomed.