HARRISBURG, Penn. — The Pennsylvania CU Association's board has voted to sell 60% of its shares in Credit Union Service Centers (CUSC), provider of shared branching services, to CO-OP Financial Services in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Fall River Municipal Credit Union has opened one of its branches on Sundays.

MADISON, Wis. — At the same time one new research report indicates banks have actually slightly reduced overdraft fees in recent months, a separate study is showing bank customers continue to pay substantially more not just in overdraft fees but overall fees than do credit union members.

NEW YORK — A new report by Standard & Poor's has concluded that the worst of the credit crunch is not yet over.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's Attorney General has filed suit against Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, arguing the ratings services are responsible for costing the state's retirement and pension funds more than $457 million by giving their approval high-risk Wall Street securities that later proved nearly worthless.

WASHINGTON — Consumers plan to open their wallets a bit more this holiday season over last year's, but will still be more restrained in their spending than in prior years, according to a new poll conducted by CUNA and the Consumer Federation of America.

MADISON, Wis. — Executive compensation increases at credit unions has dropped in 2009 compared with recent years, according to a new survey from the Credit Union Executives Society.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The NCUA Board this morning approved a $23.1-million rise in spending for next year, its largest increase ever, to help deal with the growing number of problem credit unions.

LAS VEGAS — WesCorp's CEO said NCUA's release of its proposed new rules for corporates means credit unions will have the opportunity for a "fresh start"-and he asked CUs to stick with the his corporate, which has been operating under federal conservatorship since early 2009.

Charter Oak CEO Honored Posthumously

December

WASHINGTON-The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee said last week the Senate may pass legislation regulating overdraft protection fees that goes beyond the opt-in requirements the Federal Reserve announced last week.

WASHINGTON-Regulators shut down two south Florida banks and one in California last week, raising the total number of bank failures to 123 for 2009.

Meetings

CFO Janet Shaffer celebrated nine years with Marion, Ind.-based Afena FCU.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Proposed reforms to NCUA's corporate credit union regulations will blur the distinction between so-called wholesale corporates and retail corporates, likely meaning the end of U.S. Central FCU, the nation's only wholesale corporate that has been run under NCUA conservatorship since March.

TULLAHOMA, Tenn.-Ascend FCU plans to pay an $8-million bonus to its members, just in time for the holidays.

PHOENIX-In order to help shoppers on the biggest shopping day of the year, Desert Schools FCU will open all 24 of its Wal-Mart branches at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

ST. GEORGE, Utah-Mountain America CU donated $11,875 to the Washington School District it raised during its eighth annual "Scores for Schools" program.

DENVER-Bellco CU agreed to pay $57,250 to a former teller to settle an age discrimination suit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just before a scheduled start of a jury trial in the suit.