CHICAGO - When NCUA examiners told Bohdan Watral that his credit union had set aside too much in loan loss reserves, the CEO of Selfreliance Ukrainian American FCU responded, "You never know what's coming around the corner."

HARRISBURG, Penn. - Pennsylvania State Employees CU plans to rebuild capital by leveraging its cost-effective branchless model and being aggressive with lending.

BOSTON - With economic turbulence swirling all around, the key to the credit union movement's future will be for CUs to do more than just survive — they must strive to boost earnings.

SAN ANTONIO - Like a completely new auto line, there is little doubt the dynamics of the auto lending market in 2009 are different than any previous model year.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.-Some credit unions have been able to boost sales of extended warranties with a little help from man's best friend.

PALO ALTO, Calif. - While the economy here has been anything but sunny, one CU here has seen the light, in the form of loans for residential solar power systems.

VACAVILLE, Calif.-The "Pay It Forward" mantra can now officially be called a trend in the cooperative movement as Travis Credit Union here has adopted the program and put its own spin on the campaign.

NEW BERLIN, Wis. - Landmark CU said last week it has agreed to acquire four smaller credit unions, including two troubled institutions, Allco CU and First Security CU.

MADISON, Wis. - Capital levels at CUs across the country have recovered nearly to their fall 2008 highs, according to CUNA monthly survey. A surge in deposits in July helped to bolster the cooperative movement's capital position.

LAS VEGAS - While many in the credit union movement see alternative capital as a positive, one analyst says be careful what you wish for.

It was an interesting question you raised in Frank Diekmann's Aug. 17 editorial asking, "What if it were 2009, but with 1979's membership rules?" Frank and (CUNA Mutual's) Dave Colby, who contributed to the editorial, were right on the mark with the answer to that question. The current economic downturn and financial industry debacle, whose headlines have largely focused on the banking industry, would have had many more credit union casualties.

BOSTON - State regulators and examiners from across the country met up at the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS) Annual Summit here. Credit Union Journal caught up with a few of them to ask: "Where does your biggest concern lie right now when it comes to examining credit unions?"

TUKWILA, Wash. - Knees shaking and battling a terrible case of the jitters, CU loan officer David Johnson stepped onto the "America's Got Talent" stage and discovered just how much performing skill he has.

Due to unprecedented budget deficits state governments throughout the country are desperately seeking ways to cut costs wherever possible. States realize that many of their departments are paper intensive. One method they are employing to eliminate expense is replacing paper vehicle titles with paperless ones for lienholders such as credit unions in the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The strategic plan for 2010 may be the most important plan ever crafted by the credit union. On the one hand we have a great opportunity on the other hand we face high loan losses and high unemployment in our communities.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A lawyer who spent more than two decades as general counsel for the Florida Bankers Association is the state's new chief regulator.

Each credit union has contracts with a significant number of vendors. In the process of executing a merger, each contract of at least the merging credit union must be reviewed to determine which relationships will continue unchanged, which will be allowed to expire at the end of their term, which will be terminated early, and which, if any, need to be amended to accommodate the additional credit union.

Today, just about every credit union offers some kind of kids club, complete with coloring books and a mascot of some kind. Whether those clubs translate into a life-long affinity for credit unions remains open to debate.

Title insurance is one of the largest expenses when closing on a purchase or refinance, yet your members typically won't have a very good understanding of what it covers or costs.

MADISON, Wis. - Will the now-concluded Cash for Clunkers translate into Cash for Credit Unions?