NEW YORK — "When America gets a cold, we get pneumonia," said Cliff Rosenthal, CEO National Federation of Community Development CUs.

HARRISBURG, Penn. — With the state of Pennsylvania failing to pass a budget, the largest CU in this state is assisting affected members with a 0% loan offer.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Golden 1 CU is accepting IOUs from its members as the state has begun issuing Registered Warrants due to its budget crisis.

DALLAS — After hitting an all-time low, credit union CEOs have shown a sharp uptick in their views on the economy's prospects.

WASHINGTON — Credit bureau TransUnion reports that the average credit score fell six points from the third quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009, and one expert suggests that trend won't reverse any time soon.

FORT WORTH, Texas — While credit unions in the beleaguered "sand states" are shuttering branches, one credit union here is getting ready to expand its branch network.

OSTHEMO, Mich. — Sometimes it pays to be far away from the bright lights and big city, as one credit union in Michigan has discovered.

BOSTON — Credit unions in half-dozen states — particularly the so-called Sand States of California, Arizona, Nevada and Florida — may be sinking deeper and deeper, but many credit unions around the country are growing and even prospering their way through the recession.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Helping members gets harder when credit scores fall, but understanding what's behind the decline can help CUs find their way.

BOSTON — Shares have come rolling in at credit unions in Massachusetts, where the focus is on finding ways to lend out all that cash.

BOSTON — During a Q&A with CUNA senior management at the trade group's America's Credit Union Conference here, the following questions were posed by CUs:

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — In any crisis, someone is able to cash in, and some credit unions in New York are doing just that right now.

LAKE CHARLES, La. — In southwest Louisiana, where hurricanes have taken a major toll the past few years, CSE FCU is booming, according to Ken Gardner Jr. "We're actually benefitting now from the storms of the last four years because of the rebuilding," said the volunteer director, who noted an influx of insurance payments following hurricanes Ike and Gustav, and greater loan demand to finance the rebuilding.

Steve Rasmussen of FFA CU has been elected chairman of the Credit Union Association of Oklahoma.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — As Credit Union Journal examined why certain CUs remain robust lenders, one theme was cited repeatedly: solid and experienced staff.

PORTLAND, Ore. — When asked to identify why it is such a successful lender, Sunset Science Park FCU believes one reason rises above all others: common sense.

OGDEN, Utah — Pricing, both in the way it prices its loans and compensates its lenders, has been pivotal in keeping loan volume strong at Weber State CU.

PORTLAND — Chris Anderson believes a "window of opportunity" has always been available to CUs and isn't limited to the current struggling economy.

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Rate and turnaround time are generally credited for driving loan volume, but Governmental Employees Credit Union here believes its success has more to do with an old credit union standby.

Events