MADISON, Wis. – CUNA Mutual Group, coming off a $149 million loss for 2008, said last week it is cutting 73 positions as part of a plan to reduce expenses by $50 million a year.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Ohio Healthcare FCU has introduced a product to help members further their professional development and careers.

3 Gunmen Plead Guilty to $360K Armored Car Heists

FLINT, Mich. — Credit unions are searching for new ways to help the beleaguered auto workers after the bankruptcy filing by General Motors, but most have been offering special programs for years to stem the demise of America's car industry.

LANSING, Mich. — Preliminary Chrysler sales totals for May suggest that GM's bankruptcy filing may not hurt Invest in America.

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Adding a debit card to its product mix has helped one $13-million CU grow by $2 million in assets over the last two years.

BURLINGTON, Mass. — EasCorp FCU said it raised new equity capital with an $18 million offering of preferred paid-in-capital accounts II, considered Tier One capital under generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP.

WASHINGTON — It's not only corporate credit unions that are being affected directly by their investments in membership capital shares at U.S. Central, as CUNA, which is also a member of U.S. Central, said it charged-off 23% of its MCS, and will probably take additional charges in the future.

ATLANTA — If a CU determines it can't extend branch hours, it should consider turning to shared branching to boost convenience, according to one person.

Town Hall Helps Reassure Members

Answers To Why Do People Buy?

SAN JOSE, Calif. — With delinquencies growing, many credit unions are scurrying to improve collections processes and outsource some of the work.

SAN ANTONIO — Even if a credit union has not seen a sharp increase in delinquencies, one CU is advising not waiting until a crisis occurs before establishing an outsourcing arrangement with a third-party collections company.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Higher fees is the leading reason bank customers have switched banks over the past 12 months, according to a new study by J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power's 2009 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study also found that "customer commitment to retail banks continues to fade, driven primarily by declines in both satisfaction and brand image."

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Another non-existent credit union has been advertising online, but this time it's not a scam aimed at grabbing consumer deposits.

MADISON, Wis. — Members of the Millennial Generation have been mislabeled as self-obsessed spendthrifts, yet a new reports suggests they present a truly unique opportunity for credit unions if handled appropriately.

ARLINGTON, Va. — With the majority of credit unions now in compliance with Red Flag rules, a key question still on the table is: "What will regulators exactly be looking for during upcoming exams?"

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — As layoffs and other symptoms of the financial crisis bleed from the "sand states" into other parts of the country, credit unions in previously "untouched" regions are having to develop special assistance programs for their members.

CLOQUET, Minn. — To close the convenience gap between credit unions and banks that have branches on every corner, some credit union aren't seeking to add bricks, but instead add hours.

Nominations may be submitted by credit unions themselves, a CUSO, or even another credit union. Nominations can also be submitted by suppliers to the credit union community that have clients they believe exemplify the best practice in implementing a particular product or service.