SEATTLE — Despite the economy, credit unions should investigate expanding their branch networks if it will help their bottom lines in the long run.

GLENDALE, Calif. — Glendale Area Schools FCU has removed a controversial ad from its website several weeks after NCUA asked it to do so. But the CU said the ad had already accomplished its mission.

DEARBORN, Mich. — How does a credit union streamline operations, reduce the cost of generating a dollar of revenue to 48 cents from 78 cents, and then leverage those efficiencies to deliver a $17-million member dividend each of the last three years?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Golden 1 Credit Union helped the State of California meet part of its budget shortfall by buying $500 million in "revenue anticipation notes" last week.

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) — or more globally, advocacy indexing — is now familiar to most credit unions as a useful tool for understanding the member experience, assessing member loyalty, and predicting likely growth. Research suggests, however, that only 15% of organizations employing the tool would claim they are doing so effectively.

The following letter was submitted to 100 Voices by the $16.6-billion State Employees Credit Union in North Carolina. It was handwritten by a member and submitted by CEO Jim Blaine, who said, "I gave some thought to how best to define 'the voice of SECU' for your series. Decided to share with you a note from one of our members — affectionately known as 'The Cat Food Letter.' If you want to know what our organization is about, she nailed us!"

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA has rolled out a five-month media campaign featuring financial journalist Jane Bryant Quinn to promote deposit protection provided by the NCUSIF.

LENEXA, Kan. — In a move that is reverberating throughout the credit union movement, NCUA took over troubled U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp FCU, the nation's two largest corporate credit unions, signaling deepening problems for the health of all credit unions.

TOOELE, Utah – More than more than 2,360 people were treated for a would-be virus at two branches of Heritage West CU during a bioterrorism drill Saturday.

WASHINGTON – The credit union lobby was enthusiastic about NCUA’s new proposal for a separate fund to finance the corporate credit union buyout, but some lobbyists were wondering if the proposal will be large enough to complete the job.

DEXTER, Me. – Two men were sentenced to prison this week for forging $14,725 in Maine Highlands FCU checks that were stolen from a soldier while he was in Iraq.

MISSOULA, Mo. – Missoula FCU said it has acquired Diebold 220 Express Cash Dispensers.

NEW ORLEANS – ASI FCU on Monday launched its newest branch, to serve the mid-city’s Hispanic low-income community.

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. – Central Jersey FCU said today it has signed with Dynamic Marketing Systems to implement the company’s web-enabled MicroMerchant to help it develop, customize and print marketing materials in-house using a centralized Web portal.

LIVONIA, Mich. – Community Choice CU will award $100,000 in college scholarships this year.

BREMERTON, Wash. – Kitsap CU announced a $100,000 pledge to Harrison Medical Center's $8 million nursing campaign, Great Nurses for a Great Community.

McLEAN, Va. – Home loan rates fell again this week as the Fed announced plans to buy up distressed mortgage securities, with the benchmark 30-year mortgage dipping to 4.85%, according to Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON – CUNA, which played a lead role in governing U.S. Central FCU, said it would seek congressional hearings, appeal to the Obama administration or even launch a legal challenge of last week’s conservatorships of U.S. Central and WesCorp FCU unless NCUA is forthcoming with the controversial consultant’s report that prompted the unprecedented regulatory actions.

A Pennsylvania credit union has won approval for a community charter that will let it serve 5 million people in five Philadelphia-area counties.

The National Credit Union Administration said Thursday that it wants to create a fund to bail out corporate credit unions.