HOUSTON – Smart Financial CU said yesterday it has completed the acquisition of Key FCU, a $42 million credit union, also located in Houston.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Navy FCU continued its vast expansion this week by opening a new branch here, just near Ft. Bragg.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – One lucky member and three local charities were winners in the credit union’s "Little Car-Big Hearts" contest; the member with a new Smart Car, and the charities with $5,000 in donations.

PEORIA, Ill. – CEFCU said it paid its members an extraordinary dividend of $6 million, the eighth straight year for a year-end payout.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National CU Share Insurance Fund, which has been battered by growing losses among California credit unions, is expected to take another big hit from the newly announced deal to sell the remnants of one-time $305 million Valley CU to Illinois credit union giant Citizens Equity Financial CU.

DETROIT – The credit union "Invest in America" automaker assistance program expanded to include yesterday to include Chrysler and is expected to name Ford Motor Co. to the list of participants in the coming days.

Citizens Equity First Credit Union in Peoria, Ill., is entering the California market by acquiring a Silicon Valley-area credit union that was taken over by the National Credit Union Administration two months ago.

DETROIT – Beleaguered Chrysler LLC announced today it is joining "Invest In America," a program sponsored by 1,200 midwest credit unions to help U.S. automakers by providing cut-rate loans on American-manufactured cars and trucks.

DETROIT – Beleaguered Chrysler LLC announced today it is joining "Invest In America," a program sponsored by 1,200 midwest credit unions to help U.S. automakers by providing cut-rate loans on American-manufactured cars and trucks.

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The former president and CEO of River Valley CU was charged yesterday with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking extra salary, bonuses and other payments over a four year-period before he was fired in 2005.

PEORIA, Ill. – Citizens Equity First CU, Illinois’ second biggest credit union, announced yesterday it is entering the California market by acquiring Valley CU, the one-time $305 million credit union taken over by NCUA two months ago.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Department of Financial Institutions announced that state chartered credit unions will pay 5.6% more in fees and assessments next year to fund the department’s oversight.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Members Cooperative CU is beginning construction of a new 7,000-square-foot data technology and call center in January, with the aim of having it up and running by June.

SAN DIEGO – North Island CU said yesterday it has selected the Iconix Truemark email system to provide protection for members against email-based fraud and identity theft, also known as phishing.

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Power Financial CU said yesterday it has signed a multi-year contract with 1Vault Networks to provide it with customized internet connectivity and co-location backup at 1Vault's state-of-the-art, Category 5 hurricane-rated data center in Fort Lauderdale.

ST. LOUIS – State regulators have approved a request from 1st City Catholic CU, a $9 million credit union, to convert to a community charter serving the entire 375,000 residents of the city of St. Louis.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse Cooperative FCU was one of four community development financial institutions last week named a winner of a Wachovia NEXT Award for Opportunity Finance.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Eastman CU announced yesterday it will pay its members an extraordinary $4 million dividend, the 12th year in a row the credit union has made the special payout.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve is expected on Thursday to amend its so-called Regulation Z governing credit card rules in a way that would bar certain lucrative practices by card issuers.