SEATTLE - Don't rely on the "scorekeepers" to announce in a timely manner when the U.S. economy officially is hit by a recession.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Branch efficiencies, how bank performance compares to credit unions, the future of credit models, new risk management concerns and trends in technology integration were among the issues examined in a far-ranging discussion here by a panel of analysts.

PR CU Joins NY League

LAS VEGAS - Congressional hearings on the proposed government bailout of the financial markets were being held at the same time WesCorp was hosting its Economic Forum here, providing its management team the opportunity to share their insights with credit unions on what the plan might mean.

LAS VEGAS - Many in the credit union community are expressing general support for a government bailout of the troubled mortgage market, but are also expressing reservations over the vagueness of the proposed $700-billion rescue plan.

Debra Schwartz last name was misspelled in the Sept. 22 edition. She is the new CEO of Mission FCU.(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com/ http://www.sourcemedia.com/

LAS VEGAS - During WesCorp's CU Outlook conference here, Credit Union Journal asked: How has the credit crisis directly affected your CU? Specifically, how is your loan volume?

WARSAW - A delegation of U.S. credit union representatives has returned from Poland, where it visited extensively with that country's credit union movement, helped to lobby Polish lawmakers, and met with several high ranking government officials.

The huge bailout was creating a feeding frenzy among the various interest groups, all lobbying for a piece of the unprecedented program and threatening to turn the bailout package into a so-called Christmas Tree bill, one adorned with many decorations for private interest groups. Despite protests from some lawmakers, the proposal was being expanded to include refinancings for troubled mortgages, municipal entities with distressed debt, insurance companies and more assistance for the banks. Other groups, such as the auto finance companies and credit card lenders, were also angling to get included in the package. One proposal would allow the government, which now owns Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to restructure any distressed mortgages owned by those two companies a majority of single family mortgages in the country.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – In another defeat for credit unions, the state Supreme Court today reinstated the bankers challenge of the largest community charters ever granted to state credit unions, the second judicial setback dealt credit unions in the Keystone state in a matter of months.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – In another defeat for credit unions, the state Supreme Court today reinstated the bankers challenge of the largest community charters ever granted to state credit unions, the second judicial setback dealt credit unions in the Keystone state in a matter of months.

ORANGE, Calif. – Four former managers at a local car dealer were arrested Wednesday and charged with inflating the value of used cars to defraud consumers and area lenders, including Wescom Central CU and TruVision FCU.

SAN FRANCISCO – Visa said yesterday it is starting a mobile money transfer pilot that will allow its cardholders to use their cell phones to send funds directly to another cardholder.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Diebold announced yesterday it has been granted seven patents for its Campaign Office software, which allows ATMs to identity individual users in order to provide them with targeted messages.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – LG&W FCU said yesterday it has signed with OneBridge to implement its Gateway credit card processing program.

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. – Ascend FCU celebrated the groundbreaking this week of a new headquarters building.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Pennsylvania State Employees CU has begun providing its members with their FICO score online as a component of the credit union’s home banking system.

McLEAN, Va. – Mortgage rates surged this week amidst the new market turmoil, after falling significantly in each of the last two weeks, according to Freddie Mac.

GALVESTON, Texas – The National CU Foundation said yesterday that credit unions had raised almost $270,000 so far to help employees affected by Hurricane Ike.