HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Credit unions that commit to safety and health in the workplace from top management and the establishment of a active return to work program can help prevent workplace injuries and reduce the duration and cost of disabilities, a panel of experts told a Discovery Conference audience.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - William “Bill” F. Connors recently announced he would be retiring as CEO of the $475-million Purdue Employees FCU on July 1. Conners began his career in credit unions in 1970 and has been active in numerous credit union and community organizations over that time. Below he shares some of his thoughts and observations:

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Long-term care insurance is one of the most sought-after executive benefits today, while the need for long-term care remains the greatest unfunded liability a person can face in retirement.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Credit unions seeking talented candidates for executive positions should take a hard look at their benefit plans, according to one analyst.

NEW YORK - On West 26th Street, in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, is a CU that specializes in automobile-related loans–to the tune of more than a half-million dollars each.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Credit unions are being reminded that they have until Nov. 1 to comply with the identity theft “red flag” rules enacted by regulators.

NEW YORK - Operating a credit union in New York City comes with a high price tag, both in terms of expenses but also in awareness of just how real the threat of terrorist attacks can be.

NEW YORK - Running a New York City credit union sometimes involves opening a checking account for a famous TV personality. But more than likely it means getting accustomed to a fast pace, says John C. Gibardi, CEO of the $15-million Entertainment Industries FCU.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Officials of Alliant CU have been running Kaiperm FCU, as the Chicago-based credit union giant prepares to expand its California footprint with a merger of the ailing $96-million credit union.

NEW YORK - If Lower East Side People’s FCU didn’t offer financial services, passers-by in Manhattan might mistake it for a community center, says treasurer and CEO Linda Levy.

CANCUN, Mexico - Daniel Lyons, tech columnist for Forbes and creator of the popular blog “The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs,” kicks off the CUES annual conference here, with the session “Thinking Differently: “Business Lessons from Apple.” Lyons offered 10 lessons that Apple founder Steve Jobs has used to create success at Apple not once, but twice, most recently with the wild success of the iPod and iPhone. For related coverage on Apple Computer’s lessons for credit unions, search “Wozniak” in the archive at www.cujournal.com.(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - CMG Mortgage Insurance Company (CMG MI) said it is offering its insured policyholders in parts of the country struck by flooding the ability to take advantage of payment relief options for their members.

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A long-awaited merger between two large credit union centrals in this country has finally been completed. Credit Union Central of Ontario Ltd. and Credit Union Central of British Columbia have merged into an $8-billion entity to be known as Central 1. The merger had been delayed by more than a year due to problems in the commercial paper market. Donald Rolfe, CEO of the new corporate central, said his long term goal is to have one central for all of Canada’s provinces, and that preliminary discussions have already taken place. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) said it has joined with the Savings for Life Coalition, led by the Aspen Institute, to create “a pathway to financial security for all Americans.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The $91-million Jefferson County Teachers’ CU is changing its name to eCO Credit Union. JCTCU said the name reflects growth in its FOM. change allows the credit union to appeal to its more diverse membership. “We took the ‘e’ from Educators and the ‘CO’ from Community,” said CEO Joey Hand. “Collectively, the board felt eCO Credit Union best represents the members.”(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

NORWICH, Conn. - The $2-million Fedcon Employees FCU said it will merge with the $188-million COREplus Credit Union. Fedcon, which has 900 members and which cited slow membership growth in looking to merge, said it will pay a special dividend to members out of its equity once the merger is completed. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. - Cintas Document Management has awarded Ascend Federal Credit Union with an Environmental Award for its recycling efforts. “Ascend is recycling roughly a ton-and-a-half of paper a week,” Cintas Operations Manager Mark Rose said. “That’s impressive. In past years, that would have gone straight to a landfill.”

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Despite an overall decrease in the total return paid by banks and thrifts of -23.7% in 2007, CEOs of those same institutions saw an increase in compensation of 4.8% over the same period, according to analysis released by SNL Financial. Not everyone saw an increase, however. CEOs at banks of $10 billion in assets or larger, where many reported significant declines in ROAE and ROAA, averaged a 4.3% decrease in total compensation during 2007. The data was released as part of the SNL Executive Compensation Review for Banks and Thrifts. For info: www.SNL.com.(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

SAN FRANCISCO – Under growing pressure for increasing fees paid on gas transactions, Visa Inc. said yesterday it is restructuring consumer interchange for transactions at automated fuel dispensers and service stations, effectively lowering interchange rates.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Tech CU yesterday announced an affordable Jumbo Conforming Loan Program offering qualified homebuyers competitive financing on home loans up to $729,750.