ORLANDO, Fla. - During Grow Show, Roberta MacDonald of Cabot Creamery (in photo at left) had these ideas for credit unions:

ORLANDO, Fla. - If there was a consistent theme at Credit Union Journal’s Grow Show, it was that credit unions that have been among the fastest-growing do not actually focus on growth.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Wendy Lachance of Coast Capital Savings Credit Union had these suggestions during the Journal’s Grow Show for other small, cost-effective solutions that can triple a credit union site’s effectiveness.

ST. LOUIS - The next generation of Remote Teller Systems (RTS) could make 24-hour banking with a human being a mainstream reality.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A woman with a penchant for distracting antics has played a driving role in helping one credit union to grow.

ORLANDO, Fla. - There’s a reason credit unions should manage their card portfolios with care and attention: consumers with credit cards from their financial institution not only use more total services on average, but also have higher balances and overall profitability, noted one expert.

ORLANDO, Fla. - It’s time for credit unions to come out of the closet.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Almost all large employers either have a credit union or aren’t interested in offering credit unions services at this time, according to one person. That means the opportunities lie in small to medium-sized companies as potential SEGs.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The success or failure of a marketing campaign often comes down to the basics, according to one expert.

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Wright-Patt CU has introduced what it is calling an “alternative student loan program, “Credit Union Student Choice,” and which it says “helps students fill the funding gaps that federal aid can leave behind.”

ORLANDO, Fla. - Low-wealth households, big time opportunity.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It isn’t just CUs seeking to fill the void on student loans. A number of so-called peer-to-peer (P2P) lenders, including Zopa (CU Journal, Dec. 8, 2007) and other websites have also emerged, among them:

WASHINGTON - In an effort to add liquidity to the troubled student loan market the Federal Reserve has expanded its term securities lending facility to include top-rated student loan asset-backed securities as collateral for advances.

ANACONDA, Mont. – Southwest Montana FCU broke ground on its new headquarters Wednesday, but was unable to save a landmark trolley and bus garage it had hoped to renovate for the project.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – Fidelity FCU yesterday said it is partnering with Enterprise Cars for a used auto loan campaign this month.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Metro CU yesterday said it is expanding its services to include business banking, including basic and premier business checking services.

EURKEA, Calif. – Coast Central CU has awarded four community grants totaling $50,000 to local organizations under its Community Investment Program.

SACO, Maine – PeoplesChoice CU yesterday said it has introduced mobile banking, allowing its members to use Internet-enabled devices from virtually anywhere in the world.

McLEAN, Va. – Long-term mortgage rates barely budged this week, for the fourth week in a row, according to Freddie Mac.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – VeriSign, the keeper of Internet domain names, reported a $18.6 million loss for its fiscal first quarter due to its restructuring.