SAN ANTONIO – Security Service FCU will be the first MasterCard customer to implement the company’s new Integrated Processing Solution debit processing platform, MasterCard announced yesterday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Greylock FCU yesterday announced it is offering credit unions, non-profits and other businesses advertising and marketing services through its in-house ad agency.

CHICAGO – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, creator of the FHLBs secondary mortgage market program, yesterday announced it has terminated negotiations with the FHLB of Dallas on a rare combination of two FHLBs.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Paul FCU yesterday said it has agreed to merge with Capital Trust FCU, creating one of the largest credit unions in the Twin Cities with almost $140 million in assets.

LANSING, Mich. – A 10-week, multi-media campaign touting the credit union difference began on local TV and radio yesterday, with the tag “Love My Credit Union.”

DENVER – A federal bankruptcy judge is expected later this month to approve the reorganization of failed subprime auto lender Centrix Financial, but the plan leaves little, if anything, for unsecured creditors, including more than 140 credit unions.

By Joyce Moed, Reporter

GENEVA, Switzerland–Timothy Challen, founder of Kilimanjaro Initiative and a staff member with United Nations Federal Credit Union’s Geneva Representative Office, recently led a group of 30 climbers to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Representatives from the private and public sectors, as well as 10 youths from Nairobi slums and Tanzania sponsored by UNFCU, demonstrated the need to overcome adversity by climbing to the highest point of Africa.

LIMA, Peru–Seven women representing U.S. credit unions have arrived at their first stop on a week-long trip through Peru and Chile as part of the Women’s Leadership Credit Union Engagement Program. In partnership with the World Council of Credit Unions, Credit Union Journal will be tracking their trek with periodic updates from the women participating in the program.

SAN FRANCISCO – Merrick Bank announced Friday it has acquired the operating assets of Pay By Touch Processing, as part of the liquidation of the once-prominent biometric fingerprint identification company. The data processing assets are used by merchants to facilitate the acceptance of credit and debit cards through major payment networks, including VISA and MasterCard.

PASCO, Wash. – A member of Numerica CU was charged last week with an elaborate check-kiting scheme that scammed as many as 10 area credit unions and banks out of almost $20,000.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Service CU opened a full-service branch inside the Wal-Mart store in nearby Epping, the $1 billion credit union’s sixth Wal-Mart branch.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – SECNY FCU is preparing to open a new branch in nearby Skaneatles, its second new branch this year and one of 12 new service centers planned by the $72 million credit union.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – OSU FCU has contributed a used phone system valued at $100,000 to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.

AVONDALE, Ariz.–A new study sponsored by Credit Union Journal and released today sheds light on the costs and challenges being felt by credit unions as they administer and support multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other authentication products and services. The study, conducted by Sestus Data Co., found that credit unions that implemented software certificates or software toolbar authentication methods experienced the greatest increase in support costs and the greatest decrease in online member activity. Credit unions that implemented virtual tokens experienced the smallest increase in support costs (less than 1%), and it was the only method that reported no decrease in online member activity.

ATLANTA – A visitor to the World of Coca-Cola museum has sued the Coca-Cola Family FCU claiming it violated the Electronics Funds Transfer Act by neglecting to notify users of the museum’s ATM of a $2 surcharge for non-credit union members.

WASHINGTON – CUNA called on thousands of credit union executives and directors last week to write letters to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in opposition to the Bush administration’s proposal to merge NCUA into the FDIC.

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – North Attleboro FCU said last week it has agreed to merge into nearby Sharon FCU, one of the Bay State’s largest credit unions.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Arrow CU, which served employees of the well-known Mother’s Cookies until the bakery shut down in 2006, said last week it has agreed to merge into nearby Spectrum FCU.

SALT LAKE CITY – Mountain America FCU, the state’s second largest credit union with $2.4 billion in assets, said Friday it has agreed to acquire Salt Lake CU, Utah’s 10th largest credit union.