McLEAN, Va. – Mortgage rates were flat this week following a disappointing service sector report, according to Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON – Two dozen Democratic members of the House Financial Institutions Committee yesterday introduced a bill that would set new limits on rates and fees credit issuers can charge.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – ESL FCU, the state’s biggest credit union, said it will pitch in with the revitalization of this once-thriving upstate New York city and build a new headquarters downtown.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – State regulators yesterday announced they have received applications to merge two more troubled credit unions, as increasing numbers of credit unions in the state are reporting big losses for 2007.

SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif. – One of four men who held up a Vons FCU branch yesterday was quickly arrested, but the three others made their getaway after exchanging shots with a security guard.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Federal prosecutors opened their case yesterday against Carol Aranjo, the one-time national spokesperson for community development credit unions, by saying they will show that Aranjo and her family stole millions of dollars from the prominent CDCU, D. Edward Wells FCU, eventually bankrupting the $7 million credit union.

LENEXA, Kan. – In another offshoot of the meltdown in the mortgage market, Standard & Poor’s said this week it downgraded its ratings for U.S. Central FCU, from its top AAA to AA+, citing the corporate credit union’s exposure to the mortgage market crisis. The move will make it more costly for U.S. Central to borrow money on the credit markets.

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Police FCU, one of the nation’s few surviving single-sponsor credit unions, yesterday said it donated $90,000 to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and its related organizations in 2007.

SEATTLE – Washington State Employees CU has leveraged the Fuze knowledge base system and web services to allow fast and easy content access to members using Google Gadgets, mini applications added to a webpage, Google Desktop or iGoogle homepage.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Area Teachers CU yesterday announced the introduction of a new checking product to help the unbanked or immigrants unfamiliar with the American checking system.

SEATTLE – Watermark CU on Wednesday said it has introduced a payday loan product for its members.

MINNEAPOLIS – Wolters Kluwer Financial Services yesterday announced it has completed acquisition of the assets of Stewart Lender Services’ flood determination business.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Troubled ATM maker Diebold Inc. yesterday announced plans to lay off 5% of its worldwide workforce, or about 800 employees.

MONETT, Mo. – Jack Henry & Associates yesterday posted a 5% increase in earnings for its fiscal second quarter, fueled by a 15% rise in revenue.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv yesterday said net income for its fourth quarter declined by 9% due to charges for divestitures and acquisitions, as well as higher interest expenses.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A key state legislative panel yesterday approved a data security bill that would make parties responsible for security breaches pay for costs incurred by credit unions, banks, consumers and other parties affected by the breach.

BURLINGTON, Mass. – Eastern Corporate FCU and Financial Service Centers Cooperative have teamed up to provide remote deposit taking from credit unions with overseas branches.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. – A 20-year-old man on Monday was arraigned on charges of helping his mother commit six area bank robberies, including a 2005 hold up at Greater Niagara FCU.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. – A husky robber accused of as many as seven area hold-ups, including two at local credit unions, was arrested at his home by law enforcement agents.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv yesterday announced its CheckFree unit is offering remote deposit capture that allows consumers to electronically scan and deposit checks from any location with a personal computer, a scanner and an Internet connection.