CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Contactless payments are "fun" for members at Harvard University Employees CU (HUECU) here, and something that the credit union believes sets it apart.

DURHAM, N.C. -

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Wright-Patt Credit Union and CMG Mortgage Insurance Co. have formed a partnership to create another method for veterans to achieve the American Dream.

Why did you join a shared branch network, have there been benefits, can you measure ROI, and are members using it?

The following are members of Credit Union Journal's Technology Panel.

BOISE, Idaho - Text-message banking will win the hearts of local teenagers, according to two small credit unions that launched the service this summer.

Online's Importance Shown

SALT LAKE CITY - Member Business Lending LLC, the nation's biggest business loan CUSO, said last week it is teaming up with WesCorp FCU to buy member business loans from credit unions for eventual sale on the secondary market.

Generations CU Chooses EPL

NEWARK, N.J. - Jonathan Kaufman is quite sure that Newark Board of Education Employees Credit Union, of which he's CEO, does a good job serving its members, all of whom work for the Newark, N.J. school system.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Cooperative Federal, which is also known as Syracuse Cooperative is marking what it calls its "25th year working for social and economic justice in Syracuse." To mark the event the credit union held an Anniversary Celebration at which nearly 200 members, community leaders, and local politicians participated in the event that featured dinner, dancing, and impromptu testimonials from people whose lives have been touched by the credit union. "Our credit union's success has demonstrated that ordinary people can come together to create a financial institution that meets the needs of their families and neighbors," said Ron Ehrenreich, co-founder and Treasurer/CEO of Cooperative Federal.

LANSING, Mich. - In a major coup for credit unions, the Office of Financial and Insurance Services, which regulates 225 state chartered credit unions, has named Ken Ross, a former executive with the Michigan league, its new commissioner. Ross, who was VP-regulatory affairs for the league through 2003, will succeed Linda Watters, who resigned last week. Watters will be joining the financial risk-management practice of KPMG LLP, in Chicago. Ross joined OFIS as Watters' chief of staff in 2003, then was named deputy commissioner earlier this year.

WARNER-ROBINS, Ga. - A man who held up a teller at an HEA FCU branch was recognized as a former member. Tellers recognized the robber, who wore a hat and sunglasses, as a former member, and police used surveillance videos to track him down.

WARNER-ROBINS, Ga. - A man who held up a teller at an HEA FCU branch was recognized as a former member. Tellers recognized the robber, who wore a hat and sunglasses, as a former member, and police used surveillance videos to track him down.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Carolina Postal Credit Union has rolled out a loan program aimed at helping members finance a "Hoopty."

I was attending a local charity event last night. It was on the 24th floor of the SunTrust Bank Building with one of the most beautiful views of our beloved city.

Are you a gifted leader? Smarter than everyone else? Trusted like Lincoln? Or, would you just be happy to look like one?

The past 10 years have seen an unprecedented wave of branching by financial institutions. With several thousand branches being opened each year at an average cost of more than $2 million, the industry is collectively wagering billions of dollars on the likelihood that consumers will continue to visit physical branches to fulfill their financial needs. But are the investments delivering the returns necessary to justify their capital investments?

TEMPE, Ariz. – A brazen trio robbed the Wells Fargo branch here of $400,000 Friday morning after holding the branch manager and his wife hostage at their nearby home the night before. The huge robbery, one of the largest ever in Arizona, occurred after the trio held a manager of a Desert Schools FCU in Chandler hostage Wednesday night, but released them after realizing they weren’t going to be able to rob the credit union. Officials with the FBI said the assailants appear to have been planning the robberies for some time and are armed and dangerous. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.

MERRILL, Wis. – Dorothy Heldt, who worked on the production line at Weinbrenner Shoe Co. when she organized Bondshire Employees CU in 1954, then ran the credit union for the next 20 years, died last week at 91. After serving as CEO, Heldt went on to sit on the board of the credit union after it merged with Park City CU. Heldt lived an active life, which included promoting credit unions for workers for many years.