TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - While credit unions around the country are making advertising points with subtle digs against their banking rivals, there's nothing subtle about the Alabama CU campaign to get consumers to dump their banks. The multi-media ads play off the troubles consumers may have with their banks, with separate spots reading: "Lose my account number," or "You can keep the toaster," and underneath both a website address

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With college football season kicking off, the Credit Union Journal asked readers to predict which conference will produce the national champion this year. Compare CU predictions to AP's call.

FOND du LAC, Wis. - Marine CU has made $1 million of no-interest loans available for victims of the recent flooding who need help with clean-up, supplies, temporary housing or day-to-day needs.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - NCUA has taken over Norlarco CU in the face of mounting mortgage losses. The CU has seen a major increase in real estate delinquencies and in related losses in the second quarter. Mortgage delinquencies rose from $6 million in March to $56 million in June, while net losses rose from $3 million in the first quarter to $5 million. (c) 2007 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WASHINGTON - CUNA reported last week its political action committee had its slowest month of the year in July, as Congress took its annual summer vacation. The credit union PAC made only 20 contributions for a total of $41,500, about a fourth of its usual activity level, according to the latest report submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

WASHINGTON - In one of the final acts of the Senate last month, lobbyists for the nation's biggest banks convinced members of the Judiciary Committee to pass a patent reform bill with a provision protecting them from litigation over Check 21 technology, a battle that has already cost them millions in license fees.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - There has been little effort so far to fill the vacancy opened up on the NCUA Board with the Aug. 2 expiration of JoAnn Johnson's six-year term, as Washington politics is widely expected to delay appointment until the next president takes office. That's because the Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to confirm few Presidential appointments this close to an election year, when they hope a Democrat will win the White House. That would also tip the political scales on the three-member NCUA Board, where two members, including Johnson, are Republican appointees.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Valley CU now allows members to use their cell phones and mobile devices to conduct transactions.

ARA and Vigilant Video Partner

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Stanford FCU is offering $500 advances to members who are being affected by ongoing computer glitches at Wells Fargo that have delayed payroll processing for employees at the credit union's primary sponsor, Stanford University.

WASHINGTON - The FDIC has approved the merger of former credit union Synergy Financial into New York Community Bancorp.-making the once Synergy FCU the 12th credit union to be eliminated after converting to mutual savings bank. The $170-million deal will earn John Fiore, Synergy CEO, more than $4 million, and three directors who engineered the 1998 conversion from credit union more than $1 million each.

CALABASAS, Calif. - Shares in ailing home lender Countrywide Financial Corp. surged more than 20% in after-hours trading after Bank of America announced a $2 billion equity investment in the firm. BofA acquired $2 billion in the form of non-voting, convertible preferred stock yielding 7.25% annually. (c) 2007 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

LCUL, NCUF Form Disaster Fund

NEW YORK - Millions of commuters to Manhattan and upstate will be greeted by a new credit union pitch this fall, to coincide with International Credit Union Week.

LAS VEGAS - How does a board of directors know whether management is really doing a good job?

I just read Jim Blaine's piece on the "Dust up in DC" and his thought-provoking comments about Martin Luther King Jr. and his memorial. Coincidentally, the night before reading this I watched (for the seventh or eighth time) the movie "Mississippi Burning." It is the story of the FBI's solving of the 1964 murder of three student activists (two white and one black) by the KKK in Neshoba County, Miss. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

FORT LAUDERDALE. Fla. - America's credit unions were in large part founded to serve companies that manufactured a product, but today the CU industry's future lies in better penetrating the service sector.

LAS VEGAS - After the shock of it wore off, the "hostile takeover" bid by Wings Financial FCU against Continental FCU had many credit unions worried that they might be next.

LAS VEGAS - Wings Financial is not here to defend themselves so I want to make it real clear-I'm going to trash them for all they're worth. -Tom Glatt

ARLINGTON, Va. - Credit unions generally didn't jump on the subprime mortgage bandwagon, but that doesn't mean they won't get sideswiped as the wagon streaks downhill.