FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Wanted: intrepid credit union with just the right mix of products and services that isn't scared to go up against the IRS.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Wanted: intrepid credit union with just the right mix of products and services that isn't scared to go up against the IRS.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions Executive Director Cliff Rosenthal is advising mainstream credit unions to partner with their community development brethren to reach out to more of the underserved population.

DAYTON, Ohio - In an effort to promote member saving during the summertime auto loan season, Day Air Credit Union started a savings program that actually increases monthly auto loan payments.

In a recent issue you asked whether the future for CUs is "reserved for the Big Dogs." Well, my answer is "Surely Not"

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Mortgage failures for CUs crept up at mid-year, holding down net income for the second quarter, NCUA reported. Real estate loans delinquent more than 60 days grew from 0.34% at year-end to 0.44% at mid-year, and foreclosed real estate loans rose to $213 million, NCUA said. Still, both the total charge-off ratio for credit unions, a mere 0.45%, and delinquency ratio, just 0.69%, remained near historic lows. The rising cost of funds, however, continued to push profitability down in the second quarter, with a return-on-assets of just 0.76%. That's slightly higher than the first quarter, 0.73%, but down from 0.82% for 2006. Loans grew by 2.2% in the second quarter, up from just 0.2% for the first quarter; while savings growth was flat, less than 1%, down from 4% growth in the first quarter. (c) 2007 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

There is near unanimity among industry experts that during the next five to 10 years the number of credit unions will shrink from 8,400 to around 5,000. But what will it take to survive and flourish during the next decade?

From Boston to Santa Fe, Seattle to Key West I've crisscrossed the country working with CUs and CUSOs in rebranding and renaming their organizations. After attending countless BOD, annual meetings and staff meetings and working with CEOs, marketing staffs and board of directors here's what I've learned about protecting, changing and growing your brand:

So what would you do in this scenario? You're about to take the stage before more than a 1,000 people and you're following a speaker who has turned an already pro-credit union crowd into a group of rabid CU cheerleaders, half of whom would have agreed to an Ed Filene tattoo right then and there if asked. Yet you don't completely agree with the previous speaker's message. Indeed, some of what you're prepared to say, if you actually go through with saying it, is going to feel like being the prohibitionist at the National Brewers' Convention, the tax proponent at the Libertarian picnic, the anti-needle guy at Barry Bonds' house.

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.

In a recent issue you asked whether the future for CUs is "reserved for the Big Dogs." Well, my answer is "Surely Not"

FLINT, Mich. – Charles (Chuck) Kolin, retired credit union CEO of Elga CU and former chairman of the Michigan CU League, died Aug. 24 at 76. Kolin began his credit union career as a volunteer with Elga CU in 1960 and was named general manager/CEO of the credit union in 1966. He served 27 years until his retirement in 1993. During that time he served as chairman of the Michigan League, vice chairman of CUCorp., and on various league and CUNA committees. Kolin’s two years as league chairman were marked by numerous achievements, including a comprehensive modernization of the Michigan CU Act in 1986, the first major rewrite of the act since its original passage in 1925. Among his survivors are his daughter, Martha Ninichuk, the former manager of St. Cletus CU and a former CUNA Director, who is active in the World Council of CUs.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A 49-year-old man was charged with terrorism last week after he sent more than a half-dozen suspicious packages to Shreveport and Bossier City branches of Barksdale FCU. Police said none of the packages contained any explosive devices but at least one of them contained some threatening material. Credit union officials said Stephen Murphy has been harassing the credit union for several years.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – A member of Bethpage FCU was arrested last week while trying to cash a counterfeit $25,000 check after the branch manager recognized her from a previous bid to pass phony checks. Police said Antoinette Green, 24, tried to cash seven counterfeit travelers’ checks on Aug. 14. The manager declined to release the funds for those checks until they cleared because they looked fake, prompting Green to take the checks back.

NEEDHAM, Mass. – Direct FCU said it is expanding its year-old “Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow” program to provide $93,000 in scholarships to female athletes at 31 high schools for the coming school year. The program will recognize almost 100 girls who participate in field hockey, basketball, ice hockey or softball for their leadership both on and off the field. Through the past academic year, the Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program purchased uniforms for several female high school sports teams, sponsored all-star games and preseason jamborees, hosted sports clinics, and donated money to area educational charities.

STAUNTON, Va. – Members of DuPont Community CU were being warned Friday to ignore an e-mail that invites them to share their account information. The phishing attempt reads, ‘Dear DuPont Community C.U. Cardholder, You have 1 new Security Message Click here to Login and resolve the problem.’ It directs the member to a website that is similar to the credit union’s and asks for personal information such as passwords, PINs, Social Security and account numbers. Credit union officials said more than one member already has fallen prey to the scam and had their accounts compromised.

WATERLOO, Iowa – Veridian CU said Friday it has awarded $35,000 to help fund five financial education programs. The grants will fund: “Operation Threshold” to teach homeownership in Waterloo; Junior Achievement’s “Our Region” financial literacy program; the Chrysalis Foundation’s After School Financial Literacy program in Des Moines; Lutheran Services’ financial education for the mentally disabled; and Prairie Crest Elementary School’s “United $ents of America.”

ELGIN, Ill. – Valley Bell CU is partnering with the state Treasurer’s office to encourage green auto lending. Under the “Green Rewards Program,” members who finance a new hybrid, electric or fuel cell vehicle purchase through the credit union will be eligible for a $1,000 rebate from the Treasurer’s office. The National Bank & Trust Co. also is participating in the program. Rebates will be available for 2,000 buyers on a first-come, first-served basis.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Members of Black Hills FCU and the local community braved the rain Friday to stuff thousands of items of school supplies onto buses, vans and pickups in preparation for this week’s school opening. More than 51,000 items–pens, pencils, backpacks, notebooks and reams of paper–as well as $2,600 in cash, were collected through the credit union’s annual ‘Load the Bus’ campaign. Dozens of local businesses and media outlets also helped by hosting drop-off containers, offering discounts on supplies or publicizing the drive. The supplies will be distributed to 34 local schools.

AUGUSTA, Maine – A statewide credit union marketing campaign returned to Maine’s television stations this morning in all three major markets: Bangor, Portland and Presque Isle. Nearly 4,000 commercials sporting the ‘I Save’ tag will air through November. The four spots that aired this past spring again will air on a rotating basis on a variety of stations and programs. The statewide campaign is part of a two-year, $800,000 advertising effort that is designed to build awareness of Maine's credit unions and drive interest in the new website at www.mainecreditunions.org. More than 13,000 TV commercials will air this year.