ALBANY, N.Y. – State chartered credit unions will attain long-sought parity on regulatory allowances under a wild card bill approved by the legislature. The wild card provision will authorize state chartered credit unions to exercise the same powers as federal credit unions without being authorized to do so by the legislature. The dwindling number of state charters, there are only 24 out of more than 500 credit unions, have sought parity with their federal counterparts since a 1997 state law provided it for banks and thrifts. More than half the states have some kind of parity provision. Gov. Spitzer is expected to sign the bill into law.

WASHINGTON – In an unusual paring, the banking lobby joined the credit union groups yesterday in calling on NCUA to withdraw its proposal to increase member access to books and records–but for different reasons. The credit union lobby, both CUNA and NAFCU, urged withdrawal of the proposal because they said it would be too intrusive and open up internal records to all kinds of potential mischief; while the bankers said it would unfairly boost members ability to thwart conversions to mutual savings banks. “We are concerned that the proposal would be used by well-funded outside interest groups that do not have meaningful ties to the credit union involved,” Krista Shonk, regulatory counsel for America’s Community Bankers, in a comment letter submitted on the proposal. “We are aware that such groups exist and that they philosophically oppose any credit union conversion to a mutual savings bank. We believe that the proposed rule would enable these groups to disrupt preliminary discussions and due diligence about this charter alternative and would discourage a credit union board from fully exploring all strategic charter options.” In a separate comment letter, Rose Oswald Poels, vice president of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, said her group “believes NCUA’s purpose is to create heavier burden on an FCU to deter its conversion to a mutual savings bank.” But Lloyd Marbet, an Oregon activist who helped defeat the proposed conversion of Columbia CU, applauded the proposal and recounted how the credit union board and management used the credit union’s vast financial resources to thwart popular efforts to obtain records concerning the failed conversion for three years. Credit union records showed that well more than $1 million was spent by the credit union on legal fees to support the conversion. “To this day,” wrote Marbet, “all CCU members, except for the conversion Board of Directors, have been effectively blocked from reviewing how such costly decisions were made.”

NASHVILLE - CUNA Mutual Group's Michael Petrone offered these tips about what to do before, during and after a robbery:

ORLANDO, Fla. - It's simple: rates drive deposits. Right?

DUBLIN, Ohio - As the number of credit unions continues to wane, the trade associations that serve them are having to reevaluate everything from affiliation rates, their dues structures and even their very role in the credit union movement.

HARRISBURG, Penn. - Pennsylvania State Employees has always touted its ability to conduct the vast majority of its member business electronically, now it is calling on its members and potential members to "Kiss Your Branch Goodbye."

HARRISBURG, Penn. - The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association has unveiled its new statewide marketing campaign that puts the emphasis on one major point of differentiation between credit unions and banks: belonging.

NJ CUs Team With Banks On Data Breach Bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Credit unions were warned that technology is being felt in another area-it's changing the face of robbery, extortion and kidnapping.

HARRISBURG, Penn.-Pennsylvania State Employees CU's lack of branches is the subject of a new TV campaign from the CU that was highlighted in the Patriot-News. The newspaper provided coverage of PSECU's campaign urging people to dump their bank branches and "go branchless." The credit union said it is the first time it has advertised its lack of a physical branch network. Instead, it serves its 325,000 members through free ATMs, online access and mail.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The thing about selling insurance is, everyone knows they probably ought to have it, but it's hard to get excited about talking about things like death and disability.

HARRISBURG, Penn. - The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association has unveiled its new statewide marketing campaign that puts the emphasis on one major point of differentiation between credit unions and banks: belonging.

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. - Seventeen credit unions with credit card portfolios of over $1 million in outstanding balances sold their portfolios in the first quarter of this year, according to analysis by Brookwood Capital.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Just months after abandoning its bid for a banking charter, Wal-Mart Stores unveiled plans last week to expand its chain of bank-like MoneyCenter financial service facilities to 1,000 of its stores by the end 2008.

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Two credit union managers who demonstrated leadership in easing the pain of poverty were awarded with this year's Annie Vamper "Helping Hands" Awards, the highest honor bestowed by the National Federation of Community Development CUs.

BREA, Calif. - Longtime Evangelical Christian CU employee Mark Jones says that in many ways his life is better now than it was before the bicycle accident and spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the middle of his chest down almost two years ago.

HOUSTON - In the first deal of its kind, Cardtronics Inc. announced last week it signed with State Employees CU of Florida to co-brand nine ATMs in the Tallahassee area.

WASHINGTON - One thing was sure last week after watching congressional hearings into the credit reporting protections, and that is the recent practice of consumers checking their credit reports has opened up a whole new can of worms.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The thing about selling insurance is, everyone knows they probably ought to have it, but it's hard to get excited about talking about things like death and disability.

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