Peer comparison surveys from 1996 and 2006 show that credit unions have made significant strides in the last decade while still facing similar challenges and threats. The members' service quality experience has improved, as have efforts to create a sales culture. However, interest in additional loans has decreased, and convenience and savings rates continue to be an Achilles heel. Member Research has been surveying thousands of credit union members annually for 20 years. This article shows some of the changes our statistics show over the last decade in a few key areas of member perception.

JUNE

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PHOENIX - The Arizona Credit Union League has named Gary Plank, CEO of the Arizona Credit Union System, as the winner of Very Outstanding Credit Union Person Award (VOCUP).

JUNE

SAN DIEGO - The chief executive of Mission Federal Credit Union said allegations that the credit union is financially troubled contained in a letter purportedly from employees of the CU are half-truths or "very old news."

BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick, dealing with the highest foreclosure rate in the state's history, filed legislation last week that would criminalize mortgage fraud, bar foreclosure rescue scams and create a central repository on foreclosures.

PASADENA, Calif. - Wescom Credit Union will acquire CU West Mortgage and merge it with CUSO Mortgage, which Wescom bought last year.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-The Jacksonville Business Journal included coverage Omni Comm-unity CU's introduction of commercial products. The new products follow OCCU's merger with Miramar, Fla.-based Eastern Financial Florida CU.

NEW ORLEANS - In honor of the help the Big Easy and its credit unions have received from the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, ASI FCU here has named its Upper Ninth Ward community center for NFCDCU Executive Director Cliff Rosenthal.

Heard the same troubling story, but different anecdotes, from two different people last week. First, Dick Ensweiler, president of the Texas league and chair of the new CUNA Member Growth Task Force, noted that in areas where there are multiple CU community charters, credit unions are spending time and money differentiating themselves from each other, rather than from banks. This only makes the creation of a CU brand, among other things, all the more difficult, he observed. A day later, I spoke with a vendor to credit unions in Southern California who told me that the company has long offered regional user's meetings, but it has begun hearing from CUs that want to go to other region's meetings in order to not have to share anything with credit unions in their area.

PHOENIX - The Arizona Credit Union League has named Gary Plank, CEO of the Arizona Credit Union System, as the winner of Very Outstanding Credit Union Person Award (VOCUP).

ATLANTA - Mobile banking, the accessing of accounts via mobile telecommunications devices, is still seen as a secondary or emergency method of conducting banking, according to a new study.

LATHAM, N.Y. - Stagnant membership growth, continuing mergers and consolidation and margin squeeze are among the top issues-but we're not talking about credit unions.

PASADENA, Calif. - Despite a significant number of doomsayers, there is only a 10% chance the U.S. economy is headed for a recession in the next year.

IRVING, Texas - Judy Kelley, CEO of YOUR FCU here, was recognized by the credit union for her 40 years of service.

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PEWAUKEE, Wis. - During the Wisconsin league's recent annual meeting, league CEO Brett Thompson was asked why any young professional would consider a career in credit unions.

AVONDALE, Ariz. - One company is claiming that phishers simply can't steal passwords from credit unions protected by its new authentication technology.

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