The leadership of the House Financial Services Committee is beginning to take shape, with Pennsylvania Congressman Paul Kanjorski expected to chair the panel's subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, and not the subcommittee on Financial Institutions, which will debate his CU Regulatory Improvements Act, or CURIA.

Passage of a tough new anti-predatory mortgage bill is expected to be one of the first items of business for the House Financial Institutions Committee in the next Congress. "Getting a good predatory loan bill will be a top priority," Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, expected to be the next chairman of the committee, told the Consumer Federation of America.

The Credit Union Association of New Mexico had a unique visitor "drop by" during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta when a hot air balloon landed in its parking lot.

Tis the season to be shopping-but generally not for cars. What's the right strategy for credit unions when the bread and butter of auto lending takes a holiday?

State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Board of Directors has approved a "Green" Car Loan program. The program is designed for members purchasing new Hybrid and Alternative Fuel vehicles that are more environmentally friendly and less dependent on petroleum-based fuel.

The Credit Union Executives Society and Western Corporate Federal Credit Union have cancelled the Executive Finance & Economics Institute, scheduled for Feb. 11-16.

RP Solutions Launches Website

Looking to grow your membership? The Credit Union Journal's Business Development & SEG Conference is back for 2007 and will be held April 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Boston.

New England CU Services LLC, a CUSO owned by the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island credit union leagues, announced a deal to market the CO-OP Financial Services ATM network to the 270 credit unions in the three states.

When the board, management and staff are all working off the same sheet, they can make beautiful music together.

ATLANTA - A significant number of consumers who opt-out of receiving e-mail from financial institutions responded to some type of incentive in exchange for opt-in participation, according to a recent study by Synergistics Research.

MADISON, Wis. - The winners of this year's National Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility and Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Awards were recently chosen from among 152 state winners.

Raleigh, N.C - State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Board of Directors has approved a "Green" Car Loan program. The program is designed for members purchasing new Hybrid and Alternative Fuel vehicles that are more environmentally friendly and less dependent on petroleum-based fuel.

SALISBURY, Md. - Unbanked and financially underserved households in the U.S., which currently number more than 35-million (excluding about 9-million undocumented aliens), spend an estimated $10-billion annually in fees related to financial transactions, according to new research.

For 75 years, the American credit union member has been defining himself and herself without the assistance of bankers or government. And it has been our modest assessment that we are a "working class of people" who raise our families, grow our communities, pay our taxes, and honestly tend to the general welfare of our nation. This modesty does not mean we are a class of shrinking violets. To the contrary, bankers, business and government have repeatedly relied upon us to bail them out from the immodest excesses of power, privilege and money. We have even carried them through their cyclical loses in business confidence, put up with their alligator tears about how difficult their tasks are and how little they are compensated for their hard work. And all the while, we have successfully raised the bar on our modesty by becoming a larger, smarter and more prosperous economic force.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Membership growth was almost flat during the first half of 2006, and the squeeze on profitability has been well documented. Yet some credit unions have been experiencing robust increases in membership and healthy bottom lines.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union has entered into a partnership with this state's Housing Finance Agency to promote home ownership among consumers who otherwise would not qualify for a home loan.

WASHINGTON - In yet another study, the federal government said that credit unions have been shifting their focus from the underserved to upper-income members since the onset of the massive move to convert to community charters.

GREENFIELD, Mass. - What's the greater problem for a rural credit union? Too little cash on hand or too much?

WASHINGTON - The Senate will make perceived abuses in the credit card market, including rising and hidden fees, one of its first courses of business when it reconvenes next year. Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, who will become chairman of the Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations next month, said he plans to hold hearings next year on credit card issuer "abuses" and introduce legislation to correct them.