WASHINGTON – The number of bankruptcies filed for the first nine months of the year fell to a third of what they were last year–one of the major affects of the new bankruptcy reform law. And that’s taking into consideration the almost 600,000 bankruptcies filed in the first two weeks of October last year, skewing the numbers for 2005. From January to September this year, the total number of personal and business bankruptcies fell by 68.5% to 443,750 from the 1.4 million in the same period last year. This year's figure is the lowest since 1987. The data, from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, shows that personal bankruptcy filings fell most sharply, by 69%, while commercial bankruptcies fell 45.9%. The tally of personal bankruptcy filings fell to 429,522 from 1.38 million last year. Business filings fell to 14,228 from 26,275. The new law also shifted the type of cases that are filed. The law effectively increased the number of Chapter 13 filings, in which an individual reorganizes his or her debt, to 41.4% of filings from 22.8% the prior year, while Chapter 7 filings, in which an individual files to erase all of his or her debt, fell to 58.5% of the total from 77.2% in 2005.

PROVO, Utah – A husband and wife were charged in federal court yesterday after they planned to rob the Utah Community CU branch at the mouth of the Provo River, then float down the river on inner tubes to make their escape. Patrick Burr, 46, and his wife, 33-year-old Heather Burr, were arrested after their plot was relayed to the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms by an undercover informant working on a weapons case, authorities said. At one point, the informant accompanied Patrick Burr to the credit union branch where the two were caught on surveillance video ‘casing’ the set-up. The plan was scraped when Heather Burr’s car was impounded with the inner tubes still inside. Federal agents arrested the husband and wife after Patrick Burr planned to buy a gun and steal a car to use in the robbery, instead.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – ATM maker Diebold said yesterday it has signed with SecuGen to implement the company’s Hamster III ISB fingerprint reader for use in the company’s IdentiCenter biometric identity fraud system. Diebold is marketing its IdentiCenter as an identity verification and branch traffic management system for the branch or main office. When customers enter the branch to make a transaction they can establish identity by scanning a finger with the Hamster III at a kiosk or at the teller line.

DAYTON, Ohio – NCR announced yesterday it has integrated DigitalPersona’s biometric fingerprint technology as a component of some of its retail point-of-sale payment systems. NCR helps retailers use fingerprint authentication to create a verifiable audit trail that can facilitate authentication and monitoring of POS terminal access, track employee work time and attendance, and help manage override voids and returns.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – New England CU Services LLC, a CUSO owned by the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island credit union leagues, announced a deal yesterday to market the CO-OP Financial Services ATM network to the 270 credit unions in the three states. The CO-OP broke into the New England market two years ago and has been working to expand its footprint in the region. The credit union-owned network boasts surcharge-free access to 25,000 ATMs, including 6,000 deposit-taking ATMs.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Municipal Employees CU announced yesterday it has chosen SEDONA Corp.’ Intarsia to provide it with member relationship management capabilities. The $80 million credit union will be converting to Sharetec systems core processing in July 2007 and found the Intarsia system integrated well with the new processing solution. The credit union will use the system to improve cross-selling and overall member relationship management with its 10,000 members.

WESTCHESTER, N.Y. – Quorum FCU said it has installed Source Technologies’ new 7-Series self-service financial kiosks. The new machines have more servicing options and can use local armored services for cash management. The kiosks can perform almost any teller function and provide 24/7 functionality. They also provide imaging capabilities for check deposit and signature capture. Quorum FCU was formerly called Kraft Foods FCU.

OGDEN, Utah – Members of Goldenwest FCU got some help with their Christmas shopping this week– a one-time bonus dividend. The pre-Christmas payout represents an additional 5.75% paid for the month of December, based on the average daily balance of shares held during 2006. With a monthly dividend rate of 1.41% already declared for December, the special bonus will bring that up to 7.16%–a total of $575,000.

NEW ORLEANS – ERF Wireless, a League City, Texas, start-up, said it has signed with the Louisiana State Police to build a $5 million statewide wireless broadband network that will be used by police and financial institutions for regular and disaster communications. The network, to be known as Louisiana BankNet will help update financial institutions in the state, create VoIP access to them and set up wireless hotspots for the institutions and their customers. As part of the deal, the State Police will provide tower infrastructure for the project and will receive continuous access to the network in return. ERF Wireless will make available to all of Louisiana’s emergency first responder expanded bandwith, VoIP communications, high-resolution video surveillance, video conferencing and free use of wireless hotspots across the network–all to support disaster recovery efforts. Capital for the project will be provided by participating financial institutions.

NEW ORLEANS – A member of ASI FCU was convicted in federal court Monday for stealing $14,000 from the credit union after its ATMs went offline in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Sehlita Grandpre, 32, kept tapping into the ATM after a storm-related computer glitch allowed members to withdraw unlimited funds from the credit union’s ATM and make unlimited purchases with their debit cards. As many as 10,000 of the credit union’s members overdrew their accounts after the massive storm, as a result of the glitch. More than a dozen of the most egregious offenders have been charged with theft.

KOKOMA, Ind. – A woman suspected of stealing almost $500,000 while servicing credit union and bank ATMs before disappearing six years ago walked into the police station Monday and gave herself up. Authorities had been searching for Cynthia Wismiller since November 2000, when they said she took $286,000 from six ATMs in the Kokomo area, and another $200,000 from her employer, Armored Services Inc., of South Bend. Police Det. Mike Banush said they had tracked Wismiller from cell phone calls from her two grown children to where she was living in Florida. “She knew that we were closing in on her,” Det. Banush told The Credit Union Journal.

Three Texas credit unions were among the top ten performers in the third quarter, scoring high return-on-assets in a very tough period for credit unions.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Representatives from area credit unions turned over the keys to a new home for Habitat for Humanity last week. About 20 local credit unions and related businesses raised $75,000 to build the house in Columbus’ Linden neighborhood through their ‘Dollar for Dreams’ program. The credit unions raised money by donating proceeds from parking fees at the Ohio State football game and the sale of paper houses in their branches. About 150 credit union employees helped build the house.

WATERLOO, Iowa – Veridian CU announced yesterday it had awarded $15,000 in financial education grants to five local organizations. They are: Youth Leadership Program for helping low-income and single-parent families to learn team-building skills; Quakerdale, for its after-school Sharks program for at-risk elementary students; Wellington Heights Neighborhood Camp Fire Club for its ‘Money Management for Teens’ program; Jessup High School for its ‘Playing in the Dirt Greenhouse Project’ teaching students horticulture and business skills; and West Union’s North Fayette Middle School to finance a field trip to seek ‘I Have a Dream–the Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King.’ The credit union giant, known till last year as John Deere Community CU, awards four rounds of different grants each year. The next round will provide $25,000 for Veridian’s Inclusive Community Grant for programs that celebrate and raise community awareness for traditionally excluded groups or cultures.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Altura CU rewarded nine area high schools for their successful football programs with donations of $8,200. The $700 million credit union sponsored the homecoming game at each of the schools with a $500 contribution, then added $100 for each quarter the home team was ahead, and another $100 if the home team won the game. Each school received at least $500, with the maximum earned of $1,000.

NEW YORK – United Nations FCU has purchased PortAuthority Technologies’ Information Leak Prevention system to protect its confidential information and member data, the $1.3 billion credit union announced yesterday. The system is compliant with the pending federal regulation o multifactor authentication. PortAuthority is based in Palo Alto, Calif.

RALEIGH, N.C. – State Employees CU announced yesterday it will begin offering so-called green auto loans to promote new hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. The green loans will feature a 1% discount on the rate of new vehicle loans. The green car loans come three month after the credit union giant began offering green mortgages, special rates on environmentally friendly homes. The loans are available on those home that receive an Energy STAR rating, which indicates the home’s level of energy efficiency is at least 15% better than the minimum requirements set forth in the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code.

HONOLULU – CU Hawaii said yesterday its new Keaau branch will feature a Diebold RemoteTeller , which will allow the branch to serve four lobby teller stations, four drive-thru lanes and six RTS stations–with only three tellers instead of the usual 10. Diebold’s RTS is similar to a drive-thru window and features a two-way radio and video connection that provides security for both the member and the teller. The credit union’s new branch also features other advanced technology by Diebold, including PassVault, a self-service safety deposit box that requires biometric access.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Pay Rent, Build Credit said yesterday it has received a U.S. Patent for an alternative credit rating system that uses commonly recurring bill payments for individuals and small businesses to establish a credit file, credit report and credit score. The alternative method can be used by lenders to measure credit risk for borrowers without mortgages or auto loans or other mainstream credit gauges and will use rent, private mortgages, non-prime auto loans, utilities, cable, insurance premiums, pay day advances and rental furniture and appliances, instead. Lenders will be able to purchase a PRBC Report either by itself, or merged with a traditional report issued by Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. The alternative credit report is targeted for the burgeoning number of non-traditional consumers who frequent payday lenders, check-cashing outlets and other high-cost financial service providers.

DURHAM, N.C. – Latino Community CU announced yesterday the creation of a new scholarship fund to commemorate Misrael Martinez, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who gave his life last month in the Iraqi war. Martinez was the first Hispanic soldier from Orange County to die in the war when he was killed by a roadside bomb on Nov. 11–the U.S. commemoration of Veterans Day. The 24-year-old soldier was on his third tour of duty in Iraq. Martinez received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for meritorious service. Latino CCU Chairman John Herrera will join family members and friends during today’s ceremonies in Carrboro to honor the fallen hero.