INDIAN WELLS, Calif.-CUNA Mutual Group and the CUNA Lending Council have added a fifth category to their joint Excellence in Lending Awards.

LAS VEGAS - The "Will Rogers of Economics" offered his unique blend of economic wit and wisdom, forecasting relatively level interest rates for the next year.

The "Will Rogers of Economics" offered his unique blend of economic wit and wisdom, forecasting relatively level interest rates for the next year.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.-CUNA Mutual Group and the CUNA Lending Council have added a fifth category to their joint Excellence in Lending Awards.

World Council of Credit Unions has donated $5,000 toward the African American Credit Union Coalition's fundraising campaign in support of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial being built in Washington.

You've raced to meet the financial regulators' deadline to implement multi-factor authentication, so now you're safe, right? Not necessarily.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Intuit's acquisition of Digital Insight is an arrow aimed at the heart of how small businesses manage their financial operations through the Internet-and how credit unions will serve them.

The merger between Tennessee's VolCorp and San Dimas, Calif.-based WesCorp, temporarily abandoned when state regulators shunted the proposal back to the corporates, is back on track and slated for completion in the first quarter of 2007.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Police were dredging the swollen Chicopee River last week in search of Douglas Smith, a local businessman who was awaiting trial with his mother Carol Aranjo, the well-known community development credit union activist, and his father, on federal charges they siphoned millions of dollars from the accounts of D. Edward Wells FCU.

LAS VEGAS - Gene Stanaland might have set a record for most laughs by an economist at a credit union conference when he visited the recent California and Nevada CU Leagues' Annual Convention here.

America First Credit Union, Ogden, Utah, announced that Kara England received the Charlie Clark Memorial Award, Greg Taylor was named Brickyard Harmons branch manager, Nancy Marcias was named Olympus Hills Dan's branch manager, Camille Cassity was named Provo Macey's branch manager and Jennifer Davis was named manager-member relationship center.

MADISON, Wis. - World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. recently welcomed nine credit union professionals into its International Executive Volunteer Corps (IEVC) in recognition of their volunteer service to aid international credit union development.

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. The highest ROA in the third quarter among credit unions over $25 million was reported by Park Side FCU, in White Fish, Montana. The $75-million CU reported net income of $2.5 million for the quarter for an ROA of 4.78%, according to Callahan & Associates. The rest of the top ten are: Leyden CU, Franklin Park, Ill., $1.7 million and an ROA of 4.34%; Southern FCU, Houston, $765,000 and 4.15%; Bridgeton Onized FCU, Vineland, N.J., $832,000 and 4.14%; Nizari Progressive FCU, Houston, $796,000 and 3.77%; West Texas CU, El Paso, $1.5 million and 3.76%; Progressive CU, New York, $8.1 million and 3.59%; First Capital FCU, York, Pa., $2.3 million and 3.58%; Mendo Lake CU, Ukiah, Calif, $1.8 million and 3.37% and Florida State Employees FCU, $626,000 and 3.34%. The overall average ROA for third quarter was just 0.88%. (c) 2006 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

I wish you had known him.

US Federal Credit Union kicked off its charity effort for the 2006 Combined Federal Campaign with a spoof of the popular game show, "Deal or No Deal."

WASHINGTON - The World Council of CUs has received another federal grant for its Afghanistan development project, this one an $8.3-million gift from the Microfinance Support Facility for Afghanistan. The funds will be combined with a $19.4-million grant from US Agency for International Development to help develop a system of microfinancing, in an effort to wean the war-torn country off growing opium.

Police were dredging the swollen Chicopee River last week in search of Douglas Smith, a local businessman who was awaiting trial with his mother Carol Aranjo, the well-known community development credit union activist, and his father, on federal charges they siphoned millions of dollars from the accounts of D. Edward Wells FCU.

NORWICH, Conn. - CorePlus Federal Credit Union's President Warren P. Scholl admits that his intent was "a bit selfish," for embracing a different way of promoting diversity, but he had no idea that doing so would bring so many unexpected rewards.

A 33-year-old teller at Complex Community FCU who staged a phony bomb scare to steal $9,200 told a federal judge she did not "feel like a criminal" just before he sent her away to prison.

CUs know what their strengths are and the advantages over banks they have to offer to consumers. But they often keep it secret, even though telling that story can be a very effective strategy underpinning growth. Has your CU found an effective way to communicate what the credit union difference is? If so, The Credit Union Journal is back with its Second Annual Frankie Awards designed to recognize those credit unions who do the best job of telling their story. Entering is easy: just provide an example and a brief description, including marketing materials if available, and e-mail that to fdiekmann cujournal.com.