ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA issued six prohibition orders Monday, banning the following people from participating in the business of any federally insured financial institution.

A selection of images capturing all the good things credit unions are doing in their neighborhoods.

Many credit union representatives have said that when times get tough — such as during an economic downturn — the CU's marketing budget is the first to get cut and often the last to be reinstated.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Francisco Bay Area is a "very crowded" market, with "high competition" among the many credit unions, banks and other financial service companies that are here.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — At $6.8 billion in assets, First Technology FCU is the 10th largest credit union in the nation — and it enjoys the unique perspective of serving members in two of the hottest markets: Silicon Valley in Northern California and Lane County, Oregon.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — How incredible is the housing market in and around the fabled Silicon Valley, the Northern California home of innumerable tech companies?

SAN FRANCISCO — As credit union leaders from across the U.S. flock here for CUNA's America's Credit Union Conference this week, they will find most San Francisco Bay Area CU executives with big smiles on their faces.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Should credit union in the Bay Area be worried about a housing bubble?

As depositor-owned cooperatives, credit unions have a long history of careful and responsible stewardship of member assets — amply demonstrated during the recent financial crisis.

Almost every expert opinion about future interest rates since the Great Recession has predicted an increase in long term rates. NCUA has identified interest rate risk as the "most significant risk the industry faces right now."

Full steam ahead — that's our call to arms at CUNA these days.

Enterprise risk management: why now? This is a question that many credit unions may be struggling to answer. It must occur to each of you at some point that you have been able to manage risk all of these years without it.

MORA, Minn. — Members of Greater Minnesota CU here have approved a merger with SPIRE CU, which will be the continuing credit union.

Upon reading and then rereading Frank Diekmann's June 6, column in Credit Union Journal (What Americans Should Be Hearing, But [Sadly] Aren't), my initial thoughts were that something provoked you to write what you did and you really had a lot to say about different subjects.

I have good news: you're not alone with ridiculous compliance demands. A little-known department within NCUA enforces federal law-obliging journalists to provide pithy mid-year observations during June.

Credit Union Journal is now calling for nominations and entries for its 2014 Best Practices Awards.

If you think building an in-house insurance agency from the ground up or acquiring an existing agency is daunting, you're not alone — our research supports that conclusion from a variety of perspectives.

WASHINGTON — On the 80th anniversary of the signing of the Federal Credit Union Act, the White House delivered a message from President Barack Obama Thursday praising CUs for the "vital" role they play in the economy and in the lives of Americans.

Credit union executives peppered NCUA officials during the agency's first "Listening Session" on the risk-based capital rule here Thursday about why the agency continues to refuse to extend the comment period.