Lending

ONTARIO, Calif. — It's time credit unions mix in personal service and the human touch with their online car shopping services, according to CU Direct.

From a clever dealer compensation matrix that drives high-dollar loans, to a $2,500 sweeps, to an RV program that accounts for 60% of net auto loan growth, credit unions are taking on the tough auto loan competition from all angles.

SCHAUMBERG, Ill. — Amid all the fear about rising interest rates, new vehicle loans dropped to their lowest point since 2008, according to a new report released Wednesday by Experian Automotive.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — More CUs are slashing holiday loan prices, cutting rates to below 3% to give members a boost at year's end.

CHICAGO — Three years will likely pass before Alliant Credit Union and The Golden 1 CU reach $10 billion in assets. But that growth target is already on the radars of the $8 billion shops that are preparing today for how life changes once they move beyond the threshold.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Just in time for holiday shopping, ElecTel Cooperative credit union rolled out another of the quirky loan promotions that have been such a success for the $40 million institution in recent years.

MIRAMAR, Fla.—Tropical Financial CU here has brought back a "Black Friday" promotion it debuted last year and has seen great success in the promo's opening days.

HASTINGS, New Zealand — A credit union advertising campaign that looks like it was lifted straight out of the 1950s has prompted some emotional reactions and allegations of sexism from Kiwis.

PHOENIX — CUNA Mutual Group announced the winners of its annual Excellence in Lending Awards during the 2013 CUNA Lending Council conference here.

PHOENIX – Life after Fannie and Freddie and the tenuous future of the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage may ultimately produce a finance industry that looks much different in the future.

SAN FRANCISCO—Many credit unions are on a "collision course with disaster" because they are not pricing loans correctly.

SHREVEPORT, La.—Credit unions' interest in new lending streams and small businesses' need for operating capital are making micro-loans a growing opportunity for CUs.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla.—Like many Sunshine State businesses, the recession proved challenging for Edda's Cake Company. In 2011, the Miami-based bakery needed a line of credit to expand operations, but local banks weren't interested in what they considered a small-dollar loan.

JACKSON, Mich.—The undead are breathing new life into auto lending at Michigan Community CU.

WASHINGTON-Showing that bipartisanship is not impossible in the critically split Congress, a group of Republican and Democratic House members called on the Federal Housing Finance Agency last week to maintain-not lower-the conforming loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because of the potential harm it would cause the mortgage market.

PRINCETON, N.J.-Young adults look at cars today the same way they view their smartphones-quickly evolving technology used for a short period and tossed away for a newer model.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich.-A Fresh Start Loan from Central Macomb Community CU is designed to help members rebuild their credit.

A selection of images featuring credit unions' efforts in their communities.

Confusion and panic. Those are the words most often used by lenders when faced with the onslaught of mortgage regulations and other rules going into effect in three months. Regulators have sought to defuse concerns partly by attending industry conferences, but they have also made it clear that several other big changes are on their way. Following is a guide to what's ahead.

WASHINGTON – Fixed mortgage rates moved slightly higher this week but remained near two-month lows, reflecting the federal debt impasse in Washington, D.C. and a light week of economic data releases, according to Freddie Mac.