In a new video produced by the LSCU, credit unions can learn more about the therapeutic playground "leave behind" project at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg and how they can get involved.... More

College juniors and seniors across Alabama and Florida have the opportunity to gain real experience working at a credit union through the LSCU College Internship Program.... More

LSCU President/CEO Patrick La Pine was given about ten minutes on stage at the CUNA GAC in Washington, D.C., to talk about the "leave behind" project in honor of the Republican National Convention. CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney and North Carolina Credit Union Network President/CEO John Radebaugh also spoke. ... More

Each year, credit unions, chapters and business partners align to support CMN through our CU4Kids program. Through various fundraising activities the program continues to grow and gain momentum in regions throughout both LSCU states. To see the 2011 standings for the nine regions represented by the LSCU, click here.... More

Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, was in St. Pete Thursday to announce the create of Bank On Florida. It is a program designed to help low-income people get access to a bank or credit union.

Less than three years ago, Bank On St. Petersburg was created to help residents access mainstream financial services and financial education in St. Pete.

Before the creation of the program, Council Member Karl Nurse said in his district, "We had a 40 by 30 block area that had no banking institutions." Nurse said of District 6: "At the time [that area] only had predatory lenders."... More

Join SECUF in its pledge to support CU4Kids, by hosting a chocolate bar fundraiser at your credit union branch locations, car sales, chapter events, etc to benefit the children being treated at our local CMN Hospitals. Together, we can continue to fund hospital equipment, research, special patient needs and health education for children.

Today, more than 17 million children benefit annually from the donations raised by the CU4Kids program, making us the 3rd largest fundraiser for CMN Hospitals Nationally. Together we can raise the much-needed funds to provide life-saving care and crucial services that children need in our communities.... More

President Barack Obama has approved a disaster declaration for Jefferson and Chilton counties in the wake of last week's tornadoes.

The declaration makes federal disaster assistance available to individuals and households affected by the storms. Gov. Robert Bentley requested the declaration for those two counties as well as for Perry County. ... More

Lee Butke, President/CEO of Corporate One FCU in Columbus, Ohio has joined the board of directors of the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF). Butke joined the board at NCUF’s board meeting on January 24, 2012 in Scottsdale, Ariz. and is the new Association of Corporate Credit Unions (ACCU) representative on the board.

The Foundation board also voted to update NCUF’s logo tagline and mission statement, as well as its annual grant process going forward.

“I’m deeply honored to join the board of directors of the esteemed National Credit Union Foundation,” said Butke. “The NCUF embodies what differentiates our industry from others and puts the ‘people helping people’ philosophy to work in very real and everyday situations through proven, effective programming, grants and relief. I look forward to contributing to this mission through my work on the board.”... More

In many ways, credit unions are just like regular banks. They offer checking and savings accounts, loans, credit cards, and all the other financial products you’d expect, but there’s one characteristic that really sets them apart: the people who profit. Credit unions are not-for-profit, and every member is also an owner. Consequently, it’s the members, not bank executives or shareholders, who reap the benefits of a credit union’s investments.

Those benefits can most clearly be seen in credit unions’ lower loan rates, higher savings rates, and lower fees. But the credit union difference isn’t limited to monetary savings. In addition to providing excellent customer service, many credit unions give back to their local communities in a variety of creative and generous ways. Some work to promote economic and social justice by reaching out to low-income, rural and at-risk populations. Others provide free financial education services to adults and children. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some of the amazing ways that credit unions support community development.... More

With her pre-calculus textbook on the counter, 16-year-old Maggie Brown processed a deposit, helped a student open a new account and answered questions from a prospective customer. Then, as the lunch bell rang and the credit union cleared out, she counted the stack of bills in her drawer.

Boone High in Orange County is the second school in the county and the fourth in the region to open a student-run credit union. As a student in the school's Academy of Finance, Maggie is getting a chance to be a teller at an age when few available jobs offer so much responsibility.

"This is one of the most independent things you can do on campus," said Maggie, who called being a teller on the fourth-period shift a highlight of her day. Of the 84 students in the finance academy, 23 have been hired by CFE Federal Credit Union as tellers at the school, though only the two hired as branch managers are paid.... More