A number of credit unions that say that have “embraced” the government’s HARP program say it has hugged them back by boosting lending.

While some CUs are reporting strong volume in HARP loans, others say they’ve seen little activity at all.

This issue, Credit Union Journal’s Best Practices issue, seeks to be a Best Practice itself.

In this issue and next, Credit Union Journal is featuring Best Practices, so I’ve assembled my own Top 10 from SAFE Credit Union, beginning with the first five.

As more credit unions venture into the commercial real estate market, having an environmental risk management policy becomes increasingly important for many reasons.

Every credit union wants to be a consumer’s primary financial institution. But Neil Goldman said winning the PFI race requires a reality check, because many consumers do not have great views of credit unions.

Since implementation of what it termed “aggressive” fraud mitigation strategies, $3.3-billion Mountain America Credit Union has reduced hard-dollar fraud losses while more at-risk dollars in fraudulently accessed accounts were protected.

Diamond CU developed a “lending roadmap” that it credits for 9% loan growth the first half of the year–without any rate promotion.

When $984-million First Entertainment Credit Union was seeking to generate $5 million in auto loans and to raise its awareness among potential members within the local community, it decided to face the music.

Four times as many members of Fox Communities Credit Union are now carrying its credit card, thanks to clever promotion and simply more attention to pushing the plastic.

It wasn’t all that long ago that San Francisco FCU’s planning horizon did not extend beyond one year. The one thing it could see in front of it, however, was that it was losing members.

An investment in marketing by Upper Cumberland CU has jolted lending and led to a tripling of ROA in one year.

Brewery CU has shifted its efforts from serving the Brewery Workers Union to finding creative ways to bring financial services to poor and underbanked communities, earning it a Best Practices award from Credit Union Journal.

Spotting a need in its market for a no closing cost mortgage, Associated CU here launched its own, netting nearly 300 loans, more than 85% of which were new to the CU.

GFA FCU has seen increased efficiencies and savings of more than $54,000 since shifting to a “Lean” culture.

One small CU here has effectively used shared branching to make it more competitive in a marketplace where size certainly counts.

Pinal County FCU has turned around two negatives familiar to many CUs–lack of quality member feedback and low cross-sales ratios–and made them positives with a signature pad.

Twenty five Indiana credit unions this year have donated $354,497 and 8,662 hours to support their communities.

Lots of businesses put up lights around the Christmas holidays. Then there’s Streator Onized CU, which has found a way to really draw attention to itself.

The $470-million Fresno County FCU here has been able to process greater mortgage lending volume while cutting expenses and reducing the burden on its staff, thanks to a new partnership.

What began as an ATM cleaning and maintenance operation at CFE FCU has evolved into a compliance and loss-prevention strategy that has earned the CU a Best Practices Award from Credit Union Journal.

Spire FCU has found a way to lift attendance at its annual meeting from 150 people to more than 1,000.

United Labor CU here has seen its lending increase by 10% since it began offering financial education courses for union members 18 months ago, a move that has earned it a “Best Practice” Award from Credit Union Journal.

CO-OP Financial Services expects to go live by December with several new emerging payments technologies.

Thanks to issues near (America’s “fiscal cliff”) and far (Europe’s debt bubble), the economy will go through three to five more years of “modest ups and downs.”

Several CEOs–many holding down pay raises throughout the CU and finding ways to operate on shrinking budgets–are unhappy with NCUA’s decision to hike the agency’s budget by 6.1% next year.

After struggling with poor financial performance and a limited rural market, Glenvil Cooperative CU has taken an unusual move and agreed to be acquired by First York Bankcorp, a holding company of Cornerstone Bank.

Redstone FCU has opened its first Right Choice Money Services store, which will offer low priced, basic financial services, including check cashing, money orders, money transfers, bill pay, and reloadable prepaid cards.

One year after the League of Southeastern CUs launched its new cooperative image campaign, consumer awareness of credit unions in Alabama and Florida has doubled.

The Ohio CU League has launched a new website with a goal of making league resources more accessible, streamlining OCUL’s ability to obtain CU feedback, and encouraging collaboration among credit unions in this state.

Consumers will spend 3.5% to 4% more this holiday season than last, according to a new survey from CUNA and the Consumer Federation of America.

Credit unions that strive only to be logical and follow the “rules” will remain stuck behind innovators, according to Frans Johansson.

The 16-day, post-election “lame duck” legislative session is “critical” for credit unions, according to Bill Cheney.

Both CU trade associations are questioning NCUA’s 2013 proposed budget, with CUNA terming the agency’s move “exasperating” while NAFCU contends the amount is hard to justify.