2012 will be remembered as a year of record member growth, as the year profitability returned to most CUs, and as the year real estate values began to again inch northward, even in Sand States.

PAHO/WHO FCU here continues to see success with its annual holiday loan promo, this year offering as much as $9,000 at 0.99% for one year, and booking more than 110 loans since Nov. 1.

The Mayans may have been off the mark on that end-of-the-world thing (get ready, by the way, but that isn't too say as 2012 closes it wasn't the end of days for some long-time credit unions.

When it comes to your members, you know more than you realize. Thanks to modern data archive and member resource management systems, there is now little shortage of customer information-both individually and in aggregate.

Henry Wirz, CEO of SAFE Credit Union on fraud at small credit unions.

While the Senate has approved the bill to eliminate one of the dual-fee disclosure requirements at ATMs, it's no time for credit unions to relax when it comes to monitoring ATMs.

NCUA has rejected Commodore Perry FCU's appeal to the agency's Supervisory Review Committee.

In-branch transactions may be on the decline, but the west coast and southeast are seeing a boom in branch growth.

This year will go down as a record year for loan originations, membership gains and capital increases, noted an analysis released by CUNA Mutual last week.

Whatever happened to...? That question is often asked of stories that are in the news one day, gone the next. In this issue Credit Union Journal continues an annual tradition of looking back at stories we've reported throughout the year and providing an update.

COVINA, Calif.-Credit union CEOs who were eligible for a raise saw base pay levels increase by a national average of 6.62%, up slightly from 6.54% last year, according to Executive Compensation Solutions' 9th annual compensation and benefits survey for the credit union movement.

Credit Union Journal will with the New Year debut a vastly enhanced website offering even more resources for readers at CUJournal.com.

Credit unions may expand into Libya following a four-day visit by World Council of Credit Unions CEO Brian Branch as part of a fact-finding mission focused on establishing credit union services there.

Credit unions are standing by, and collecting money, to help the families and rown recover from the tragic shootings that took place in this small New England community.

West Virginia Central CU exceeded its goal to boost loan volumes by $8 million this year and sent employees to Disney World as a reward.

Silver State Schools Credit Union continues to claw its way out of a deep hole, but says its numbers are heading in the right direction.

Members of three CUs in Arizona responded so positively to a pilot test of prepaid gift cards dispensed at ATMs, the concept is being expanded nationally.

While NCUA wound down both Western Bridge Corporate FCU and U.S. Central Bridge Corporate FCU this year, the agency has yet to sell the buildings that were home to the former corporate giants.

With major data processing conversions just completed, it's now time for Pathways Financial CU to begin earnestly focusing on leveraging economies of scale.

These days you'll find Phil Perkins hanging drywall, puling electric wire, and swapping out old plumbing-a big change for the former CEO of Western Bridge Corporate FCU who guided the organization during its conservatorship.

One big question for 2012 has been how will overdraft income be affected by several new laws.

Tropical Financial CU here saw great success this year after launching its "Fame for Five" campaign that began with a quest to cast five members from different demographics to represent the credit union.

Gen Y memberships are up 40% at IC Federal Credit Union since it launched a series of irreverent ads on YouTube aimed at the younger demographic.

Since PSCU announced in September its partnership with Google to make Google Wallet available to credit unions, at least 20 more CUs have come on board.

"Cash Mobs" doubled business for a number of small Ohio enterprises this year and garnered area credit unions a lot of positive press in the process.

Michigan State University FCU plans to bring back its "startUP Challenge" again in 2013 after awarding $25,000 in the first year.

When Rivermark Community Credit Union announced plans to shutter three branches in 2012, it quickly added it had no intention of going branchless, but was ramping up its electronic banking efforts.

A trio of "smart offices" in the heart of California's wine country is working out well for $130-million Community First Credit Union.

Communications FCU says its loan program for compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled vehicles continues to grow.

As the first year of the "Texas 12" program winds down, one member said he has been thrilled to meet others like him.

A joint branch operation pairing two CUs here has successfully filled a hole in each institution's coverage area and slowly increased traffic since opening this summer.

At Glacier Hills CU here, what started as a challenge to save members $1 million in interest over the course of 2012 is expected to top out at more than $3.2 million.

Frankenmuth CU is now in the first year of a program making car loans to members who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, and to date has 44 active loans for a total of $846,000 in balances with the average yield at 12.19%.

Mobile banking got a big boost this year at Farmers Insurance Group FCU, thanks to a unique loyalty program that invited members to go online and claim more than $1 million in annual rewards.

While the Pennsylvania CU Association deemed its Small Credit Union Clinics successful, in 2013 the league will roll back small credit union support into its regular league and CU meetings.

Affinity FCU said it has approved approximately 150 applications for a 5/5 Adjustable Rate Mortgage product it introduced earlier this year.

2012 will be remembered as a year in which credit unions received good and bad news about debit interchange.

For $9.6-million Express Credit Union, outreach is everything.

"Socky Saves," a smartphone app designed by CommunityAmerica CU to teach kids the importance of saving, has garnered more than 500 downloads since launching less than three months ago.

GFA FCU is still awaiting the final go-ahead to complete the purchase of Monadnock Community Bank.

Efforts to form a credit union for professional athletes and their families may be standing on the sidelines.

A rewards program that provides incentives for cardholders to purchase Michigan-made products and services has boosted one CU's credit card outstandings by 28%.

America's Christian Credit Union still has not had a taker for grant program it introduced earlier this year that awards $5,000 to any employee adopting a child to help defray the many expenses involved in the adoption process.

Little more than a month after Visa announced 50 FIs, more than half of them CUs, had launched its V.me new digital wallet service, card processors are reporting strong credit union interest.

A second chance checking account offered earlier this year by the $674-million Altura Credit Union has proved quite popular.

This year Belvoir FCU learned that promotions are key to increasing debit card usage.

Space Coast CU believes the member service issues resulting from its 2009 acquisition of Eastern Financial Florida CU are well under control in 2012.

The oddly-named start-up credit union, Internet Archive FCU, has officially opened for business and has attracted about 70 members so far, according to CEO Jordan Modell.

A spokesperson for the union workers who picketed the construction of a new branch of UFCW FCU here says that the non-union-built building is done, and those workers are done with the credit union.

Like most financial executives, My Community Federal Credit Union's Susie Masten and Lezlie Veach are excited about new innovation in personal financial management (PFM), such as offering the budgeting tools on mobile devices.

The concept of Islamic banking may be unfamiliar to many Americans, but the World Council of Credit Unions is no stranger to it.