USA Federal Credit Union Celebrates International Credit Union Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Diego, Calif., October 18, 2006 – USA Federal Credit Federal Credit Union joins with 43,000 other credit unions in 91 countries to celebrate International Credit Union Week 2006 (October 16 – 18).

“The credit union difference is important to your family and business,” says Mary Cunningham, USA Federal’s President/CEO, “We are owned by our members and exist to give you good rates, excellent service, and safety for your financial investments.”

Credit unions, like USA Federal, are not-for-profit financial cooperatives, owned by the people who save and borrow there. Every member has the right to vote on policies and for members of the credit union board for directors. Unlike most other financial institutions, credit unions do not issue stock or pay dividends to outside stockholders. Instead, earnings are returned to our members in the form of lower loan rates, higher yields on deposits, and lower fees. Credit unions exist to help people, not make a profit.

“Our goal is to serve all our members well, including those of modest means.” says Cunningham, “We provide savings, checking, mortgages, fast home equity loans -- and a lot more. USA Federal offers a full range of financial services in person, online, or at our 24-hour Telephone Center.”

Credit unions provide a safe, convenient place to earn high yields on savings, get loans at great rates, and plan for retirement. Member deposits in federal credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF) and backed by the full faith of the U.S. government. Savings are also protected by a number of provisions in the Federal Credit Union Act.

Businesses prefer USA Federal because they get quality service. “We were looking for someone to cater more to our needs,” says Julie King, business manager and associate of RJC Architects Inc. “At big banks, they pretty much tell you, ‘this is what we offer.’ USA Federal provided us with a customized plan that was extremely competitive, and their staff is very friendly and attentive. We think this move will help us streamline our banking and give us flexibility for growth in the future.”

Mark Lind, Director of Fixed Operations at Poway Chevrolet adds, “We actually consider USA Federal as part of our employee benefit package. Most of our employees are switching their personal accounts to USA Federal because they can provide us good service and financial stability.”

Promoting financial literacy is also a primary mission of credit unions. “Our intent is to teach people wise money management skills they can use to improve their lives. While our first responsibility is to our members, part of being a cooperative movement means looking towards the larger community. This philosophy leads us to support worthwhile charitable and social causes, and to collaborate with other credit unions to increase community support,” says Nicole Anderson, USA Federal’s VP of Marketing.

Recent features on KGTV CH10 and KUSI CH9 showcased USA Federal’s tips on How to Teach Kids About Money, and Financial Tips for Newlyweds. These and other free tips are available from “In the News” at www.usafedcu.org. USA Federal also hosts Entrepreneur Magazine’s Internet-based radio show “Money and You.” Listen live every Wednesday from 3-4PM (PST) at www.usafedcu.org. The show dated 10/18/06 discusses the value that credit unions offer consumers worldwide.

About USA Federal

With more than 61,000 members and over $700 million in assets, USA Federal Credit Union (headquartered in San Diego) operates 21 branches, including locations in San Diego and Riverside Counties, Las Vegas (NV), Japan and Korea. Members of this non-profit financial cooperative include the military, civilians and select employee groups. Founded in 1953 at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, USA Federal offers a full range of financial services including business services and consumer savings, checking, mortgage and home equity loans, auto loans, debit and credit cards, share term certificates, IRAs, and a 24-hour phone center. Online services include eStatements, Online Banking and Bill Pay with Money HQ and online loan applications and approval. Additional services include the BALANCE financial fitness program, and investment and retirement planning offered by MEMBERS Financial Services. This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Visit www.usafedcu.org or call (800) 220-1USA (1872) or (858) 831-8100 for more information.

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Note: USA Federal maintains the above information for archival purposes, which is presumed accurate upon release, however, data may become outdated over time and affect accuracy.