WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Nearly a month after Tampa-based Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union and CUNA Mutual Group received regulatory approval to open a national trust company, Truliant Federal Credit Union is in the process of setting up one of the first representative office. Through MEMBERS Trust Co., Truliant will offer an array of financial planning services to its 200,000 members through its rep office, which is scheduled to open by the end of August. With $800 million in assets, Truliant is one of the largest credit unions in the state. Trust officials say at least twelve credit unions are slated to have an established agency office or representative office by the end of 2003. MEMBERS Trust will offer credit unions two operational options: an agency office, which can take up to 90 days to open, establishes a trust presence in a particular state and requires a trust officer to be physically located in a credit union; and a representative office which, can take up to 30 days to launch, entails an extension of the credit union's existing financial services program. The latter option does not require hiring a trust officer but will utilize the services of trained representatives to consult and make recommendations for trust services.