HIGHTSTOWN, N.J. – New Jersey credit union members whose institutions take part in shared branching will have five more locations at which to transact business in early 2004, according to the credit union league. Thanks to three more credit unions signing on to shared branching, the number of locations will jump from 22 to 27 in the first quarter of 2004. Through the cooperative network of service centers across the country, credit unions have the ability to promote the use of 1,200 branches to their members and potential members. By far, deposits are the most popular type of transaction in the shared branching system, giving members the greatest convenience when making deposits into their savings or share draft accounts. "If a credit union cannot afford to open a new branch in order to serve a new or existing SEG, shared branching gives them a chance to reach out to these members through a service center," says Stefanie LiVecchi, Director of Association Services for NJCUL. "No matter where the service center is located, each time a member approaches a teller, it is just as if they are performing the transaction in their own credit union."