LAKE MARY, Fla. -Fiserv Credit Processing Services said it is stepping up to help credit unions better manage their plastic card operations. It has released an expanded version of its PLUS System that it says can address the increasing demand for processing services as credit unions refocus on their credit card portfolios, which have been ripe for sell-off over the last two years. Why are they selling? That answer is different for every credit union. Chip Filson, president of Callahan & Associates, a Washington D.C.-based credit union consulting firm, said the reasons that credit unions have sold their portfolios are as varied as credit unions themselves. "Some wanted to redeploy assets, while others believed their portfolios were a drag on the overall quality of their assets because of the delinquency concentrations," Filson said. "When it looked like they could collect several years' worth of earnings in a single sale, it was tempting to go in that direction rather than to reinvest and try to put some internal resources behind their portfolio programs." "What we've been seeing is a real turnaround as credit unions are starting to pay closer attention to their credit card portfolios than ever before," said Patricia Hewitt, Vice President of Business Development for Fiserv Credit Processing Services. "They're now looking at their portfolios as real revenue generators – as a larger part of their total relationship with their members – in addition to being a gateway into broader member relationships that give them an opportunity to market their loan programs." Fiserv's PLUS System give CUs the ability to enact new interest rate programs and provide access to real-time account information. "We've enhanced it, so especially for the smaller credit unions, they can use same technology the larger banks have," said Max Narro President, Fiserv Credit Processing Services. Narro said CUs need the flexibility to cater account parameters to members, which is what the large processors do. Narro noted that Fiserv Credit Processing Services has about 27 clients and processes over 10 million accounts.