SAN DIMAS, Calif. – Even the nation's largest corporate benefits from cost savings derived from U.S. Central's ISI subsidiary. The $26 billion WesCorp has moved its broker/dealer operation to ISI, making it the 20th corporate to do so. "It's strictly cost savings. If you have a full-time trader and a full-time compliance person, the fixed costs are huge, even for someone the size of WesCorp," said Ron Araujo, executive director of WesCorp Investment Services, LLC. As a result of the change WesCorp downsized two positions. Araujo noted that WesCorp's sales team is staying in place, and CUs will still deal with the same sales reps for broker/dealer services. The difference is those sales reps will now be working with ISI. WesCorp has about 100 broker/dealer clients, with half of them active traders, meaning they've conducted transactions in the last nine months. Empire Corporate has also moved its broker/dealer services to ISI. The corporate currently conducts broker/dealer services through its MemberTrade Financial Group, a wholly-owned CUSO. While most corporates have cited cost savings as a reason for going with ISI, Empire said cost savings did not drive the decision. It was more influenced by regulatory changes that have pushed many natural person CUs to bring their broker/dealer operations in-house. Under NCUA's 2001 Incidental Powers Reg, the SEC has ruled that CUSOs no longer have a networking exemption to receive income without being registered. Empire leaders stressed their members will still be working directly with MemberTrade's two existing registered representatives, who will now become employees of Empire Corporate and independent contractors of ISI.