The NCUA approved 18 mergers across 14 states in September, up from 17 approved mergers in August, bringing the total number of consolidations to 190 so far this year, according to the agency's monthly Insurance Activity Report.

The September number of approved mergers is lower than September 2012 when the NCUA approved 23 mergers.

Texas posted the highest number of mergers last month with three, followed by California and Illinois with two each. Michigan, New York, Delaware, Indiana, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, North Dakota, Oregon and Utah each had one merger.

Sixteen credit unions with less than $20 million in assets, one with $83 million in assets and one with $278 million in assets were merged out of existence in September.

The largest credit union merger occurred between two Michigan credit unions.

Initially announced in June, the $704 million, 71,831-member First Community Federal Credit Union in Parchment, Mich., and the $278 million, 35,370-member E & A Credit Union in Port Huron, Mich., are consolidating and  will operate under a new name that will be announced early next year.

The new cooperative will serve more than 105,000 members and manage nearly $1 billion assets, more than 375 employees and 21 branches in Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.

The merger of the $83 million, 5,911-member ChevronWest Credit Union of Bountiful, Utah into the $2.2 billion, 91,747-member Chevron Federal Credit Union of Oakland, Calif., is set to be completed Oct. 31.

The merger will add two branches in Utah and one in Colorado to Chevron FCU's existing locations in California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland and Virginia.

Fourteen of the small credit unions merged with larger counterparts to expand services to members, while two credit unions consolidated because they were in poor financial condition, according to the NCUA's Insurance Activity Report.

The $1.3 million, 426-member Ketema Federal Credit Union in El Cajon, Calif., posted a net worth of 6.58% in March and 6.29% in June, far below the peer average of 18.27%, according to NCUA financial performance reports. Ketema FCU merged with the $1.7 billion, 120,705-member California Coast Credit Union in San Diego.

The $8.7 million, 3,116-member Southern Illinois Area Credit Union's net worth fell to 6.37% on June 30, from 7.34% in December 2012, according to NCUA financial performance reports. Like many small credit unions, SIACU had been struggling financially with declining loan, fee and investment income. From 2008 to 2012, SIACU posted a total net income loss of $412,068, NCUA financial performance reports show.

SIACU will merge into the $186 million, 23,639-member Arsenal Credit Union in Arnold, Mo., by the end of the year.

NCUA's Insurance Activity Report also showed the $18 million, 5,688-member Seaford Federal Credit Union in Seaford, Del., decided to merge because of lack of growth. In addition to declines in assets, loan and net income losses over the last five years, the cooperative's net worth dropped to 6.65% in June from 7.25% in December 2012, according to NCUA financial performance reports.

Seaford FCU has merged with the $305 million, 38,680-member Del-One Federal Credit Union in Dover, Del.

The $112,853, 162-member Lincoln City Credit Union in Houston Texas, is consolidating because of poor management, according to the NCUA's Insurance Activity Report.

The cooperative has posted declines in loan, fee and investment income, which has led to lower net income results over the past five years, according to NCUA financial performance reports.