As I was hopping into the passenger seat of our SUV to head off for the annual trek to central New York for Thanksgiving with the in-laws

Citibank used to be admired for its innovations, competitive spirit and growth accomplishments

The credit union industry is going through difficult times right now. True, not as bad as the rest of the financial services sector, but rough enough. Oddly enough-or perhaps appropriately enough-this is a time for giving thanks.

We're coming off the heels of a historic election. Not only will President-elect Barack Obama serve as the first African-American president of the United States after a landslide victory, but he will inherit an economy like no other seen in the last several decades.

Election season is always filled with predictions and erratic polls. A month ago, Barack Obama was crushing John McCain in the polls; many more recent polls put the race within the margin of error with Obama still up.

We love to hear from our readers about what's on their minds whether it's a letter to the editor or an opinion piece. But I have turned down a few lately, which has led to this column.

Credit union boards are to be commended for keeping credit unions out of the direct line of fire in the current financial crisis. Their experience and training has been crucial.

Let's not even try to fool ourselves. In discussions and the recent white paper on merging the two national trade associations, the 800-pound gorilla in the room has been blatantly avoided: This is really all about CUNA acquiring NAFCU.