September 6, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Veronica LaDuke
vladuke@cuna.coop
608-231-4038

MADISON, WI – CUNA & Affiliates and Travelers Express have expanded their strategic alliance to provide official checks to credit unions. The new official check program became available to credit unions September 1, 2002. Official checks are also referred to as cashiers checks or teller checks,

CUNA and Travelers Express have provided credit unions with a money order program for almost 30 years.

“We are delighted to now offer the official check program to credit unions for outsourcing of their disbursements with Travelers Express,” notes Wes Millar, vice president of Strategic Services for CUNA. “For the past 29 years the money order program offered through CUNA and Travelers Express has helped credit unions become more efficient by decreasing back- office expenses and freeing up staff time to spend with their members. Outsourcing of these programs helps credit unions reduce expenses while offering excellent services to their members.”

“We’re excited about the expansion of our alliance with CUNA to include our official check program,” said Gene Duncan, vice president and general manager of Travelers Express’ Payment Systems Group. “Our technology brings credit unions another innovative solution that will help them improve their back-office efficiency and better serve their members. We will print each official check with a special hologram that integrates the ‘America’s Credit Unions’ logo and provides credit union members with increased protection against fraud.”

For more information about the operational and financial benefits of the official check program, contact Shirley Mazanet at 800-356-9655, ext. 4290.

About CUNA:
With its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, Credit Union National Association serves more than 90% of America's 10,000 credit unions, which are owned by more than 82 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives where people are worth more than money. For more information, visit www.cuna.org.

About Travelers Express:
Travelers Express, a major payment services company based in Minneapolis, serves more than 12,000 financial institution locations in the U.S. In addition to official checks, the company services include money orders, gift certificates and MoneyGram money transfer services offered through independent agents at more than 95,000 locations worldwide.

Copyright © 2008 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.