The New York Credit Union Foundation released a year-end recap video highlighting how it helped foster the financial independence of New Yorkers through credit unions in 2018 – The Point

 CUNA Mutual Group, their employees and the company’s foundation will provide $1.7 million in donations to nonprofits in Dane County, Wisconsin, and other communities nationwide– The Point

 The New York Credit Union Association’s January webinars kick off soon, and registration is open. The Association will again be providing each member credit union with complimentary access to two webinars in 2019 – The Point

 CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger has halted efforts to change the name of the agency to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, according to a memo she wrote to employees – CU Journal

 Credit union members who have been making their cellphone payments on time may soon qualify for higher loan limits and other credit increases – CUToday

 U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-7, was among the lawmakers who called for a ban on a legal tactic that predatory lenders use to seize money from small businesses, matching a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate earlier this month – CU Times

 Data shows that this coming Saturday, Dec. 22, is poised to be the biggest shopping day of the year, with an estimated $26 billion expected to be spent – PYMNTS

 New York’s population continues to decline faster than any other state, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau – Journal News

 The blog highlights five things to know before the holidays, including the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee announcing that it will be raising short-term interest rates by another quarter of a point – New York’s State of Mind