PORTLAND , Ore. , November 29, 2004 – AssetExchange, the leading independent credit card portfolio brokerage firm, has compiled data about credit union credit card portfolio trends through the third quarter of 2004.

Penetration of Credit Cards Among CU Members:
Penetration continued its decline from 19.0% in September 2003 to 18.5% in September 2004. (See top graph, left.)

Credit Cards as a Percentage of CU Assets:
Credit cards as a percentage of total assets remained at 4.1% from September 2003 to September 2004. (See middle graph, left.)

Fraction of CU Card Portfolios that Grew:
The percentage of credit card portfolios that grew more than inflation in the preceding twelve months increased from 32% in September 2003 to 48% in September 2004. (See bottom graph, left.)

Additional analysis of NCUA data revealed that approximately 18 credit unions sold their credit card portfolios during the third quarter of 2004, representing nearly $150 million in volume.

Values are based on NCUA 5300 call reports for credit card portfolios larger than $1 million for each time period reported. Inflation values, as reported in the bottom graph, are from US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

About AssetExchange
AssetExchange is a leading credit card consulting and brokerage firm for financial institutions. Services include credit card portfolio brokerage, performance assessments, market valuations, and best practices consulting. The AssetExchange brokerage process includes bids from all interested portfolio buyers, which increases competition for portfolios and ensures optimal pricing and partnership opportunities for portfolio sellers. For additional information, please visit www.AssetExchange.com or call (503) 220-0007.