Oregon's credit unions saw a surge in new members and accounts last month, and small banks also saw an uptick in new customers.

But it's not clear whether the consumer migration from big banks will persist beyond Saturday's national

or pose much of a problem for large institutions, analysts and observers say.

Ten of the 15 largest credit unions based in Oregon took in roughly twice as many new members in October as the same month a year ago, a survey by The Oregonian found.

Community banks in Oregon also reported an increase in new deposits and checking accounts, though the jump is not as sharp, based on a survey by the Oregon Bankers Association.

Officials say most of the increase appears to be triggered by

that it would charge customers monthly debit-card use fees. This week, amid criticism from customers and regulators,

. Other big banks also have backed off charging such fees.

"People are asking and worried about fees," said Matt Purvis, vice president of marketing at Northwest Community Credit Union in Springfield. "They want to see our fee schedule when they come in. They're also talking about putting their money in local institutions."

Still, the shift represents only a small slice of big-bank customers in the state. U.S. Bank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo hold nearly $30 billion, or almost 50 percent, of all bank deposits in Oregon. The 10 Oregon-based credit unions in The Oregonian's survey hold just less than $8 billion in deposits.

Collectively, those 10 credit unions have about 689,000 members. They added 12,575 new members last month, compared with 6,640 in October 2010.

The increase compared with a year ago varied widely by institution, from 15 percent at Oregon Community Credit Union in Eugene, the state's second-largest, to at least 200 percent at both Northwest Community Credit Union and Rivermark Community Credit Union in Portland.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based First Tech Federal Credit Union, the largest operating in Oregon, declined to provide actual new membership numbers. But spokeswoman Deborah Colby said First Tech had signed up 67 percent more new members last month than in October 2010.

Regional and community banks also appear to be picking up more new customers at the expense of their larger rivals. Seattle-based Washington Federal opened 3,000 new checking accounts in October, which represents 5 percent of its total account base, senior vice president of marketing communications Cathy Cooper said. Albina Community Bank in Portland has seen a 35 percent increase in new account growth in the past 30 days, president Cheryl Cebula said.

Clatsop Community Bank's new checking accounts jumped threefold, and Lewis & Clark Bank in Oregon City saw an 87 percent increase in new deposits, co-chief executive Jeff Sumpter said. Four others reported much smaller increases, according to the Oregon Bankers Association.

On Wednesday, several advocacy groups launched a website to encourage people to consider local banks or credit unions.

ranks institutions based on whether most of its owners and branches are located in Oregon and whether at least one-fifth of its assets are small-business loans.

While the group plans to stage an account-opening event Saturday in downtown Portland, one of its organizers emphasized that individual account shifts will have only limited impacts on the big banks.

"People can do what they can do individually by moving their personal accounts," said Steve Hughes, state director of Oregon Working Families Party, a co-creator of the bank rating site. "At the same time, it's going to require action on the part of larger institutions," including state and local governments.

Linda Navarro, chief executive of the state bankers association, warned customers against leaving their bank without first inquiring about other accounts and services.

"What you do with your money should be a very careful decision," Navarro said. "There's more than one kind of checking account at a bank. There are more than 50 banks that have branches in this state. There are plenty of choices."

Analysts are skeptical that the customer migration will last much longer because of the time it takes to transfer an account and reconnect all its automatic deposits and bill payments.

"Switching banks is not a five-minute process," said Mark Schwanhausser, a senior analyst with Javelin Strategy & Research, a financial-services research firm. "A bank's whole goal is to make your relationship too convenient for you to want to change. And they've done a pretty good job of that."

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