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Show Savings and loan industry healthy, official says Mr. Christiansen says. "Since their creation in 1932, savings and loan associations have been dedicated dedi-cated to thrift and ownership. The deregulation several years ago enabled en-abled savers to receive competitive money market rates on savings deposits, and to obtain a variety of consumer services such as checking check-ing accounts and secured and unsecured unse-cured consumer loans." Is the future still bright for savings sav-ings and loan associations? Dean Christensen, CPA and senior vice president for United Savings and Loan Association, believes it is.' He says that the industry will survive sur-vive and the consumer will continue con-tinue to be served by innovative savings and loans which will offer better consumer services, competitive com-petitive earnings on savings deposits de-posits and a continuing commitment commit-ment to financing home ownership. "Certainly the local economy has been depressed in recent years in states whose financial well-being is tied to timber, oil, mining and agriculture. Utah and Idaho have been seriously affected by this slump. This situation won't be turned around overnight, and some changes will be necessary. Some changes in ownership have taken place recently and will help to pro- p : -tkx- DEAN CHRISTENSEN vide leadership and stability to the financial community." Among other general statistics about the savings and loan industry he points out that during 1986, savings sav-ings and loan associations made $170 billion in home mortgage loans which represents about one half of the total home loan market mar-ket in the United States. Nearly 80 million Americans now live in homes financed by a savings and loan association. Approximately 80 percent of the federally-insured saving institutions institu-tions in this country are profitable at year end 1986. The 80 percent of the institutions that were profitable, profit-able, earned a total of $9 billion, according to M. Danny Wall, Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. "Savings and loan associations are unique financial institutions," |