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While banks have attracted much of the attention in the current financial crisis, credit unions have been quietly going about their business.

Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union of Germantown, which formed in 1968, recently released a new television advertising campaign highlighting stepped-up security for depositors.

"We want to spread the word that we're safe and sound," credit union president and CEO Rick Wieczorek said. "We haven't been subject to the bank drama."

New legislation increased the limit for insurance for deposits at credit unions, not just banks. Deposits at Mid-Atlantic and other local credit unions are now federally insured up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which is administered by the National Credit Union Administration and backed by the federal government.

In addition, some credit unions, including Mid-Atlantic and Prince George's Community Federal Credit Union of Upper Marlboro, offer an additional $250,000 in private insurance from Excess Share Insurance Corp. That is $250,000 more than deposits at most banks, Wieczorek noted.

Mid-Atlantic has not really been affected by the plunging stock market, partly because credit unions are nonprofits that can't issue stock to raise capital, he said. But Wieczorek and others have spent some time calming members' fears about the current financial turmoil.

"Credit unions, by nature, are very conservative," Wieczorek said. Thus, loan delinquency rates are very low, he said.

Deposits have picked up lately, he said. "We've been seeing some flight to safety," Wieczorek said.

Mid-Atlantic had assets of $217.7 million as of June, up about 6 percent from a year earlier, according to the national association.