HOBOKEN, N.J. — If there were consumers in the Hoboken, N.J.,area seeking to take advantage of Bank Transfer Day, they weregreeted with many lock doors this morning, visits to about a dozencredit unions near Credit Union Times' Hoboken officesrevealed.

Only one of the credit unions visited or called was open. TheJersey City branch of the $426.8 million Chicago-based SelfrelianceUkrainian American Federal Credit Union was open from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. as usual.

Branch Manager Olha Ilnicki at first appeared to be unaware ofBank Transfer Day. But when prompted, she said had heard of it.She declined to comment on whether the movement has had an impacton her branch and said any comment would have to come from creditunion executives who were unavailable Saturday.

The credit unions in Hoboken and Jersey City are predominatelysmall, SEG-based CUs. The smallest is the $111,000 Salem BaptistFCU. But even the relatively larger credit unions in the area didnot open their doors Saturday.

The Jersey City Journal Square branch of the $130.4 million XcelFCU, whose members are employees of the Port Authority of New Yorkand New Jersey, was locked and deserted.

The four credit unions located in Hoboken range in size from$46.5 million to $1.2 million. The largest in the city, HobokenSchool Employees FCU, does not maintain Saturday hours, and BankTransfer Day was no exception.

The main branch of the $62.4 million Liberty Savings FCU onNewark Street in Jersey City had a Bank Transfer Day flyer in thewindow that said, in part, “Boot Your Bank.”

The branch doors were locked and potential members were referredto the CU's Greenville Service Center, which is about two milesaway.

Attempts to reach the service center failed because there is nopublic telephone listing for the center.

Not all Garden State credit unions were closed Saturday,however. Totowa-based North Jersey FCU reported heavier than usual traffic at itsbranches.