WESCOM TO OPEN SUNDAYS; BANK TREND UNCERTAIN.

Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer

Wescom Credit Union will start opening its doors Sundays to boost customer service and attract new members, but analysts disagree on whether other financial institutions will follow suit.

Only a handful of banks, like Wells Fargo, US Bank, and East West Bank, have select locations open Sunday.

Starting Sunday, Wescom's 47 branches, including those in Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Santa Clarita, and Simi Valley, will open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Some locations will also stay open one hour later Monday through Friday, until 7 p.m. Saturday hours are being extended from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

``Sunday is the busiest shopping day, and by being closed, we're not only missing the chance to serve our members, but also to bring new members into Wescom,'' said credit union President Darren Williams.

Wescom predicts it could gain a few thousand new members by opening Sundays.

Analyst Jim Bradshaw of D. A. Davidson in Oregon believes extended hours are bad for banks.

``It would be a financial blow to the industry,'' Bradshaw said. The first few that stay open longer will gain extra customers, then other banks will follow suit to compete and be stuck with a higher tab for salaries and electricity. But they may not bring in extra revenue.

Because the expense will outweigh revenue, Bradshaw believes, opening Sunday won't catch on. Instead, banks should beef up their Web site and ATMs so that customers can perform all the transactions they need to without seeing a teller.

But some major banks are already getting on the weekend band wagon.

Union Bank and US Bank successfully tested longer hours in Fresno and St. Louis, respectively, and US Bank plans to bring longer hours to certain areas, according to analyst Gary Townsend of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. in Virginia.

If other banks join the fold, it won't be because of Wescom, Townsend said.

``I don't see Wells Fargo or Bank of America taking any notice unless this credit union is wildly successful and doubles or triples its current size,'' Townsend said.

For Yefim Gurfinkel, being able to go to the bank on Sundays is not useful because he banks online.

``Even in the middle of the night I can check my balance,'' said Gurfinkel, of Encino.

While some consumers may enjoy the added convenience of banking on Sunday, Mike Alfano sees a downside.

``It's going to make their costs higher,'' said Alfano, 39, of Santa Clarita. ``To keep the rates low, that's better for us.''

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