household members – can also join the credit union. In the United States, the National Credit Union Administration or a state regulator – depending upon whether or not the credit union is chartered by the federal government or by a state – decides whether or not to approve or deny proposed field of membership expansions or charter conversions to other credit union charters. Mergers of smaller credit unions with disparate membership bases often result in a credit union with a wide variety of ways to qualify to join; thus, a credit union may have a much broader "field of membership" than that credit union's name would imply. Credit unions generally follow the principle of "once a member, always a member", which allows a member with a current credit union membership to remain a member even if they would otherwise no longer qualify to be such, such as leaving the company with whom they initially gained membership or moving outside the credit union's defined geographic area. However, many credit unions reserve the right of expulsion against a member who causes a financial loss. Some credit unions also have expelled members, including elected Board and Supervisory Committee volunteers, for making whistleblower complaints against credit union management. Underserved and low-income areas Federal credit unions may apply to the NCUA for Low-Income Credit Union (LICU) status. To qualify for LICU status, the majority of the credit union's members must be considered "low-income" based on specific requirements set by the NCUA. This LICU status allows the credit unions to benefit from certain NCUA programs to enhance their capacity to serve underserved populations who may otherwise lack access to credit or other financial services. In addition, some state regulators also provide for similar low-income designations. Unlike banks, which were caught redlining underserved areas in the 1970s, credit unions are not subject to federal "community reinvestment" requirements, essentially because credit unions, by their nature and mission of "people helping people", already meet the financial needs of a broad spectrum of people that fall within their fields of membership, and may play an active role in community development and growth. Credit unions are exempt from the Community Reinvestment Act, a U.S. federal law that encourages banks to provide services in low- and moderate-income areas. In 2006, U.S. credit unions approved 69% of mortgage applications they received from low- and moderate-income individuals, while other U.S. mortgage lenders approved only