Two years ago, a member came to us with a credit score in the mid-500s and a number of collection and charged off items. We made a plan for what to pay back and in what order. Over the last two years, with a gentle nudge here and there, she has raised her credit score to over 700. We are working on diversifying her credit usage and bringing her partner along for the credit building ride. We hope to get her into a home of her very own in the next two years.

Heartland Credit Union

We are committed to protecting our members against emerging scams and financial fraud. An elderly member of ours was recently the victim of an imposter scammer who claimed to be from the FBI. The member was told he was going to jail unless he withdrew $50,000 in cash and used this to buy gift cards. Luckily, our fraud-trained frontline staff was able to recognize the red flags of the member’s withdrawal request. After some further questioning from our BSA & Fraud Officer, he revealed what was really going on, and we were able to give him the support he needed to end communication with the scammer and keep his funds protected.

Blackhawk Community Credit Union

A member called us to apply for a loan after getting denied from another financial they had always used due to “metrics.” Our lender took his application and worked with the gentleman to get his loan approved. The member was so impressed with the service he received that he shared “In this day and age, it is refreshing to see that there are still companies and individuals that work for them that can look at the bigger picture, rather than just what some computer spits out. As a result of this application, I will be joining Park City Credit Union completely and transferring all direct deposits over. They now have a committed member.

Park City Credit Union

I’ve been with Guardian for 30 years. They are the best. I went through some medical issues that left me off the payroll for over a year, and they reached out to me when they noticed inconsistencies in my account and offered to help me save my home. I couldn’t believe any financial institution would do so much without being asked, but they went out of their way to help me and my son. I am forever grateful and will be a member until the end.

Guardian Credit Union

Royal offers a series of financial education lessons at five county jails and four state Department of Correction prisons and one juvenile detention center in Wisconsin. We also have a partnership with Hennepin County jail in Minnesota. The program has been adapted to be offered either in-person or virtually to best meet the needs of each facility. In the words of one student, referring to Royal’s instructor, “She treated me like a person, that doesn’t always happen.” The program recently recognized with a Wisconsin Governor’s Financial Literacy Award.

Royal Credit Union

I went through a divorce and had to refinance my house in a hurry, so I went with some fly-by-night company that made all these promises but then charged me (in small writing) $30,000 in closing costs! It was a horrible experience and I was devastated, but Altra listened to me, believed in me when no one would, and gave me a chance even though I was freshly divorced. That was 26 years ago, my house is now paid off, and I retired at 61. A lot of that had to do with Altra believing I was a good person and worth the risk.

Altra Federal Credit Union