{"id":27,"date":"2026-05-15T18:26:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T18:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/?page_id=27"},"modified":"2026-05-27T14:26:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:26:42","slug":"the-difference","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"The Credit Union Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 id=\"mg-heading-1\" class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">The Credit Union Difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-accent-primary-gradient-background has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide mg-testimonial-item-carousel has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-query alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template has-background has-base-background-color is-layout-flow wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-186 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Heartland Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-185 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">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\u2019s withdrawal request. After some further questioning from our BSA &amp; 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Blackhawk Community Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-183 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">A member called us to apply for a loan after getting denied from another financial they had always used due to &#8220;metrics.&#8221; 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 &#8220;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Park City Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-182 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">I&#8217;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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Guardian Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-181 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">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&#8217;s instructor, &#8220;She treated me like a person, that doesn&#8217;t always happen.&#8221; The program recently recognized with a Wisconsin Governor\u2019s Financial Literacy Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Royal Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-176 testimonial type-testimonial status-publish hentry\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-tertiary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5bf61f6399457f00ecbacdf1387d8719\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph has-accent-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-3257f9d7f62966aa6fc033f52519aab1\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Altra Federal Credit Union<\/p>\n\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\r\n<div id=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list alignwide mg-block my-8\">\r\n \r\n        <form class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__filters flex flex-wrap justify-end gap-4 mb-6\" method=\"get\" action=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/\">\r\n                            Filter by:                <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__field mg-parent-stories-list__custom-select dropdown-toggle flex items-center text-white relative max-w-full\">\r\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-district-trigger\">District<\/label>\r\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"mg_psl_district\" value=\"\" \/>\r\n                    <button type=\"button\" id=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-district-trigger\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__select-trigger border-0 appearance-none bg-accent rounded-sm text-white py-2 pl-4 pr-12 text-left cursor-pointer w-max max-w-full\" aria-haspopup=\"listbox\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-district-listbox\">\r\n                        <span class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__select-label\">All Districts<\/span>\r\n                    <\/button>\r\n                    <ul id=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-district-listbox\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__listbox m-0 bg-white text-font-main rounded-sm shadow-md\" role=\"listbox\" hidden>\r\n                        <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"\" aria-selected=\"true\">All Districts<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-1\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #1<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-2\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #2<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-3\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #3<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-4\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #4<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-5\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #5<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-6\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #6<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-7\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #7<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"congressional-district-8\" aria-selected=\"false\">Congressional District #8<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-1\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #1<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-10\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #10<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-11\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #11<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-12\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #12<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-13\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #13<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-14\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #14<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-15\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #15<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-16\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #16<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-17\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #17<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-18\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #18<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-19\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #19<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-2\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #2<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-20\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #20<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-21\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #21<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-22\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #22<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-23\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #23<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-24\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #24<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-25\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #25<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-26\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #26<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-27\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #27<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-28\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #28<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-29\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #29<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-3\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #3<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-30\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #30<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-31\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #31<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-32\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #32<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-33\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #33<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-4\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #4<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-5\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #5<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-6\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #6<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-7\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #7<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-8\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #8<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"senate-district-9\" aria-selected=\"false\">Senate District #9<\/li>\r\n                                            <\/ul>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            \r\n                            Filter by:                <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__field mg-parent-stories-list__custom-select dropdown-toggle flex items-center text-white relative max-w-full\">\r\n                    <label class=\"screen-reader-text\" for=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-tag-trigger\">Tag<\/label>\r\n                    <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"mg_psl_tag\" value=\"\" \/>\r\n                    <button type=\"button\" id=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-tag-trigger\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__select-trigger border-0 appearance-none bg-accent rounded-sm text-white py-2 pl-4 pr-12 text-left cursor-pointer w-max max-w-full\" aria-haspopup=\"listbox\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-tag-listbox\">\r\n                        <span class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__select-label\">All Tags<\/span>\r\n                    <\/button>\r\n                    <ul id=\"mg-parent-stories-list-block_adab6dddc072b2e536b5d3df6de6d9eb-tag-listbox\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__listbox m-0 bg-white text-font-main rounded-sm shadow-md\" role=\"listbox\" hidden>\r\n                        <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"\" aria-selected=\"true\">All Tags<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"above-beyond-service\" aria-selected=\"false\">Above &amp; Beyond Service<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"addressing-elder-financial-abuse\" aria-selected=\"false\">Addressing Elder Financial Abuse<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"auto-loans\" aria-selected=\"false\">Auto Loans<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"charity-community-service\" aria-selected=\"false\">Charity &amp; Community Service<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"community-partnerships\" aria-selected=\"false\">Community Partnerships<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"covid-19-response\" aria-selected=\"false\">COVID-19 Response<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"escaping-predatory-lending\" aria-selected=\"false\">Escaping Predatory Lending<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"fostering-financial-literacy\" aria-selected=\"false\">Fostering Financial Literacy<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"home-loans\" aria-selected=\"false\">Home Loans<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"identity-theft-prevention-mitigation\" aria-selected=\"false\">Identity Theft Prevention &amp; Mitigation<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"membership-perks\" aria-selected=\"false\">Membership Perks<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"paying-dividends\" aria-selected=\"false\">Paying Dividends<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"rainy-day-support\" aria-selected=\"false\">Rainy Day Support<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"rainy-day-support-medical-bills\" aria-selected=\"false\">Rainy Day Support &#8211; Medical Bills<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"rainy-day-support-wage-loss\" aria-selected=\"false\">Rainy Day Support &#8211; Wage Loss<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"second-chances-refinancing\" aria-selected=\"false\">Second Chances &amp; Refinancing<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"serving-the-underserved\" aria-selected=\"false\">Serving the Underserved<\/li>\r\n                                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__option\" role=\"option\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-value=\"supporting-main-st\" aria-selected=\"false\">Supporting Main St<\/li>\r\n                                            <\/ul>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                    <\/form>\r\n\r\n                    <h2 class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__heading mt-0 mb-6 font-heading\">Story Collection<\/h2>\r\n        \r\n        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__results\" data-per-page=\"6\" data-page-url=\"\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-busy=\"false\">\r\n                                <ul class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__list list-none m-0 p-0 space-y-4\">\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_united-one-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_united-one-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_united-one-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11725\">\n                                    A $6,000 Phone Call                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2026-03-23T18:45:21+00:00\">\n                                    Mar 23, 2026                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>While handling a routine payoff request, a UnitedOne team member noticed an unfamiliar lender and decided to call the member.<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_westconsin-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_westconsin-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_westconsin-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11723\">\n                                    Going to Bat for a Member                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2025-08-08T18:30:39+00:00\">\n                                    Aug 08, 2025                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>Over the past few weeks, one of our team members went above and beyond to help one of our members.<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11722\">\n                                    Grow. Impact. Lead.                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2024-08-07T20:17:00+00:00\">\n                                    Aug 07, 2024                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>Grow. Impact. Lead.<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11721\">\n                                    Accessible Financial Education for All                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2024-08-07T20:17:00+00:00\">\n                                    Aug 07, 2024                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>Enrich is Royal\u2019s newest a virtual financial education platform offering a variety of courses, tools, articles, quizzes, worksheets, calculators, and much more.<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11720\">\n                                    Go Big or Go Broke for Fostering Financial Literacy                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2024-08-07T20:17:00+00:00\">\n                                    Aug 07, 2024                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>Go Big or Go Broke is an engaging, life-sized board game designed to promote financial wellbeing for all financial education in a way that&#8217;s anything but boring!<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                                    <li class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__item\">\n                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__row\">\n                                                            <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb\">\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg\" class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__thumb-img wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stories_t_royal-credit-union.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                                                        <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__body\">\n                                <a class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__link leading-none font-heading font-semibold\" href=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/?p=11719\">\n                                    Smart Start Loan Program                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__date\" datetime=\"2024-08-07T20:17:00+00:00\">\n                                    Aug 07, 2024                                <\/time>\n                                                                    <div class=\"mg-parent-stories-list__excerpt mt-2\">\n                                        <p>Thanks to Royal\u2019s CDFI Smart Start loan program, we were able to help a couple with a 2-year-old child buy their first home.<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n                    \n                <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Credit Union Difference<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-no-title","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-27","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Credit Union Difference - WI Credit Unions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Credit Union Difference\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Credit Union Difference\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WI Credit Unions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-27T14:26:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/the-difference\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/the-difference\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Credit Union Difference - WI Credit Unions\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-15T18:26:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-27T14:26:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/the-difference\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/the-difference\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/the-difference\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Credit Union Difference\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/\",\"name\":\"WI Credit Unions\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"WI Credit Unions\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/headerlogo2587b10dde0e6fcdb9e2ff00005150a1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/headerlogo2587b10dde0e6fcdb9e2ff00005150a1.png\",\"width\":230,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"WI Credit Unions\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\\\/wicreditunions\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Credit Union Difference - WI Credit Unions","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Credit Union Difference","og_description":"The Credit Union Difference","og_url":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/","og_site_name":"WI Credit Unions","article_modified_time":"2026-05-27T14:26:42+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/","url":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/","name":"The Credit Union Difference - WI Credit Unions","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-05-15T18:26:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-27T14:26:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/the-difference\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Credit Union Difference"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/","name":"WI Credit Unions","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#organization","name":"WI Credit Unions","url":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/headerlogo2587b10dde0e6fcdb9e2ff00005150a1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/headerlogo2587b10dde0e6fcdb9e2ff00005150a1.png","width":230,"height":100,"caption":"WI Credit Unions"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"mg_protected":false,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-19 07:56:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27\/revisions\/207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wcul-staging.matrixgroup.net\/wicreditunions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}