By Staff
ST. JOSEPH – While Congress continues to pour billions into a bailout stimulus plan for the banking sector as a solution for economic recovery, alternative financial institutions like United Federal Credit Union (UFCU) are standing up and speaking out about being another resolution to the financial crisis, and an institution that American's can trust.
Using a witty, new educational campaign, UFCU is making a bold statement by stepping out of the crowd and informing the public that credit unions are a safe, smart and dependable option, that have never been in the habit of abandoning members, especially in times of financial crisis.
In fact, as bank lending saw record decline prior to the government bailout plan, UFCU reported an 11.5 percent loan growth to its members in 2008 as compared to the previous year. The educational campaign, appearing in key bailout markets, including Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Arkansas, hopes to create a broader awareness and ch ange the public's impressions of credit unions nationally.
"Because banks have branches in every city – often in multiple locations – and ATMs on every corner, credit unions are frequently overlooked as an option," said Gary Easterling, President and CEO of UFCU. "As an industry, credit unions are considered to be a relatively small player in the field of financial services because they don't have the physical presence that banks do."
By targeting the lack of understanding the public has between credit unions and other financial service options, UFCU is hoping to tell its story to eligible non-members who may not realize such a great alternative even exists. In addition to an educational print advertising campaign, UFCU has also invested in a Web site, www.UNITEDfcu.com/commonsense. This additional resource will provide the public with more detailed information about the credit union and its membership advantages, as well as member testimonials, video clip messages from UFCU's CEO and links to helpful financial tools.
United Federal Credit Union has served its members since 1949 by helping them build a sound financial future. Presently UFCU consists of 80,338 member/owners worldwide, and manages assets in excess of $849,000,000. For more information about UFCU, call 1-888-982-1400, or visit www.unitedfcu.com/.