Today, Cindy Robbins of Georgia United Credit Union joins us on the podcast to talk about what it looks like when your financial institution has your back.
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Over 60 Years of Community-Based Service
It was March of 1958. Vernon Carne, principal at Hooper Alexander Elementary School, convinced a half-dozen DeKalb County teachers to join him in pledging $5 each to form a credit union and apply for a charter with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). By the following month, the DeKalb County Teachers Federal Credit Union was a reality.
Twenty-five years later, it became Georgia Federal Credit Union in order to better identify with members who were not educators. By 2010 it became the Georgia United Credit Union, changing from a federal to a state charter in order to reach residents of entire counties statewide.
Throughout all those changes, Georgia United has been committed to improving the lives of their members, team members and the communities they serve.
The Credit Union Difference
Credit unions are very much like banks and offer many of the same services. For example, Georgia United offers free checking accounts with debit cards as well as savings accounts — and both have options to earn interest. You can also invest in CDs, an IRA or get a car loan, a mortgage, a home equity loan, a credit card and other types of loans through a credit union. According to a January 2019 report from the Credit Union National Association, more than 118 million Americans currently use about 5,700 credit unions in the country.
Traditionally, banks have been perceived as more safe and convenient than credit unions, but this is a misconception. Another popular misconception is that to join a credit union consumers must belong to private groups. Also not true. While credit union membership hinges on belonging to a particular community or workplace, most consumers are eligible to join.
Benefits of Georgia United
Georgia United is federally insured by the NCUA and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1970, the NCUA is an independent federal agency that insures deposits at federally insured credit unions, protects the members who own credit unions, and charters and regulates federal credit unions.
A full-service not-for-profit financial institution, Georgia United offers a wide variety of products and services that are simple, compelling and make sense for today’s fast-paced lifestyle. Profits are returned to members through reduced fees, low interest rates and high rates of return on investments. Anyone living or working in any one of 24 counties throughout the state is eligible for membership, as are employees of a number of public and private school systems, colleges and universities, state agencies of Georgia and workplace partners.
Members can download Georgia United’s mobile app in any app store to deposit checks, transfer money and pay bills. They also offer digital wallet capabilities that allows users to make payments by uploading a digital version of their debit or credit card to make in-store payments. Text Banking allows users to check balances, make transfers and view account history with just a few simple text commands.
Today, Georgia United is ranked as one of the largest and strongest credit unions in Georgia, with 19 local branches, access to over 5,000 supporting credit union locations nationwide and 100,000 surcharge-free ATMs across the globe. They’re committed to improving the lives of members, team members and the communities they serve and are proud to be known as a leader in the financial industry.
