Local community banks and financial institutions like credit unions offer a wide range of benefits to their customers. When the main office is in your local area, you will often find the following benefits.
- Faster Decision Making
When the person who approves your loan is actually sitting in front of you (or in the next room), you can get a much faster decision about whether you can open an account or get a new loan. When larger financial institutions, headquartered in other states or even countries, try to give personalized service they very often fall short. Why? Because they don’t know you. They’ve never had a face-to-face conversation with you. They don’t live, work and play in the same community as you.
- Lower Costs
Local community banks and credit unions often feature lower-cost loans and fees. Credit Unions are member owned financial cooperatives. Â It is their mission to bring as much value to their members at the lowest cost possible.
- Local Economic Growth
You have likely heard that if you “go local,” you support the local economy in your area. The same is true in the financial services industry, but they can take it one step further. Your patronage of local businesses allows them to support local business ventures and the charitable organizations in the area as well. The result is an immeasurable boost to the local economy.
- Personal Touch
Perhaps the biggest benefit of going local when it comes to banking is that you get to know your local credit union staff and loan officers. Loan officers who know you personally and know that you have good character are far more likely to help you develop creative and practical solutions to meet your banking needs. When the bureaucratic red tape is removed, everyone benefits.
Going Local with Firefighters Credit Union
At Firefighters Credit Union, we take great pride in being a local financial institution that supports the local community and those living in it. Our headquarters are local, and our President, Bruce “The Money Man” of Firefighters Credit Union, lives locally as well. If you are considering making a switch to a local credit union or you would like to discuss loan options, contact our team: 608-784-9480.