Relay For Life…Our Personal Stories, Part VI

Jessica and her mom, a survivor

Fighting For The Ones I Love, By Jessica Parks

I became part of Relay once I discovered Consumers participated. It is my small way of fighting back for the ones I love.

Cancer has touched many people close to me. In fact, my family tree seems to have cancer tattooed right into the center of its trunk. I’ve seen many suffer, and Relay is my own personal way to give back to those who have fought against this disease. I’m in the fight against cancer to support the ones I love. And I’ll fight with whatever means I can.

The first person I want to talk about is grandma. After her third stint with breast cancer, numerous radiation and chemo treatments, and a recent mastectomy, she is now cancer free at age 85. Sorry cancer, but you didn’t win that one…

My other loved ones haven’t been so ‘lucky’. A few years ago, my mom’s best friend’s husband, Gerald Bastian, passed away after a long, arduous battle with cancer. A few years before that, mom’s big brother and my very dear uncle, Mitch McClave, died after losing his battle with lung cancer. It eventually spread to his brain (…but it could never take away his heart!)

The grandparents on my father’s side have also been torn apart by cancer. Dad’s mom had colon cancer and his dad suffered from prostate cancer. While all of these people are very close to me, and all of whom I love very much, there is one person who has been affected by this hideous disease that means more to me than anything in the world.

This person is my mom. She’s battled both breast and cervical cancer and thankfully is in remission. Watching mom go through the radiation treatments wrenched my heart. Even more unbearable was realizing that there was nothing I could do…except be there for her. Cancer changed mom’s life forever. And guess what, it changed mine too. Watching someone who means everything to you fight cancer, and go through a time that is probably the scariest of their life, can’t help but change you. While I may not have been able to make her radiation any less painful or less frightening, I do believe that by being there for her helped in a small but significant way.

No matter how much I hate cancer, the disease has made me appreciate all of the parts of my life my mom has touched.

Mom is an inspiration. And she is oh, so very strong. Even through the most difficult and painful parts of her treatment her dignity was never lost; she remained strong and never once let on what she was feeling inside. She never showed her fear…only her resolution to fight back.

I will be walking in Relay next month for mom – and for all of the others close to me who have fought this terrible disease – for the ones who are still with me and I could never bear to lose, and the ones I have unfortunately lost. I am also walking for the people I don’t know but who are fighting for their lives every day.

Jessica is a Member Service Representative at our Ninth Street Office in Kalamazoo.

Learn more about the fight against cancer: http://www.cancer.org/index

Join the Consumers Relay team:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?team_id=1029132&pg=team&fr_id=38307

Relay For Life Of Kalamazoo County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds

Relay For Life Of Van Buren County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Bangor High School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=38788http://

Relay For Life Holland/Zeeland:

June 15-16, 2012

2pm-2pm at West Ottawa School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&

Relay For Life Of Branch County (Coldwater):

June 22 & 23, 2012

Noon-Noon at Heritage Park

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=37863&pg=entry

 

Relay For Life…Our Personal Stories, Part V

A Tribute To Eva Cole

A Tribute To Eva Cole..By Alex Bierlein

Naturally, as a 16 year old I had a tendency to sleep in as late as possible during the summer months, but on this particular morning, with the sunrise as a new beacon, I was up and getting ready. It was 6am; I had just finished my sophomore year in high school, and had gotten my license only months before. The day before I had promised myself that whenever I woke up that next morning I would go up to the hospital to see my Grandma, Eva, who was in a coma at Bronson Hospital from complications of cancer . It had been made clear to our family that it was only a matter of time before Grandma Cole would pass but there wasn’t a specific time table on when this would happen. So on that summer morning without an alarm clock, I awoke at 6:02am and got myself ready…

 A couple of years prior Grandma had been diagnosed with breast cancer. As a teenager I wasn’t given much information as to the seriousness, type of cancer, or procedures she would have to go through in the coming months. Looking back, I probably didn’t ask enough questions as I was embroiled in my self-centered teenage world and left myself out of the loop.

What I do remember from this time is that we spent a fair amount of time going up to the hospital, which made Grandma happy and a little uncomfortable all at once. It was easy to tell that she didn’t want to be there but she knew that it was something she had to do. Her platinum hair was more ragged than usual and she had little energy. The 2^nd part was particular disconcerting because she always filled the room with her magnetic presence and everyone always liked her right away. She didn’t want us to feel bad for her though, because every time we would enter that terrifying white room her eyes would brighten, and she would ask us a bunch of questions about what was going on in our lives like she always did.

After her single mastectomy, she was feeling better and for all intents and purposes she was cancer free. She returned home and I would try to visit them regularly and play rummy or cribbage with her and Grandpa. During those times Grandma Cole was herself, and because I was getting older I felt that she started to become more open with me than she had been in the past. From all accounts she was a very blunt person who wasn’t afraid of speaking her mind and letting people know how she felt about what was happening in their lives. As a child, I didn’t see this in her as much, but in her last year with us I caught a glimpse into the dynamic person that she was: she was a painter, volunteered for many years with troubled youth, made clothes, was a “Rosie the Riveter” during WWII, was always accepting of different lifestyles, and made one hell of a French onion dip, generically named “Grandma’s Dip.” As one of my grandparent’s friends said one day, “Eva was a Class A woman, I never heard a negative word about her.” His words were true.

A couple of years went by and there were no signs of the cancer returning until December of 1996. She was starting to get dizzy spells and at one point she actually passed out at home in the middle of the day. This prompted my grandpa to take her to the hospital to see what was going on, and what they found was surprising to the doctors as well as to our family; she had multi myeloma, a different type of cancer from breast cancer that were not related. To be diagnosed with 2 different types of cancer so close together was abnormal and certainly deflating for grandma and our family. Although people with multi myeloma can often live for many years with the disease, this was not the case for my Grandma, Eva Cole.

Back to the morning that I had gotten up early to go down to the hospital…

It was July 3^rd, 1997, and I was the first one to show up that morning. I was sure that my Grandpa would be there very soon. They had been married for over 50 years and were the quintessential couple. They met when one of Grandpa’s friends invited him on a double date with his girlfriend and her sister, a farm girl from Dryden, MI. After that first date it was all over for my Grandpa, he had found the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with, a dark-haired girl named Eva. He drove back and forth from Detroit to Dryden to see her frequently and they married shortly thereafter. He went to WWII and she waited for him. When he returned they started their life together; they had three children, moved to Portage, MI, built a large network of friends with whom they partied with frequently, and lived a life of laughter and true companionship. My Grandpa always said the most heated arguments were marked by a momentary rising of their voices, a couple of slammed cupboard doors, and his trip to the basement. They were always on the same page, and now she was here lying before me.   

She was in a coma due to a brain hemorrhage that was the result of the myeloma. That morning she looked very peaceful. Although it sounds cliché, she truly looked as though she was just resting and that she could wake up at any time. I was with her for 15 minutes and other than some beeping machines and a constant whirring sound, we sat in silence while I held her hand. When it was time to leave I made sure to tell her goodbye and that I loved her. This was the last time I saw my Grandma Cole.

It was 30 minutes after I arrived back home that morning when I got the call from my Mom telling me that Grandma had passed away at 8am. My Grandpa and Uncle Ralph showed up at the hospital that morning shortly after I left, and she hung on for a few minutes more before passing on. She was 72 years old and to this day it still feels like she was taken much too early. Since then I have had surreal moments of feeling her presence around me; like the time I walked into a bathroom and the candle burning smelled exactly like her. Or, when I had a dream that I was having lunch with her and it felt so real that when I awoke, for the first 30 seconds or so, I thought she was still alive. Her effect on me and others around her cannot be measured, but her legacy is in the things from her that we carry around with us in our heads and our hearts as we move through everyday life.

I’m not sure why I woke up at 6am on that particular summer day, but I feel lucky everyday that I did, and that I got to say goodbye.    

About Alex…

Alex Bierlein is Employee Service Representative/Trainer for Consumers Credit Union. He assists employees to better serve our members by answering employee member service questions and designing training programs to make our service team even stronger. He’s also a believer in effective communication, using work and life experiences to encourage the people around him to be their best. Alex is a contributing writer for the credit union’s blog and has written many short stories. 

Learn more about the fight against cancer: http://www.cancer.org/index

Join the Consumers Relay team:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?team_id=1029132&pg=team&fr_id=38307

Relay For Life Of Kalamazoo County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds

Relay For Life Of Van Buren County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Bangor High School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=38788http://

Relay For Life Holland/Zeeland:

June 15-16, 2012

2pm-2pm at West Ottawa School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&

Relay For Life Of Branch County (Coldwater):

June 22 & 23, 2012

Noon-Noon at Heritage Park

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=37863&pg=entry

 

Giving Members Mortgage Relief With “High Five Refi” Program

Kalamazoo, Mich. – Consumers Credit Union announces its High Five Refi Program, a unique home loan that can help reduce monthly payments and increase cash flow for qualifying homeowners. It’s the credit union’s version of the federal government’s Home Affordable Refi Program (also called HARP loans.) The program is available to interested homeowners with a mortgage either at Consumers Credit Union or elsewhere.

Questions to ask:

1)      Do you owe more on your mortgage than your home’s appraised  value?

2)     Have you been making payments on schedule?

3)     Do you want to refinance at today’s lower rates to save money or reduce your monthly payments?

If the homeowner answers yes, Consumers Credit Union has the solution to help them get into a more affordable mortgage. It’s called the High Five Refi*, and it’s designed to help those who are upside down in their mortgage – or owe more than their home is worth on paper.

 

John Murphy, Mortgage Manager

“High Five is our response to the federal government’s HARP program,” says John Murphy, Mortgage Manager. “We encourage all qualifying homeowners in West Michigan to take advantage of our low rates and applicable discounted fees.” Currently, interested homeowners can refinance with no lender fees under the program.

High Five Refi Loans can offer assistance to homeowners who have been making their mortgage payments regularly and on time, but have been unable to refinance at the current rates due to a loss of equity.

The loan fits many needs and circumstances:

• No maximum combined loan- to-value or CLTV
• Designed for conventional mortgages only – specifically, FannieMae loans (no Federal Housing or  Veteran’s Administration,  FHA/VA, loans)
• Eligible property types include owner occupied 1-4 family homes, second homes, single family homes, condos,  manufactured homes, and investment properties
• First mortgage must have originated prior to June 1, 2009
• Existing mortgage insurance transfers to new loan
• New loan amount may include financed closing costs
• No lender fees

Interested homeowners are encouraged to call Consumers Credit Union’s mortgage department at 800.991.2221 to see if the High Five Refi can fit their needs. The credit union will look at each person’s unique situation and offer solutions for a more affordable mortgage and payment.

Visit https://www.consumerscu.org/Loans/Mortgages/.

*Applicants are always encouraged to consult with a tax advisor first.

 

Look who’s on the move at Consumers!

Consumers Credit Union is living its vision to achieve success by growing and developing employees to deliver top-notch member service. 

 

In the coming weeks, several employees will be transitioning into new member service roles.

Katie Klett is being promoted from Teller II at the Cambridge office to Senior Teller in our new Mattawan location.  She has done a fantastic job serving our Cambridge members and has shown great leadership since she started with the credit union last summer.  

Abbey V. is being promoted from Teller II at our Stadium Retail location to MSCR I in our MSC (Member Service Center).  Abbey has built great relationships with our members and learned all facets of her role quickly.  In the MSC, she will have the opportunity to focus on our members’ lending needs and deliver outstanding member service over-the-phone!

Kara Protz-Sanders joined our team in April and will now be a Loan Officer in our Member Service Center.  She came to us with a strong background in lending and has quickly learned the ropes at Consumers.  She has a passion for serving members through lending and will now have the opportunity to do it 100% of the time. 

  

Lori Koehn  is transitioning from an MSC Loan Officer to a Mortgage Loan Processor.  Lori has been a top Loan Officer for many years and will be able to bring that front-line expertise to our back-office operations.

 

Mrugesh Patel  is transitioning from an MSCR I in our Member Service Center to MSR I at our 9^th Street location.  Mrugesh is passionate about member service and will be an outstanding asset to the team.

     

Shawn Detamore is transitioning from On-Site Business Development Representative to MSR I for our new Mattawan location.  Shawn’s energy, expertise, and leadership will be a great asset to our members and employees in our newest location. 

 

Lindsey Delton has transitioned from a Mortgage Loan Servicer to an Investor Relations Specialist in the Loan Servicing Department. 

 

Kristin Allers has been promoted from MSR I to MSR II.  She will continue to serve members in the Centre Avenue location.

It is exciting to see employees reach their goals and achieve even greater success in their careers.  That is why we are committed to providing the best training and development opportunities for every team member in the credit union.

Note: MSR is a Member Service Representative

Relay For Life…Our Personal Stories, Part IV

Abbey, and her mom, who is a survivor

My Mother, My Friend

By Abbey V., Teller II at Stadium Drive

I have a passion for Relay – and a passion for the fight against cancer. It started a number of years ago when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 1995 grandma went through a mastectomy, and unfortunately, because self-exams were not as common and treatments not as advanced, the disease had spread to her second breast and then to her lymph nodes. Grandma died three years later in 1998. And just 10 days following, my grandpa went too. Not from cancer, and not from heart failure as the coroner said, but from a broken heart. I know that’s what took grandpa away from us.

The time following grandma and grandpa’s deaths was incredibly difficult for my mother; she began suffering from stress-related illnesses and missing a lot of work. Ultimately her and my father divorced. It was my mother, though, who worked hard to keep our family together. Stress took its toll, and unfortunately, mom ended up with four stints in her heart.

If mom already hadn’t already gone through enough, in 2004, she too was diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember sitting on her bed in her bedroom when she told me. She cried. I cried. Both of us were scared. Luckily, the cancer had been caught early – at her annual physical – and unlike grandma, she had been doing regular self-exams. Because the cancer was caught early, chemo wasn’t required; but regular radiation treatments were essential and those were hell for mom.

Mom’s cancer was detected during my sophomore year in high school. In my junior year, I ended up quitting the basketball team to help mom. Believe me, it was no sacrifice. I wanted to be there for her in any way I could. I wanted to help. I took mom to every radiation treatment from Three Rivers to Kalamazoo. I only had my driver’s permit at the time, but mom was in the car so that was enough. Mom was so weak, and every return trip home I could see burn marks on her skin from the radiation treatments.

Mom didn’t have anyone else; just me. I wanted to be there for her. While it is incredibly tough to see someone you love go through that kind of agony, I was glad I could be there for her. That trying time made us best friends, and I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything in the world. Mom’s prognosis is good. But, I can’t help but to wonder and worry about my own future…will cancer strike me as well?

In honor of my mom and grandma I walk in Relay every year. It’s especially sweet when mom does the survivor lap and I’m there to meet her at the end; of course every year brings tears to my eyes. I also walk because I want to see a cure for cancer in my lifetime. It is a blessing to have my mom here; cancer can never take that joy away from me; my mother, my friend…

More About Abbey…

Abbey V. is a Teller II at our Stadium Drive location. Soon, she will be transitioning into a new role as lender in our Member Service Center. She learned about Consumers Credit Union from none other than her mom, who banks here. Abbey enjoys her work tremendously and loves going above and beyond for our members.

Learn more about the fight against cancer: http://www.cancer.org/index

Join the Consumers Relay team:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?team_id=1029132&pg=team&fr_id=38307

Relay For Life Of Kalamazoo County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=38307&pg=entry

Relay For Life Of Van Buren County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Bangor High School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=38788http://

Relay For Life Holland/Zeeland:

June 15-16, 2012

2pm-2pm at West Ottawa School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&

Relay For Life Of Branch County (Coldwater):

June 22 & 23, 2012

Noon-Noon at Heritage Park

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=37863&pg=entry

 

Consumers Cash Car To Reward 5th Graders

The Consumers Cash Car will visit Arcadia and Woods Lake Elementary Schools on May 22, 2012

Watch for the Consumers Credit Union Cash Car…On Location at Woods Lake and Arcadia Elementary Schools on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Kalamazoo, Mich. – Consumers Credit Union teaches financial literacy to West Michigan area schools by visiting classrooms and being a financial resource for kids of all ages. Consumers regularly promotes financial literacy within many school districts, including Kalamazoo, Lawton, Coldwater, South Haven, and Holland.

In the Kalamazoo Public Schools, Consumers visits Woods Lake and Arcadia Elementary Schools monthly – teaching 5th grade classes basic information about personal finance and banking. The curriculum includes topics such as:

• What a financial institution is
• How to save money
• How to manage transaction accounts
• Basics of managing checking accounts
• Establishing credit
• Loans and types of loans
• Careers within financial institutions

As an “end-of-year” reward to 5^th Graders completing the program, Consumers will visit the schools’ final classes this Tuesday, May 22, 2012, with its very own “Cash Car”. Students who enter the Cash Car will be asked special trivia questions geared to youth. Prizes will be awarded for correct answers…It will be a fun, educational, and hugely interactive way to participate with the children of Arcadia and Woods Lake. Questions will revolve around the curriculum covered over the school year.

Consumers Cash Car will be Onsite Tuesday, May 22, 2012:

Arcadia Elementary, 932 Boswell Lane, Kalamazoo, MI 49006, 12 noon

Woods Lake Elementary, 3215 Oakland Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, 2pm

Consumers believes in the youth of the communities it serves and supports many youth initiatives –providing educational opportunities for kids of all ages. The credit union is excited to lead and achieve educational excellence while providing superior member service.

Relay For Life…Our Personal Stories, Part III

The Timpe Family at Relay For Life, Kalamazoo County

My Stance Against Cancer

By Jeffrey Timpe, Team Captain

I started participating in Relay For Life after being with Consumers Credit Union for only a week. This year, 2012, marks my fifth year of participation in Relay and fourth as Team Captain. My involvement started simply by someone here at work asking me if I’d like to participate. I thought about it and decided it was for a great cause – and one that was suddenly close to me. 

About the time I joined Relay, a good friend of mine had lost her mother, Ginny, to pancreatic cancer. Ginny had fought the disease for over a year, which included having the Whipple procedure to remove a tumor from the head of the pancreas. The surgery was successful, but Ginny had to heal before she could start more treatment. She subsequently went through many rounds of chemo and radiation and fought hard for herself and her loved ones. Her goal was to stay strong (and to stay alive) so she could see her grandson born. Near the end of her fight, Ginny was placed in the care of family and hospice. Everyone loved Ginny. But unfortunately, she lost her fight with cancer four days before her daughter’s son – her grandson Cody – was born. She wasn’t able to meet Cody or hold him. Ginny was also the first person close to me who had lost their life to cancer. Her death made the devastation of cancer unbearably real.

Ginny’s story is a sad beginning for me and my stance against cancer. But, I do have much more positive news to share about others around me who are currently winning their battles against cancer. My Grandpa, and a family friend, Steve, both have gone through treatment for prostate cancer. Luckily they are in remission. My Uncle Steve recently went through treatment for bladder cancer, and thankfully he is in remission as well.

Another personal wake up call happened about two years ago when a good friend of mine, Tommy, was diagnosed with Melanoma. He was younger than me – just 26 at the time – and had emailed all of us his devastating news. He was diagnosed with cancer and heading to U of M (Hospital) for tests. Fortunately, for Tommy, the cancer was caught early enough, and after treatment he has recovered and is in remission. 

Ultimately, my goal with Relay is to help find a cure for cancer and ways for the people suffering from the disease to enjoy a better life. Relay not only provides money for research to find a cure, but offers many programs that help support people with cancer. Now that I have children of my own, it is my hope that they never have to experience the heartbreak cancer brings to so many of those around us.

I encourage anyone who is interested to learn more about Relay For Life and how they can help win this battle.

About Jeffrey…

Jeffrey Timpe is an Outbound Sales Representative in Consumers Credit Union’s Member Service Center. He is responsible for calling all new indirect loan members and fulfilling online membership requests. His long-range goals are to help build the Outbound Department to include multiple representatives. Jeffrey has worked in numerous call centers throughout his career and loves having first contact with members. A native of West Michigan, he is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in Business Management.

Learn more about the fight against cancer: http://www.cancer.org/index

Join the Consumers Relay team:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?team_id=1029132&pg=team&fr_id=38307

Relay For Life Of Kalamazoo County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=38307&pg=entry

Relay For Life Of Van Buren County

June 9-10, 2012

10am at Bangor High School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=38788http://

Relay For Life Holland/Zeeland:

June 15-16, 2012

2pm-2pm at West Ottawa School

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&

Relay For Life Of Branch County (Coldwater):

June 22 & 23, 2012

Noon-Noon at Heritage Park

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12GL?fr_id=37863&pg=entry

 

 

 

5 Steps to Improve Your Credit Score

A good credit score can mean the difference between getting a loan with a low interest rate, getting a loan with a high interest rate, or not getting a loan at all. Review your credit score each year and take the necessary steps to make improvements.

Verify Your Credit Report Information is Correct: Everyone is entitled to a FREE copy of their credit report each year from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies. Request yours individually from each agency or request all three from http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, the only official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report online. Once you receive your reports, make sure all the information is accurate and make corrections where needed.

Pay Your Bills on Time: This is the single most important thing you can do to establish, maintain, or improve your credit score. Set up whatever system works for you—electronically or manually—and follow it faithfully.  Confirm due dates, time of day postings, and weekend and holiday policies for each creditor before setting up.

Know What Goes Into Your Score: Too much available credit—not enough available credit. All installment loans. All revolving loans. A good credit score is a combination of timely, payment, outstanding debt, length of history, recent applications, and types of accounts. Make sure your history is balanced.

Make the Effort to Correct Mistakes: Visit www.FTC.gov for all the legal tips and steps to tale to correct the errors on your report. You have rights so use them.

Beware of Repair Scams: There are lots of people and “companies” that will offer to repair your credit for a fee. Many will often promise a clean report or instant results. The truth is, anyone can repair their own credit for FREE and the results, although potentially fast, usually take a while to make an impact.

Your financial advisors at Consumers Credit Union are here to help keep your credit score strong. Give us a call at 800.991.2221 or visit one of our convenient locations for assistance.

 

Source: PSB, our trusted partner

Housing Questions? Turn To Us And Accel…

Are you looking for advice on purchasing a home, default issues, foreclosure avoidance, or reverse mortgages? Accel’s housing counseling services can help you. Since Consumers Credit Union is partnered with Accel, all of these services are free to you! Accel counselors are HUD-approved, knowledgeable and extremely helpful in assisting you with a variety of housing counseling services, including:

Mortgage Default and Delinquency Housing Counseling

If you are behind on your mortgage payments, Accel’s certified housing counselors can help you get back on track. They can help you to establish a budget, set priorities, and determine strategies for saving your home.

First-Time  Home Buyer Counseling

Accel can help you prepare for buying your first home. They will help educate you on the home buying process and prepare you for the requirements and responsibilities of home ownership.

Reverse Mortgage Housing Counseling

Available for homeowners over the age of 62, reverse mortgages use your home’s equity to increase monthly income. You need to know the pros and cons. During your housing counseling session, Accel’s certified housing counseling experts will explain reverse mortgages, analyze your situation, and help you determine if it is an option you should consider.

Home Equity Loan Housing Counseling

Home equity loans can look quite enticing when you are searching for a way to pay down your debt. Accel housing counseling can help you determine if a home equity loan is the best solution for your personal situation. If it is, their housing counselors can provide valuable information to help ensure that you don’t run into a similar predicament in the future.

To speak with an Accel housing counselor, call 877- 33ACCEL or visit their website at http://www.accelservices.org/members/about/about-accel.htm.

Tracy Gauthier Receives CUCE Designation & Promotion To Compliance Specialist

Congratulations…Tracy Gauthier

Tracy Gauthier has been promoted from Office Manager at our Stadium Drive location, to Compliance Specialist.  In her role, she will be focusing on ensuring that Consumers Credit Union remains compliant with all applicable laws and regulations without compromising member service.  While she has only been in her role for a short time, she is already making a big impact! 

Just after starting in the position, Tracy took and passed a series of challenging compliance exams administered by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). By passing these tests (on her first attempt, no less) and by completing the necessary coursework, Tracy has obtained the certification of Credit Union Compliance Expert (CUCE), a respected credential within our industry. 

Members can feel confident that they have put their trust in the right financial institution who is focused on not only doing things right, but doing the right thing when managing their money.

Thank  you for following our staff stories as we share their successes with you. We hope you enjoy learning more about these unique individuals and why they are passionate about serving our members. For career opportunities, visit https://www.consumerscu.org/Careers/.