oday’s local headlines are filled with stories of real people in our communities struggling with debt, repossession and foreclosure. Many of those affected are walking away from their homes and cars, or declaring bankruptcy—ultimately causing significant damage to their credit, which will take years to repair. We want Members to know – and help spread the word – that there are better options, and we are here to help.

As your not-for-profit financial cooperative, Redwood Credit Union (RCU) operates every day with your best interests in mind, and we work hard to earn and maintain the trust you place in us. In turn, we trust in your positive participation to give our financial cooperative strength. When you make a deposit at RCU, you’re making an investment in your fellow Members—and when you take out a loan, you’re borrowing from them.

Though your Credit Union remains financially strong and sound, with membership comes a certain commitment. While Members’ deposits, loans and participation serve to strengthen the cooperative, delinquent payments, repossessions, foreclosures and charged-off accounts negatively impact the individual as well as the whole, directly affecting our ability to provide exceptional service and value to all Members. That’s why we continue to urge Members to contact us early and often when financial issues do arise, so that we can help in a meaningful way to prevent negative impact to their individual financial well-being, as well as to the cooperative.

RCU provides helpful financial resources and options to assist Members to achieve and maintain financial wellness. In these challenging economic times, we are helping Members every day through refinancing, debt consolidation, free financial counseling through our partners at BALANCE (a financial fitness program), and other means. Offering services that truly help Members is fundamental to the purpose of a cooperative like RCU.

Positive participation yields positive results, and everyone wins – so I encourage you to participate, exercise financial responsibility, contact us early if you are experiencing financial concerns, and help spread the word that RCU can help. There are companies who may claim to have a “quick-fix” for your financial concerns, but I encourage you to always do business with those you trust. As your trusted financial partner, RCU is here to help with whatever your financial needs may be, and we are honored to do so.

Brett Martinez
President & CEO