WESTconsin Credit Union Employees Advocate for Members

On January 26, over 130 Wisconsin Credit Union Activists gathered in Madison for the annual State Government Affairs Conference. During the conference, participants, including seven WESTconsin employees, met with legislators and discussed The Credit Union Difference. This included the unveiling of The Wisconsin Credit Union League 2021 Scorecard and People Before Profit Stories.

Highlights from the 2021 Scorecard include:

• Wisconsin's credit unions helped members save $431.6 million in better loan rates, fewer fees, and bonus dividends.
• Wisconsin's credit unions raised $13.8 million for local charities, community projects, and civic groups, along with countless volunteer hours.
• 97% of Wisconsin's credit unions refinanced payday loan debt obtained elsewhere.
• Wisconsin has 3.5 million credit union members and 10,707 credit union employees.

Jenny Rathke, Vice President of Member Advocacy at WESTconsin said about the event, “the opportunity to connect with our legislators is such an important experience. During this time, we can share stories about how WESTconsin has been able to serve our members in a way that other financials can’t or won’t.” She continues, “particularly at this session, we discussed helping members out of predatory lending situations, our engagement with our communities through volunteerism and charitable contributions, and supporting underserved individuals with low or no credit scores.”

Also during the conference, activists asked legislators for their support of AB 478/SB 451. AB478/SB451 seeks to maintain longtime status quo on membership account requirements for individuals borrowing with a co-borrower and would streamline processes for state-chartered credit unions to be in line with federally chartered credit unions. The bill, as proposed, would continue to provide credit unions in Wisconsin the opportunity to have important tools to thrive in a competitive marketplace and to allow us to continue to serve our members and our communities in a way that continues to promote financial wellness for all.