Let us start by nerding out on a little Credit Union history, ok? On June 26th, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Credit Union Act into law. And, while this isn’t the explosive kind of origin story that normally gets people excited, you’ll have to trust us that there was (and still is) plenty of drama behind the scenes that made that day a huge deal.
We won’t go into all of the gritty details, but you can picture a plot that includes a whole group of smart, hard-working, and obstinate Credit Union pioneers that KNEW in their HEARTS that locally owned and democratically controlled Credit Unions would help a whole lot of people all over the country. They would lift up the Little Guy (and his family), help them save for a rainy day, borrow money to plant crops, start a business, buy a house and car.. you know, live the American Dream that, up until them, seemed like it was out of their reach.
Fast forward to today. Credit unions all across the United States are still here, still serving the people who need them in ways they could have never imagined all those years ago.
Why the sudden nostalgia trip? Because there’s a thread that runs all through credit union history, and it’s that credit unions and our AMAZING MEMBERS (like you) have worked together with partners like The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and The Wisconsin Credit Union League (The League), to make sure that Federal and State Lawmakers hear what we have to say.
And it hasn’t been easy. Now, we don’t want to paint a villain here into our collective story of grit and determination, but there have been forces working hard against us. Even the legislation that wrote federally chartered credit unions into existence only passed because it created guidelines designed to make sure that credit unions couldn’t be direct competition to the big banks. We’ll let you guess who those guidelines benefit the most. (Spoiler: it’s not credit unions or their members.) And it’s not just stuff for the history books. New threats and opportunities for credit union members are emerging at the state and federal levels all the time.
But never fear! We’ve made it to the third act of our story, and it’s time to reveal the superpower that helps us (you and your credit union) win the day: Your VOTE!
Wait! We’re not about to preach partisan politics. Hear us out. Credit unions and the fact that we’re great for our members, communities, and local economy are something that our State and Federal representatives on both sides of the aisle actually AGREE ON. That means that no matter your political preferences, chances are you can find and support a candidate in Local, State, and National elections that will have your back as a loyal credit union member.
We know everyone and their brother is telling you to vote right now, so we’ve got a handy resource for you to check out. If you’re ready to learn more about how you can use your voice as a loyal (and awesome) credit union member to defend the rights and services you deserve, check out this link to learn more about CreditUnionsVote.Com. You’ll find links to help you register, get more info about the race, and even help you make a plan to vote today.
As a credit union member, you can be our voice in Madison and Washington D.C., don’t miss your shot to be heard on November 3rd.
