PSFCU Helps Members Navigate the U.S. Financial System - an article from CardRates.com

Credit unions are well known as dependable alternatives to big banks. Credit unions not only focus on providing attentive and personalized service, but they often offer competitive rates, products, and services. This is possible because credit unions are member-based nonprofit organizations. Rather than passing profits to shareholders, savings are passed on to members.

The credit union motto in the U.S. is “people helping people,” and that’s especially true for the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union based in New York City.

The credit union, which was founded in 1976, not only provides a welcoming and familiar environment for Polish and Slavic immigrants, but it also helps to guide them on their financial journey under a banking system that may be unfamiliar to them.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Senior Vice President Edyta Martula and Consumer Lending Manager Ewa Grzymkowski about the credit union and the many ways in which it aids its members.

“We are just about to celebrate our 45th anniversary,” Martula said, who is also the organization’s Head of Retail Strategies and Credit Card Services. “The idea behind creating this credit union was to help immigrants who came to New York — in particular, to Greenpoint, Brooklyn — and wanted to purchase real estate. Unfortunately, because they lacked an established credit history, they were turned down by the banks.”

Helping immigrants formed the basis of the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union, and that mission continues to this day, Martula said.

“We continue with the vision of being the leading provider of financial services to the communities we serve,” she said.

More: https://www.cardrates.com/news/psfcu-and-helping-members-navigate-u-s-credit/