DALLAS — The leadership forum panel at the 34th annual Serving the Underserved 5th Latino Credit Union spoke to attendees about how credit unions can best serve low-income members.
Bill Cheney, president/CEP of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues spoke passionately about what he called a controversial topic: immigration, immigration status and who credit unions should serve.
"It's the board of directors job to set regulations who should serve and it's the credit unions job to serve all those members," Cheney said. "A credit union is not an immigration police force."
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Cheney encouraged credit unions to accept Metricula Consular as a form of identification, stating that it is perfectly legal.
Richard Ensweiler, president/CEO of the Texas Credit Union League discussed how to serve the specific needs of low-income and underserved members. He cited check cashing specifically as being an important need among low-income members as most use unsafe and high priced check cashers to cash their pay checks.
Harriet May, president/CEO of GECU, provided information on services her credit union provides to its membership that is 80% Hispanic. GECU offers 12-hour classes to teach members how to buy a home. May told a story of a member that participated in GECU's savings challenge and saved 29% of her salary in one year, which provided her the opportunity to put her mentally ill daughter in a program to learn life skills.
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