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Members of the Barstow, Calif.-based Barstow Community Credit Union voted to merge with their credit union neighbor, Frontwave Credit Union of Oceanside, Calif.
According to Monday's announcement, and if all goes as planned, the $6.4 million Barstow Community will join the $1.2 billion Frontwave by the end of 2022.
In a statement from Barstow Community, its members "will gain access to 13 additional branch locations throughout Southern California, as well as lower loan rates, and expanded product and service offerings, including mortgage loans, money market accounts, insurance and investment services."
"We are excited to welcome Barstow Community Credit Union members to the Frontwave crew," Bill Birnie, president/CEO of Frontwave, said. "Having served the Barstow community for decades, we understand the unique needs these members have, and are thrilled to be able to offer them even more solutions to help make their financial dreams come true."
The announcement stated that all Barstow Community employees will be absorbed into Frontwave once the merger is completed. "Additional details of the merger are still being finalized," the statement read.
Frontwave currently serves 118,403 members, while Barstow Community serves 1,333 members.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
