Further expanding its credit union shared branch footprint in Illinois and Indiana, shared branching vendor Credit Union Centers (CUC) has signed three more credit unions to join its network. As a result, each credit union can leverage the vast network to expand their services to members not just locally but nationwide, as well – without the heavy cost of building and maintaining their own branches. CUC now has more than 400 shared branch locations in its primary markets of Indiana and Illinois – allowing credit unions to set themselves apart from the competition by participating in one of the largest branch networks of any financial institution operating in the two states.

CUC’s new clients include:

  • CommunityWide Federal Credit Union ($410 million; 60,963 members; South Bend, IN)
  • Land of Lincoln Credit Union ($236 million; 32,212 members; Decatur, IL)
  • Natco Credit Union ($86 million; 14,864 members; Richmond, IN)

According to Andrew Burggraf, VP/ COO of CommunityWide FCU, the credit union has a large indirect lending membership base and will leverage shared branching to help serve and increase account relationships with these members.

“We wanted to give our members more access to basic financial services on a local level as well as a more broad regional level of service,” Burggraf says. “Joining the shared branching network allows CommunityWide to have an opportunity for greater interaction with our members and for our members to utilize our services more often in a more convenient, efficient manner.”

Burggraf added that joining CUC’s network provides more convenience and a greater opportunity for more members to view CommunityWide as their primary financial institution with many more outlets at a very reasonable cost.

“We are very pleased to provide such a cost-effective service to our new clients in Illinois and Indiana that allows them to serve more of their members in more places,” says Credit Union Centers EVP/CFO Dan Davis. “Not only is it cost-effective for the credit union but more importantly it’s a huge convenience factor for members who may be out of reach of a branch and still require personal service. With shared branching, that’s no longer the case. Members will now have much greater access to locations much closer to them. We look forward to helping CommunityWide, Land of Lincoln, and Natco expand their services and provide a greater value for their members.”

About Credit Union Centers
Credit Union Centers (CUC) is a CUSO wholly owned by its member credit unions. CUC provides delivery channel solutions that complement a credit union’s growth, income, and expense strategies. Through a single interface, CUC member credit unions have access to a growing number of delivery channel solutions, including the CO-OP Shared Branching’s network of more than 5,000 credit union shared branch locations nationwide (more than 400 in Indiana/Illinois combined). Working with CO-OP, CUC also offers call center services, mobile banking, and remote deposit capabilities. For more information about CUC, visit www.cucenters.com.