Expanding our footprint in California’s Central Valley

On April 1, 2022 Premier Community Credit Union merged with Self-Help Federal Credit Union. This union has been a welcome addition for both institutions.

“We are honored to welcome Premier Community Credit Union into the Self-Help family and look forward to building meaningful relationships with our new members and providing new opportunities to the surrounding communities,” said Veronica Casillas-Madrigal, California President of Self-Help. “Like the public educators that form the backbone of Premier’s membership, our partnership will help strengthen working families. We hope to build financial security for all, and ensure that all of our members, especially people of color, immigrants and others have access to fair and affordable services to meet their financial needs.”

“By merging with Self-Help Federal Credit Union, we will be able to offer more services and update our technology to keep up with a rapidly changing financial environment,” explains Russel Hagen, CEO of Premier Community Credit Union. “The pandemic has necessitated an increase in the use of remote services, which is costly to implement for a smaller credit union. We believe that Self-Help’s infrastructure, business models and strategies will provide us with more tools and expertise, including their strong focus on home mortgages with low down payments. They are a well-respected credit union that shares our mission, culture and core values.”

About Premier Community Credit Union

Premier Community Credit Union was chartered in 1931 to provide financial services to Stockton teachers. Today, Premier Community serves everyone who lives or works in San Joaquin County, with branches in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca.

Current service limitations

While the merger itself was successful, the combining of our two computer data systems is still pending. Until we combine the data systems, legacy Premier Community members will only have the ability to access accounts from within the current Stockton, Lodi and Manteca branches. The same limitations apply to other Self-Help Federal members; account access from within the Premier Community branches is not yet available.

CO-OP ATM Network available to everyone

Premier Community and Self-Help Federal members can make deposits and withdrawals at thousands of CO-OP Network ATMs across the country, including those located at Premier Community and Self-Help Federal branches. 

Midwest branches to undergo name change

Members in the Chicago region will soon see a new, but familiar name displayed inside and outside certain branches. This familiar name is Self-Help Federal Credit Union.

Second Federal has operated as a division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union since joining the Self-Help family in 2013. Seaway has been a division of Self-Help Federal since 2017.

As we grow in Chicagoland, we recognize the need for clarity and consistency throughout the region. Therefore, we are changing the names of all Second Federal branches and two Seaway branches. Our Archer Heights, Cicero, Crestwood, Little Village, and Maywood branches will become Self-Help Federal Credit Union. Our Chatham, Bronzeville and Roseland branch locations will continue to operate as Seaway, a division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union.

In the coming months we will open a new location in Oak Park, IL. This new branch borders the areas of Maywood and Cicero and will also display the Self-Help Federal Credit Union brand name.

We look forward to this modest change at our selected Chicagoland branches. Our commitment to service and the staff that provides that service will remain the same, regardless of which branch you use.

Expanding in-branch financial coaching services

Self-Help is expanding the free financial coaching we offer within local branches. Gaining control of personal finances is an important step toward building wealth, and we are working to provide in-branch coaches that can help build a personalized action plan just for you.

We’re off to a good start developing our team of experts, and while financial coaches are not yet available at all locations, you can expect more in the coming months.

To learn more about our in-branch financial coaching services, or to find a coach near you, visit the Financial Coaching section of our website.

New. Improved. Competitive.

Our mobile app is getting a fresh new look that we think you’ll like. The changes can be seen and experienced from the inside out. There is an upgraded cross-platform code base that can equally support Android and iOS devices. The app also has a native framework that is optimized for mobile screens and the new interface will make navigating easy and intuitive.

We look forward to presenting you with an updated app that will improve your banking experience. The app is in the final stage of development and will be available soon. Users that have enabled automatic updates will see the changes as soon as the app is published. Users that have disabled automatic updates can check our website for the official release notice.

Homeowner Mortgage Assistance Program

Members can apply to a local agency in their home state, easily found through the national website of www.ncsha.org/homeowner-assistance-fund. Here you can view the various means of assistance offered, including financial assistance for:

• Catching up on past due mortgage payments
• Unpaid property taxes
• Increased internet and utility costs

If you have questions, contact your local Self-Help branch for more information.

• Self-Help’s 2021 annual report is out! This report provides our latest impact numbers, a message from our CEO, and some highlights of our activities in 2021. We hope you’ll take time to review our work and the difference we made together last year. Read the report here.
• Self-Help has added special mortgage options to help borrowers with limited or challenged credit fulfill the dream of owning a home.
• Congratulations to all of our 2022 Scholarship Award winners! We are excited to support your desire for higher education. See some of the winners posted on our Facebook page.
• We have launched our Self-Help Member Experience Survey. We invite members to give us feedback on what we’re doing well and where we could do better. Your participation is important and we hope to hear from you, our members. On your next branch visit, let the staff know you’re interested in taking the survey.
  

Our mailing address is:
Self-Help Federal Credit Union
1970 Broadway, Suite 350
Oakland, CA 94612

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