Happier with a HELOC

I’ve been a member of UW Credit Union for a long time — 38 years! I initially chose them for convenience when I was attending UW-Madison, but I’ve stayed because their rates are almost always better and because of how supportive and understanding they’ve been.

After my divorce, it took me over four years to come back from financial struggles and improve my credit score. I wasn't comfortable applying for loans. I'd rather save money before buying anything, I thought. But when I walked in to apply for my first loan, UW Credit Union offered me a great rate.

I trust they will always be one of the places I can turn to. The people I've worked with at the Madison College branch have been amazing. Sometimes I stop in just to say thank you.

I'm one of those people who does a lot of research before deciding. I was researching the home equity line of credit (HELOC) recently and stopped into the branch to find out UW Credit Union’s rates. I was simply trying to figure out which financial institution would give me the best deal and if a home equity loan was right for me; I wasn’t going in there to apply for a HELOC that day.

Juan is a jewel and treats every member so well. He doesn't look at what happened to you in the past. He's just looking at what you need right now.

He invited me into his office to look at my account. I didn’t think I had time — I was supposed to be going out for lunch — but Juan walked me through everything so efficiently. Right there and then we made it happen. He added my credit card and car loan. I wasn't even thinking of adding the car, but the interest rate was a lot better than the one I was already paying. I consolidated everything.

When you’re willing to work with your financial institution, it can lead to great things. I could have told Juan “I’m sorry, I have to go to lunch right now.” But I was open-minded enough to talk to him and he worked miracles for me that day. I walked out thinking, ‘my life is going to be easier with lower interest rates.’

This is just my first year with my HELOC. I still have a lot of money today and I'm saving enough now because I'm not paying high interest rates anymore. I'm in a better position — a better place than I’ve been in a very long time.

Working with UW Credit Union has made my life more peaceful. I used to pay bills to maybe 16 different places. Now I barely have five. I walked out of UW Credit Union physically dancing the day I got my HELOC.

I'm still smiling.

Teresa’s HELOC was possible because of UW Credit Union’s strong financial foundation. Since 1931, we’ve been acting in our members’ best interest by living the credit union philosophy of people helping people.