Member Saving Stories
Jamie knew consolidating was the key to MAJOR monthly savings!
While helping this member, I saw she had some high balances on a couple credit cards and loans. I asked if she had thought about opening an Advantage Equity loan to pay off those debts for one payment at a lower rate. We checked the equity she had in her house, and the numbers we came up with proved we could save her a lot of money each month. She said she had been really stressed because it didn’t seem like she was making a dent in the balances, and she could see the benefits of an equity loan, so we started the application. She was quickly approved, and we were able to fund her equity loan with a payment $800+ LESS than the original loans combined – a massive savings for her! She said this helped relieve her stress immensely, and was so happy I suggested the consolidation!
One step closer to the goal of owning a home, thanks to Alejandra!
I reached out to this member to discuss our mortgage loans and learn more about his goal of purchasing a home. He said building his credit was something he had been struggling with, so I told him about our Credit Score Tool in Online Services and walked him through how to set up a credit goal. Since he wanted to take advantage of our zero-down program, which requires a minimum 700 credit score, we focused on the steps to work toward that goal. I also showed him how to review his credit report within the Credit Score Tool and saw he had no accounts reporting. I explained how our Visa Gold Credit Card is a great first credit option to help begin establishing credit while also giving him a chance to start utilizing credit. He really liked the idea, so I transferred him to Lending to learn more. He is now taking steps toward building his credit and getting closer to his main goal of purchasing a home – I will be there for him every step of the way!
Thanks to Jesphin, this member is set-up to SAVE $19,000!
This member came into the branch, to request a limit increase on his Visa credit card and do a balance transfer to pay off his higher-interest cards. While assisting him, I noticed he also had a Home Equity loan so I asked about his current rate – he said it was 7.00%. Based on his excellent credit score, I explained we might be able to offer him a lower rate. I reviewed the benefits and features of Qualstar’s Home Equity loans, and he decided to apply. He was quickly approved at a lower rate, allowing him to pay off his other loan, with the remaining funds used to pay off those higher-interest card balances. By refinancing and consolidating his debt, he is projected to save more than $19,000 in interest, AND decreased his credit card debt by more than $200/month. By lowering his overall borrowing costs and paying off his debt faster, we helped put him in a stronger financial position!
A Union Member Gets a FULL UPGRADE from Kimber!
I received a call from our member, who needed assistance with an external transfer from his Union Checking. I explained the benefits of upgrading to a Simply Checking and told him an upgrade gives him access to Zelle at no cost. He was very interested and agreed to the upgrade – he had never heard of Zelle and was happy it could move money so quickly between his accounts. He also said he was working on his credit, so I told him about our financial education tools, like the Credit Score Tool to help him better understand and manage his credit. Even with a lower credit score, I saw he might qualify for a Visa Credit Card, so I explained the benefits of that option. Our lending team could prequalify him with no affect to his credit score, which would only take a few minutes. He was very excited, and our lending team quickly approved him for a Visa Gold! I look forward to seeing how he uses these tools and resources to raise his score even higher and achieve his financial goals.
Kristina saved 10+ years of membership AND saved these members’ money!
These members called to ask about a vehicle payoff and having a balance they thought they still owed. I explained the balance was an overpayment, and the funds were theirs to use. They then said they would no longer being using the account and asked to close it. I didn’t want them to miss out on any benefits, so I shared different options for keeping the account open. As we were talking, they said they had just purchased another vehicle and financed it through the dealership. I told them we could likely offer a better rate since they were long-time members and had financed vehicles with us before. They were under the impression they could not move the loan over, but I explained how the refinance would work and they agreed it was a better deal. They kept the account open and moved their auto loan to us at a lower rate than they had before. I’m so happy I was able to remind them we’re here to help our members keep more their hard-earned money!
Getting set up for adulting success, thanks to Rachel!
A member came in to withdraw some cash, and I noticed he recently turned 18, so I started chatting about how he can use the Credit Score Tool in Online Services to start tracking and monitoring his credit. He said he was unsure how to begin building his credit, and I told him how our Visa® credit cards can be a great step as a first time borrower. We discussed how to use credit wisely, like paying it off each month to avoid paying interest, not making missed or late payments, etc. Once he learned how easy it can be to build credit, even with a lower balance credit card, he asked if he could apply right away! While helping him with the application, I learned he was about to join the Navy, so it was great timing to get him started on his financial well-being as he transitions into a new and exciting stage of life.
Brady turns a simple request into a financial success story!
This member walked into the Tacoma branch simply to order a new debit card and be on his way. As I was completing his request, we started talking about his current credit options and I asked how he liked the cards he uses. He hesitated before telling me he didn’t have any credit cards, and explained he had given up on his credit after a financial hardship. That’s when I knew I could help! I showed him a rate sheet and we discussed how our Visa Gold and +Rewards cards could help re-build his credit. He ultimately decided it was time to start working on his credit, and we did an application then and there. He was approved for a +Rewards card, and as an Online Services user he has access to our *Credit Score Tool* where he instantly received an offer to refinance his auto loan from 28% to 7% - resulting in major savings for him!
Mark made sure this member knew he’s a member for life!
I reached out welcome a new union member to Qualstar – he said “I’ll be honest, I’m only on this job for a couple of months, so I won’t use the benefits.” I asked if we could talk briefly if he was willing, and the next day he called me back. Once he understood he was now a member for life, regardless of his job at the union, he was a little more interested in what we could do to help his financial situation. His only exposure to credit was as an authorized user of someone else’s credit card, so I got him hooked up with our Secured Visa for credit building. I also mentioned our first-time auto buyer program, and as it turned out, he was hoping to buy a truck in the near future. We went ahead and got him pre-approved, and I explained how a private-party purchase would work, should he decide to buy that way. He decided it would be much easier to purchase at a dealership, so he started looking around and found a truck he wanted right away. We got his loan approved and funded, and now this “uninterested” new union member is taking advantage of his benefits of Qualstar membership!
Lower rates and payments are Ricky’s specialty!
A previous union member came in to get a new Visa Gold card and do a Balance Transfer to pay off his high rate big-bank credit card – but first we needed to re-open his account since he was no longer with his union. With the account re-opened, we got him enrolled with Online Services to help manage his account easily and conveniently. While processing his Visa Gold loan application, I noticed he had other credit cards we could pay off as well. He said, "I think those rates are actually pretty good" so I had him sign-in to the apps to find out and we discovered both were OVER 30% - he was speechless! His application for the Qualstar Visa Gold card was approved at HALF the rate he was paying for the other cards and we paid off those other balances right away. During the application process, we also talked about his current auto loans – he didn't know the rates, so he called his wife. Based on his credit score, I knew we could give him better rates and lower monthly payments, just in time for the holidays!
Shailie’s help with an auto loan is life changing for this member…
This member called to get help activating his debit card – after we did that, I asked if he had any lending needs at that time. He said he was interested in an auto loan, but didn’t have time to talk since he was on his lunch break. I told him how he could apply online at his convenience and his application was submitted soon after we spoke. I knew he was ready to get started, so I asked one of our loan reps to follow-up ASAP. That’s when we learned more of his story: he had been incarcerated for several years, was recently released, and had moved here for work. He’d been relying on the bus to get to job sites, and despite all of his challenges, he continued working hard—that determination paid off. His new auto loan gave him the reliable transportation he needed to keep building his new life. For me, this story is a reminder of the real impact we can make when we believe in our members’ futures and take the time to ask how we can help.
Natalie helped this member consolidate his debts into one LOWER payment
A member came in to the branch to get a cashier’s check, and while doing his transaction I discovered he had a Home Equity loan with another finance company and some other credit cards. We talked about how he is managing his debt, and he said he has been trying to get the balances down, but has been having a hard time due to the high rates, even with extra payments. I did some calculations, and determined he was paying almost $2800 a month on those higher rate debts – I knew an Advantage Equity Loan would cut down his monthly payments, by giving him ONE fixed payment at a lower rate. He was very interested, so I started his application right away. His new loan funded, and with a rate nearly 5% LOWER he is now paying about $1200 LESS than he was on multiple loans. That’s how you get rid of high rate debt!
No benefits? Ivy made sure this member had ALL the benefits!
A member came into the branch to close out his credit card – he said he wasn’t using the card and didn’t think there were any benefits. I asked what other credit cards he used, and he said he had Capital One and Credit One Bank credit cards. I told him the interest rate on our credit card is significantly lower than those, and if he holds a balance he could save money by using his Qualstar Visa Credit Card instead. Since he mentioned “benefits,” I told him about our Visa +Rewards card in case he wanted to start earning points for cash rewards. Turns out he did, so we sat down with a loan officer to upgrade his current card to Visa +Rewards instead of closing it (which would also impact his credit score.) While discussing his other debts, he mentioned an auto loan at another bank and I knew we could significantly lower both his interest rate and his monthly payment if he refinanced with us. He was very interested so we added that application and he was approved for a lower auto loan rate, saving him $160 per Month!
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