Worth the drive
Tim and LeAnn Taylor’s friends and family can’t figure out why they make the drive across Wichita for their financial needs. “I explain to them that no other bank or credit union has made me feel as welcome.” Good member service, great specials and rates, and real-time posting of transactions are among the factors, as well. When an online purchase resulted in various unwanted fees and hassles, Taylor enlisted Mid American staff to work with him to recover the couple’s losses and replace the credit card to stop the unwanted billings. When the couple went on their honeymoon, a call to Mid American about their plans and itinerary protected them from overseas transactions.
A longtime rapport
When Mid American opened up a branch on the first floor of the Sedgwick County Courthouse, county employee Donna Penley was thrilled to have a branch so close. But that wasn’t the only close thing about her Mid American relationship. She calls branch manager Rosella Posgai a friend who is “always sweet, helpful and gracious to me.” Now retired and legally blind, Penley has counted on Posgai’s help with a loan to build a tornado shelter, to get the best deals on interest on her CDs, order her checks and access her account online. “What other banking establishment could I have had the service and rapport with these long years? None, I think.”
A ‘Mid American angel’
Things were snowballing financially for Mary C. Patterson. Back-to-school shopping for the grandkids whose mother was financially strapped, an illness that took its toll on her teeth and on healthcare flex funds left her with doctor’s bills, and her car getting rear-ended meant playing a game she called “which one is going to blow first.” That’s when she enlisted the help of now-former employee Janna Brown who assured her she’d see what she could do. “Later that day my Mid American angel contacted me to tell me she had gotten a signature loan approved and would have the money in my account by the end of the business day to meet my needs. She had also gotten me pre-approved to buy a car. I swallowed really hard several times to choke back the tears that tried to roll down my face since I was at work. That young lady will never realize 100 percent what she did for me that day. Thank you for so carefully selecting people who care to work for you – and us.”
More than direct deposit
Juan Ramirez didn’t expect to use Mid American Credit Union for anything more than a place to have his paycheck deposited from his employer, Sedgwick County, which has an affiliate business relationship with Mid American. “We opened the account with the sole intent of doing nothing more than using it for direct deposit and transferring funds” to a joint account at the bank where his wife worked. That was a decade ago and Ramirez can tick off nearly a dozen ways Mid American has helped him, from financing car purchases, to purchasing CDs, to opening youth accounts for his children’s financial education and growth. Mid American is now “our first choice for our financial products.”
‘Compassionate’ credit
In 2006, Missourian Cindy Clark was a single mom of two, trying to rebuild her credit after a divorce and in need of a car. While other auto companies agreed to finance her loan with interest rates in double-digits, Mid American took into consideration her situation and gave her the best rate. Since then, she’s financed another car, gotten personal loans and worked with “helpful, caring” staff to extend her auto and personal loans when her family suffered a house fire. Mid American “is so much more ‘user friendly’ and compassionate than any bank or finance company I have ever dealt with. And it all started with them helping a single mom, down on her luck, to buy a dependable car for her family at a reasonable rate.”
A dependable partner
Sandy Hobbs had always relied on her husband, John, to take care of the couple’s finances, but when he suffered a massive stroke in April 2006, she needed to “step up to the plate and begin paying bills and making sure the balance in the checking account was correct.” At times overwhelmed to the point of tears, she received “genuine care and concern” as she sought help from various staff members in reconciling her accounts, moving retirement funds, setting up a trust fund, a money market account and automatic bill paying online, using disability insurance on the car they’d financed through Mid American, and refinancing their home.
A safety net
When April Stone’s husband fell through the ceiling of the couple’s Haysville home while installing attic insulation, he had a safety net of sorts. While it wasn’t the kind to break a fall, it was the kind to help ease the couple’s financial situation as he recuperated from the fall. After hearing Mid American’s Sedgwick County branch manager Rosella Posgai explain credit life and disability insurance on a recent loan against Stone’s vehicle, Stone had decided to purchase the insurance. “She did not try to pressure us into purchasing it, but just explained how it worked and let us make up our own minds. We went ahead and purchased it on my husband. Boy, am I glad. At a time when we will be short of funds, this is one loan I will not have to worry about until he can go back to work.”
A sense of ownership
A competitive rate and a quick and smooth application process for a RV loan were what motivated Ron and Cheryl Bangle to become Mid American members. Newsletters helped inform them about options at Mid American and prompted them to refinance a son’s vehicle, “even though we lived in western Kansas.” When the couple sold their home and moved to Wichita, they again chose Mid American for their financial needs. For the Bangles, being a member/owner of their financial institution is important. “To have the full understanding that Mid American exists as a nonprofit entity for the sole purpose of serving our needs as members makes so much sense to me. As I continue to look ahead at our financial life and the challenges and opportunities before us, I know that ‘my’ credit union will assist with wise counsel, friendly staff, solid financials and innovative investment products to help us along the way. A relationship with Mid American not only makes good financial sense, but it also makes good peace-of-mind sense.”
‘Something special’
Christy Schneck was an active 44-year-old mother of four with a brand new job that required long hours and lots of traveling in July 2008 when her body started attacking itself through an auto-immune disease. Having missed lots of work, money was tight and Schneck knew she’d need to make some changes. That’s when she enlisted the help of Mid American, where she’d become a member the year prior through a vehicle loan. She took advantage of a loan special, the credit union’s skip-a-payment option, refinanced her home and got a business account set up for her new home-based business. “We were able to do everything over the phone and through the mail. I love Mid American Credit Union and what it stands for; it is big enough to fulfill all your banking needs but also small enough to make you feel as if you are part of something special and that you count.”
Help in a crisis
When crisis and misfortunes struck Don Si-ooh, it was Mid American Credit Union and Sedgwick County branch manager Rosella Posgai who came to his rescue. When his brother died following a vehicle accident, he needed help to cover funeral expenses. When he needed help accessing his brother’s finances, Mid American staff worked with him to complete the necessary documentation. When two tires on his car blew out as he was trying to get to the Sedgwick County branch for a loan to fly his brother’s remains to Nigeria, employees there helped him arrange a tow to a repair shop. “Through the employees’ efforts and professionalism, my wife and I felt at home. We found Mid American Credit Union to be the best. Not only did the staff comfort me during my sorrow, but they researched facts, suggested solutions and provided lasting friendship beyond my wildest dreams.”
