Mission Statement

We are committed to helping members enhance their financial status by providing needed financial products and services while operating in a sound financial manner.

History

In 1961 a group of sixteen educators decided that forming a credit union would be an excellent benefit for the employees of The Departments of Education in Bradley County. The purpose of the credit union was to provide a low-cost, high-return financial resource for educators and their families. On October 1, 1961 the Cleveland/Bradley County Teachers Federal Credit Union was chartered as a non-profit financial cooperative. The seven original Board of Directors were Charles Arnold, Dee Frisbee, Thomas C. Henley, O.J. Mattil, E.L. Ross, Bill Shultz, and J. Woodrow Wilson.

Currently, our Credit Union has grown from the original 16 to over 3,000 members while still holding true to our original charter - serving Bradley County, Cleveland City and Cleveland State Community College, Lee University and Tennessee Christian Academy employees and their families. Our credit union is still owned by our members, each of whom has a vote in how this democratic organization is run.

However, our financial needs are different today than they were many years ago. Due to the changing needs of our members, we continually evaluate and upgrade our product and service offerings while maintaining the same mission as envisioned by those original 16 members.

The Value of Credit Union Membership

Your Cleveland/Bradley County Teachers Federal Credit Union membership gives you something you can’t get from a bank: ownership. That’s a fundamental difference between banks and credit unions. Another fundamental difference: we are a sound, not-for-profit financial organization.

As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, our earnings are returned to members in the form of low cost loans, high yield dividend accounts, and free or low cost services. When profit is removed as a motivating force, attention is shifted to the best interest of the membership. Rather than focusing on making this institution more profitable, we focus on operating the credit union as efficiently as possible for the financial benefit of the members. As member-owners, we all have a stake in the credit union’s success. The better the credit union does, the better you do. Unlike a bank, you, as a member-owner, get to elect our Board of Directors. They serve as unpaid volunteers, accepting personal liability for the performance of the organization. If you owned a grocery store, you would use your own products at a lower cost. You wouldn’t go to the market down the street and pay more money for the same products, even if it was more convenient. So when it’s time to borrow, make a savings investment, or open a checking account, please remember, as an owner you play a vital role in your credit union’s success. By using our services, and by spreading the word to your eligible co-workers and family (including your spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren – who are all eligible to join), you are helping us, and you, grow and thrive.

As we grow and enjoy more successes, we are able to offer online services such as Virtual Branch, Alert Me Credit Monitoring, Automobile Purchase Pricing Guide, and Turbo Tax. As we move closer to 2007, we will continue to investigate new and improved services. Our motto is “People Helping People”. We’re
all working together to help each other. That’s the value of credit union membership!

Board of Directors and Committees

After the annual meeting, the Board of Directors met to discuss business and to elect a new Executive Committee for the year 2008.

©Copyright 2008
Cleveland/Bradley County Teachers Federal Credit Union.
All Rights Reserved.