Nusenda Receives BankOn National Certification
Nusenda Receives “BankOn” National Certification
Nusenda Credit Union today announced its breeze® account is now BankOn accredited by Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE), a nationwide organization that aims to encourage the widespread availability of safe, affordable accounts.
Nusenda’s breeze® account is an easy-to-manage account and Visa® debit card that encourages healthy money habits. It has no overdraft, activation, loading/reloading, or usage fees; helps build positive credit scores when used properly; and is protected by Visa’s Zero Liability Policy.
“Nusenda Credit Union wants New Mexico to be a place with ample economic opportunity,” said Nusenda President/CEO Joe Christian. “Working with Bank on Burque — the local team supporting CFE’s mission at the Albuquerque Mayor’s office — will help connect more New Mexicans with safe, secure places to deposit their money, such as their 2021 Child Tax Credit payments.”
“Bank on Burque is an important effort to extend financial resources to every household in Albuquerque,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Making checking services available and affordable will enable residents from all walks of life to financially empower themselves. Our efforts are only as strong as our partnerships with institutions like Nusenda Credit Union and we thank all of our financial partners for joining together for our Bank on Burque program.”
“We know that when people have access to affordable checking services, they have secure access to their funds earlier and are not reliant on costly check cashing services,” said Delma Madrigal, Bank on Burque Project Manager for the City of Albuquerque. “We are proud of the coalition of banks and credit unions, both national and local, who have joined our effort to increase economic inclusion in Albuquerque.”
Research from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shows there are many reasons consumers may lack a basic transaction account: not enough money for the minimum balance; distrust of financial institutions; high or unpredictable fees; or identification, credit, or banking history problems. Additionally, low-income and marginalized households are disproportionally unbanked or underbanked and concurrently preyed upon by predatory lenders that charge excessive sums for various kinds of financial products or services. New Mexicans are particularly prone to lack of economic inclusion — additional data from the FDIC shows that in 2019, 8.75% of New Mexico residents were unbanked — almost 3.4% higher than the national average.
To learn more about Nusenda Credit Union’s efforts to uphold the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” through its financial capability, economic opportunity, and well-being programs and community support, visit nusenda.org/impact.