iQCU Blog

The credit union received an Excellence in HR & Organizational Development award from the Credit Union National Association HR Council 

There are so many new ways to pay for goods and services, but your checking account remains the foundation of personal finances. Consumers are getting more from their checking accounts than ever before. Online bill pay and electronic transactions make it easier to do remote banking online. Rather than writing a check, people are using their debit cards or smartphones for transactions. However, everything links back to your checking account.

People are generally uncomfortable talking about money, especially with their families. But children’s financial literacy is critical. These lessons will help prepare your kids for adulthood and living on their own, especially since schools rarely teach these valuable skills. 

Whether you are saving for a car, a new home, or are planning for retirement, it’s important to understand how to create a balanced strategy to build your savings. Investments are the best way to get your money to grow over time, but you still need to have an investment time horizon to establish goals for the return on your money.

The internet has become an essential tool for everyone, especially during the pandemic. According to Pew Research Center, 90% of Americans say the internet is essential or important to them, and 40% are using the internet in new ways, including for online transactions.¹ 

We have seen an increase in fraudulent text messages sent to iQ members claiming to be from us. To help you stay informed and protect your account, please read these quick tips on when we will or will not send you a text message.

iQ Credit Union, whose 15 branches serve neighborhoods across Southwest Washington and Portland, recently shared with members at the annual meeting the many ways they continued to impact their communities through partnerships, donations, and financial education in 2021.

The credit union donated $528,132 to its communities – $53,930 of which went to 35 non-profit recipients through its very own iQ for Kids foundation, which is funded through employee and member contributions. iQ employees also stepped up by personally contributing 595 volunteer hours to various local causes.

The Vancouver, Wash.,-based credit union partnered with an additional 24 local not-for-profits and 25 community sponsorships through donations, volunteer hours, and event sponsorships. iQ continued its mission of financial education by impacting 4,227 students through 121 local school presentations, financial reality fairs, and their expanding campus branch program. Additionally, 41 Read With Me recipients were awarded over $8,000 in grants for books and literacy programs.

Among other efforts, iQ stayed true to its education roots by awarding five local students with a total of $20,000 in scholarship funds to further their college educations.

Learn more about iQ’s contributions to the community in its annual report. 

iQ Credit Union Chief Retail Officer Ali Migaki was recognized with an Iris Award by the Greater Vancouver Chamber at their 2022 Women Who Mean Business Symposium, held March 8, 2022. The awards are granted at an annual event held on International Women’s Day. The Iris Awards honor exceptional women in the Greater Vancouver community for their outstanding professional and philanthropic contributions. Iris is the Greek word for rainbow, and event organizers note that women’s lives today represent “a rainbow of possibilities.”