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Message to Our Members

Consumer Friendly Services
Approximately 4,200 new members joined Unitus during 2007, and we continue to add and or expand products and services each year as needed to meet the needs of our membership. In doing so, our products and services are structured to be "consumer friendly." This means that we don’t set up phone systems to deter you from calling us, we don’t charge excessive rates on short term loans, we don’t charge excessive fees, and we don’t increase the rate on your credit card if you happen to be late on a loan with another financial institution. Those are just a few examples of how Unitus products and services put the best interests of our members first.

Nationwide Convenience
We continuously look for ways to make doing business with Unitus more convenient for our members, both locally and nationally. With approximately 25% of our members living outside of our local area, either full or part-time, national access to accounts is important. Today, our members have access to over 25,000 ATM locations across the country, including several thousand 7-Eleven stores, all with no ATM fee or surcharge for our members.

In addition to our local branches, our members can transact business nationwide at over 3,000 branch locations (participating credit unions) and in over 1,700 7-Eleven stores that carry advanced technology Vcom® machines. These new machines can process the same transactions that the national network of branch locations can handle for you. Unitus covers the cost of these services to provide additional convenience for our members.

Two New Branches in 2008
Last year, we planned for two new Unitus branches, both of which are opening this year. Our Tanasbourne branch opened on April 9, and our first Vancouver, Washington branch, Mill Plain Crossing, will open in July. We are already receiving calls from members expressing their enthusiasm and appreciation for these new locations.

Community Service
During the past year, our members supported Unitus efforts within the community by participating in various fund drives, donating school supplies, and partnering with our staff in food drives. In addition, our employees increased the hours they spent helping in our community by a whopping 23%. These efforts included volunteering time for Doernbecher NCUAdren’s Hospital, Schoolhouse Supplies, Adopt-a-Class, and the Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) program, along with helping over a dozen other non-profit agencies provide services for those in need. Many of the Unitus members who serve on the Credit Union’s Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee, as well as Unitus management, serve on local boards—often in key positions—that further the credit union philosophy of "people helping people."

A Safe Haven in Rough Times
As many members know, the national economy, which includes the financial services industry, is in an extremely fragile state right now, with repercussions from the sub-prime lending debacle being felt around the world. Respected economists are estimating that total losses may exceed $400 billion dollars. It is also estimated that it may take 18–24 months for the "cleansing" process within the system to be complete and for the housing and mortgage markets to rebound.

Some of our national financial institutions are struggling with significant losses and have turned to foreign investments to assist them. In comparison, Unitus operates locally and does not make sub-prime loans. We are continuing to provide loans to members at a time when other institutions have restricted their lending and closed their mortgage divisions. Unitus also remains a safe and sound place for our members’ savings in these troubled times. Our financial position is strong, with nearly every key measure showing strong and sustained growth.

The Unitus Difference
Unitus is locally owned and operated as a not-for-profit financial cooperative. We provide a consumer friendly alternative in the financial services marketplace for the benefit of our members, and by extension, their families, friends, and neighbors. While for-profit financial institutions are obliged to create value for their stockholders, often at the expense of their customers, Unitus returns its earnings directly to its members through value-based products and services.

In closing, I am very proud of all Unitus employees, who demonstrate a sincere desire each day to make a positive difference for our members and our community. As we move forward to embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges of 2008, I would like to thank you, our members, for your continued support and for recommending Unitus to your family, co-workers, friends, and neighbors.