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The Lakelander | Spring 2025 | Issue 3

Learn More About Cardinal Credit Union

By: Emily Eade 

Did you know that on the Lakeland Community College campus, there is a credit union? Cardinal Credit Union can be found in the A building of Lakeland. Many of you probably have seen me behind the counter; I am a bank teller for this specific branch. Most students who come to the credit union have many questions, some of which I don’t even have the answers to. I interviewed the Lakeland branch manager, Maria Brockman, to help get an answer to those questions and understand the credit union a little more. 

What is Cardinal Credit Union’s mission statement and how do you use it to help members and potential members? 

Our mission is to brighten our members’ financial future. We can live that out by trying to get a sense of what our members' goals are. We always go in-depth with our members and help them understand what they need to do to get themselves in the right place and see what we can do to help them. That could be seen by providing them with financial counseling or reviewing their credit report with them. It can also be seen by making recommendations for them to build their credit. We try to help people.

How does Cardinal Credit Union differ from other credit unions? 

In a way we have more competitive rates and loans, we have lower rates on loans, and higher rates on things such as CDs and savings accounts, we’re more competitive there. We also have a different approach to lending, we look at more than just a person's score, we look at their story, their income, and their current debt, and we try to do what we can to help them meet their goals. The other thing is that we are very community-based, we do a lot for the community as far as giving out scholarships, donating to other local businesses, and local initiatives. So what is nice about Cardinal specifically is that you can see a lot of the things that we do present in the community, you might not see that from other credit unions as much. 

How long has the Lakeland Community College branch been around and how does Lakeland benefit from it? 

This branch has been here for at least ten years, maybe a little bit longer than that, but I want to say it was established in 2014. A lot of our executives and people who work with the credit union are alumni of Lakeland. So it helps us with the community college pairing with the community credit union, we can work together and benefit the students, the staff, and the members. Lakeland and the credit union use each other for a lot of support, like donations. 

The credit union offers the Lakeland Affinity Card for Lakeland Community College students, staff, and faculty. What are its benefits for interested parties? What are its lasting benefits?

The card is also applicable to alumni. The card has a variety of benefits; it gives every cardholder 1% back that goes into the cardholder's pocket, and an additional 0.5% goes back to the Lakeland Foundation. So right there the members are benefiting by getting that cash back, and some are going to Lakeland to support the school. Another nice part is that there is no annual fee so you are not just paying to have the card, you can make easy payments here at the branch, and it's a card that's great to use. 

For students, staff, and faculty looking for financial guidance, what other resources do you offer?

I am a certified financial counselor, I can provide that service to anybody that is a member and to people that want to become a member. What this entails is that I can review their credit report with them, understand how they got to their current score, and make recommendations so they can get to where they want. I can help them achieve other goals, such as saving a certain amount of money, getting a loan, or buying a home. I can help make recommendations for them to achieve those goals. We also offer a variety of different checking, and savings accounts, money markets, CDs, loan types, business accounts, and home equity options.

Is there anything that you want the Lakeland Community College community to know about Cardinal Credit Union?

I would like them to know that as a credit union, we’re here for them. We pride ourselves in benefiting the community, and working with the community at a lot of different events. We have other initiatives such as our little brownies accounts; all these things we do for students, for Lakeland, for home buyers, and for people looking to build or rebuild credit. We offer free seminars for first-time home mortgage buyers, and credit building that are free to register for. We have so many free resources that we offer the community, I would encourage people to take advantage of those so we can help them meet their goals. 

I hope this interview with Maria Brockman helps you understand a little more about a financial resource that is found in Lakeland. For those of you in need of financial help, take advantage of the resources made available at the school, it could help you in the long run.