LGE Community Credit Union A Smarter Way to Bank By Kathleen Boehmig LGE Credit Union, an AJC Top 100 Workplace that has served the metro Atlanta area since 1951, is opening its ninth, full-service branch at Canton Marketplace by the end of the year. Originally known as the Lockheed-Georgia Employees Credit Union, LGE provides full-service, federally insured banking to over 100,000 people and businesses throughout Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton and Paulding counties, as well as to over 350 companies in various counties who have partnered with them, so their employees can have accounts at LGE. LGE is led by President and CEO, Chris Leggett, who was included in the Atlanta Business Chronicles 2014 list of the Top 100 Leaders in Finance and Banking industries and is a member of the ABCs Whos Who In Finance 2010. Shelia Garrison, the Canton branch manager, is enthusiastic about the new location. I am very excited about helping bring LGE to Canton, she says. This office will be our second concierge location. Its a paperless, cashless approach to banking. Instead of tellers behind counters, we will have ATM machines throughout the lobby, with staff waiting to greet and assist members. According to Scott Brooks, LGEs VP of Marketing and Business Development, This is a model specific to LGE, and we feel it is the best way to serve our members. LGE is widely recognized as one of the safest and most soundly managed, federally-insured credit unions in the nation. In addition to its full-service locations, LGE offers nationwide ATM networks, credit union service centers, complimentary online and mobile banking and Memberline, a 24-hour automated phone banking system. Funds are federally insured, to at least $250,000, by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). Membership is easy. Local residents or businesses may open an account online at LGEccu.org or at any branch office, with as little as $5. Consumer advocates love credit unions, which differ from banks in several important ways. Banks are owned by stockholders; we are owned by our members, Shelia says. LGE returns earnings to our members through higher interest on deposits and lower costs on loans. Other financial services are also offered at substantial savings. Shelia adds, Unlike banks, we dont offer periodic specials on rates and services; our rates are lower, and our services are more advantageous. In 2009, LGE made its mark in Cherokee County by opening its Woodstock location. That branch has grown tremendously in terms of new members, loan volume and most importantly, involvement in the community, Shelia says. Katie Wise, Woodstock Branch Manager, currently serves as Co-chair of Leadership Cherokee and on the Chairmans Council. Ben Thacker, Financial Service Advisor at the Woodstock branch, is one of Cherokee Countys 2015 Top Ten in Young Professionals to Watch. LGE, through its own LGE Foundation, provides support to many Cherokee County non-profits. Last year, the LGE Foundation gave over $100,000 to local organizations, such as Next Step Ministries and MUST Ministries. Shelia exemplifies the community-oriented position of LGE. A native of the area, Shelia has an extensive background in banking and community service. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, the Cherokee County Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cherokee. She has also served on the Cherokee County Library Board of Trustees and is a graduate of Leadership Cherokee. In addition to the personal banking products and services that we offer, LGE has expanded to include insurance, investment services and business accounts. Our business lender, Tonya Parker, brings a great deal of commercial experience to LGE, and we are happy to have her as part of our team. Members have access to their finances via LGEs online services, including features like online bill pay, mobile banking and Snap Deposit, which allows members to deposit checks from anywhere. LGE offers great values in checking, including their High Rate Checking account, which earns up to 15x what most banks pay! It requires no minimum balance and offers a higher interest rate. Also available is Simply Free Checking, which is a more traditional form of checking, and free Youth Checking, which includes a free VISA debit card for members age 16-17. In addition, LGE will soon be adding chip cards, which contain embedded microchips that provide an extra layer of protection. LGE members also have specialized savings and investment accounts available to them, including the Share Savings Account, which is a basic savings account used to establish membership at LGE. Members will also find custodial savings accounts, youth savings accounts for newborns to age 22 that earn 5% on the first $500 dollars, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and LGE Investment and Retirement Services, providing guidance, support and education for meeting members financial goals. Additionally, LGE offers auto and home loans, home equity and second mortgages, personal lines of credit and various types of insurance. While LGE has grown over the years, Shelia says, we have still maintained our mission of being dedicated to our members financial well-being and providing a smarter way to bank. Whether its by offering higher rates on deposits, lower rates on loans, online and mobile banking capabilities, or insurance and investment services, we would be happy to help you with your financial needs at any of our branches, and we look forward to opening our new Canton location. She adds with a smile, We want LGE to be Cantons community credit union. LGE Community Credit Union2018 Cumming Highway, Canton770-424-0060LGEccu.orgMonday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pmSaturday 9:00 am-Noon
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