April 15, 2022
Vicky Kinsey, VP of Marketing
Citizens Federal Credit Union (CFCU) joined CUAC in June of 2018 as the first credit union in the West Texas Market. At the time, CFCU was looking for a partner to help them grow their auto lending program. After an extensive search, the choice was clear – CUAC was the partner to take their indirect program to the next level. As an indirect lending Credit Union Service Organization, CUAC offered years of experience and best practices reinforced by credit union values.
At the time CFCU was facing two major challenges: Their loan portfolio was mostly composed primarily of subprime loans; and they were in an exceedingly difficult market to extract quality loans from.
In a true spirit of partnership, client and provider were able to strategize and put together a plan to not only grow their indirect lending partnership but increase the credit union’s footprint into the Abilene and Lubbock auto market. “We have been able to put our heads together in a tough market and ever tougher times to generate car loans” said Rene Figueroa, CUAC’s Dealer Representative. “It is a unique and niche market, but we have been able to get our foot in the door with the right dealerships and there is still a great deal of potential for more growth.”
CUAC’s methodology and market knowledge were a catalyst for the success they have seen since the program was put in place in 2018. CFCU has seen month over month auto loan growth – even during the current challenging environment. “We have seen significant growth in our indirect program through our partnership with CUAC. I continue to be impressed with the professionalism of the CUAC staff and their ability to stay on top of the ever-changing world of indirect lending.” said Brandon Wooten, President/CEO of Citizens FCU. “Their recommendations for staying ahead of the competition have been spot-on throughout our relationship. Additionally, CUAC’s reports & analytics are very robust and have allowed us to track our indirect program in detail.”
Kurt Howard, Chief Operating Officer of CU Alliance had this to say. “I knew Brandon had a vision early on of what he wanted to accomplish and what both parties needed to do to realize those goals. This was definitely a tough market but with CFCU’s insight and Rene’s tireless efforts, we have seen a great deal of success in West Texas. I am very proud that Brandon and his team chose CUAC to power their indirect program and will continue to work hard to earn that trust.”
CUAC, the leading provider of indirect lending services for CUSO’s and credit unions, continues to show their understanding of true collaboration and customization. Because not all credit unions nor markets are the same, they work in partnership with each client to find the solution that is unique to their particular lending needs.
If you are interested in taking your credit union’s indirect program to the next level, please reach out to Kurt Howard at khoward@cuacuso.com or online at https://www.cuac.com/contact.