NEW YORK—The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions has introduced juntosavanzamos.org, a new website to help Hispanic consumers locate a Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) designated credit union in the U.S.
Juntos Avanzamos credit unions are committed to serving and empowering Spanish-speaking consumers by providing relevant, safe and affordable financial products and services, employing bilingual, culturally aligned staff, accepting alternative forms of ID, and treating their members with respect, regardless of immigration status, the Federation stated.
“Hispanic consumers are a driver of demographic and economic growth in the U.S. At 2.9%, the Latino Compound Annual Growth Rate of GDP between 2010 and 2015 was nearly 70% higher than the non-Latino U.S. GDP growth rate of 1.7%. If these rates are sustained, Latinos will contribute nearly one-fourth of all U.S. GDP growth between 2019 and 2020,” the Federation stated.
"Hispanic consumers are an increasingly important part of the US economy," said Pablo DeFilippi, SVP of membership and network engagement at the Federation. "The launch of juntosavanzamos.org is an important step in helping Hispanics find a financial institution that will bring them out of the financial shadows and into the financial mainstream."
The Juntos Avanzamos network is growing rapidly with 79 credit unions in 20 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The primary purpose of juntosavanzamos.org is to help consumers find a financial institution committed to meeting the needs of Hispanic consumers in a responsible and inclusive manner, but the site also explains the difference between a credit union and a bank, provides information on how to join a credit union, and lists resources on citizenship and immigration, the Federation explained.
The site lists all Juntos Avanzamos credit unions and their branches, locates them on a map and links the listing to participating credit unions. Only credit unions that have received the Juntos Avanzamos designation are included on the site.
“The Juntos Avanzamos website is also a tool for community-based organizations, national partners, local governments, consular offices, and other stakeholders to connect their constituencies with responsible lenders and the asset-building opportunities Juntos Avanzamos designated credit unions provide,” the Federation said.