Winter Newsletter 2021

Chairman's Address

Welcome to the 2021 Winter Newsletter. The last 12 months have been extremely challenging on us all. Living alongside COVID-19 is the "new norm", and its impact on how we do our business is still very evident. We have continued to support our members and communities as they try to emerge from this challenging period. Following on from a difficult year in 2020, I am proud to say that we have had a successful year in 2021. This came on the back of a huge collective effort, working through the many external challenges in order to provide the best service possible to our members.

Demand for loans superseded our expectations and we ended the year granting €18 million in loans into the local communities of South and East Kerry. We are extremely grateful for your continued support, as loans are critically important to the success of the Credit Union. Our loan products offer very competitive interest rates and favourable terms. I would encourage all our members to talk to us if you are considering a loan.

In April we launched our revamped website which is now more informative and user friendly. COVID-19 has accelerated the trend towards greater digital and online engagement, and our current account and mobile platform going from strength to strength. You can fully manage your Current Account, Loans and Savings Accounts online. You can also apply for, and draw down loans on your member portals. Google Pay & Apple Pay were added to the current account product offering greater flexibility and technological capabilities.

In June we teamed up with Irish Life Financial Services, an insurance intermediary, to offer all our members a FREE Financial Review with one of their Qualified Financial Advisors. Irish Life Financial Services are here to help Killarney Credit Union members to build a better future, be better planned, and be better protected. If this is an area of interest to you why not contact us and avail of your Free Financial Review.

In September we launched a new Green Loan product called CU Greener Homes. CU Greener Homes is a one-stop-solution for home energy efficient improvements. Partnering with Energia, Ireland's greenest energy supplier and House2Home, a 100% Irish owned retrofit company, this scheme offers an easy to understand, straightforward proposition to credit union members, enabling them to access all the information and supports they need to carry out home energy efficiency upgrades. This very timely product offers members real choice and very competitive rates. See our website www.killarneycu.ie or www.cugreenerhomes.ie for details.

There have been many changes in the financial landscape this year with financial institutions either leaving the market or closing physical branches. Your Credit Union is locally based. We pride ourselves in customer service and we are ready and eager to be, your main financial service provider. We would welcome any bank customers, who may be considering a community based alternative to traditional banks, to become a credit union member, open a current account, and use the credit union for all their banking needs.

As we embark on the new financial year our emphasis is on engaging with our members and local communities. We want to increase awareness of the Credit Union and our underlying values of equality, mutuality, sustainability, and solidarity. Our goal is to be the first choice for our members for all their financial needs. Loyalty and trust are the fundamentals that our credit union is built on and we will continue to honour this. We want to assure you that we are continually working to further enhance your member experience with us.

May I take this opportunity to wish all our members a safe and peaceful Christmas. We look forward to seeing you and being of service to you in 2022.