Ron Gerak and Gloria Valenti Gerak, owners, Media Planning & Placement

Gloria: Media Planning & Placement was established in 1987. We work with advertising and PR agencies, as well as an array of corporate clients. Through North Island Credit Union's ad agency, we've even placed TV and radio spots for The Island. But that's not how we came to bank with them.

Ron: When a new branch of The Island opened in Santee, they were offering a very low equity line of credit interest rate. I was met by the branch manager, Dan Kitchen. We talked about the HELOC; it looked like everything was fine, and I filled out the application. Then Dan asked me about our business account.

Dan: Ron provided a copy of his statements from his other bank. I'm able to provide an analysis - basically a side-by-side comparison. We tend to pay better both on analyzed checking and on the sweep. Ron doesn't have to keep as much in his checking account to make the sweep a viable option.

Dan Kitchen
Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager

Ron: My eyes were really opened. The short of it is: Our business made a $1,200 dividend the second month we were with The Island because of our sweep account. Suddenly, I'm making $12,000 a year when I was making nothing. And, it's not an introductory offer; it's the way they do business.

Dan: Banks have stockholders. North Island Credit Union is owned by its members and member businesses. Lower rates and fees, higher dividends, local decision makers - our member businesses expect nothing less.

Ron: These were the same balances I kept at my old bank. That bank once told me that I was a perfect customer because I'm not in there like a merchant with bags of coins, and needing change and so forth. So I was a perfect customer for them. Well, The Island said the same thing - and they're paying me for it.