2021 was a challenging yet exciting year. We appreciate your membership and support as we continue to look ahead to 2022 and beyond. 

I want to thank you for your patience and kindness towards our staff during 2021 as we managed some challenges caused by COVID-19. We did make the difficult decision to close our lobbies and move to Drive-Up service in December due to the rise in cases throughout NH. This continues to be the best way to keep our staff, and members, safe while also remaining able to staff each location and serve member needs. We expanded our branch Drive-Up service to allow in-person appointments as needed. You can access in-person appointments through an online appointment system on our website at gscu.org/schedule, or by calling our Contact Center at 800.645.4728.

We continue to monitor case numbers and staffing levels. Changes to branch location hours or operations will be posted on our website and our social media accounts, including Instagram and Facebook, as decisions are made. Please ensure your contact information and email address is up-to-date with us so that you receive important member notices quickly. The best way to update this information is through a secure message within OnLine Banking.

In 2021, the credit union opened our expanded Nashua location at 190 Broad Street. We are also excited to announce a new GSCU location which will be opening in Rochester, at 2 Rod Road, in the summer of 2022! We look forward to resuming normal branch operations and I think we all wish for a time when the pandemic is behind us. Continue to watch for updates on the Rochester location and stay informed by sharing in the new happenings and community outreach efforts at GSCU featured on our social media.

We also implemented some amazing financial education opportunities in 2021 with two virtual seminar topics – our First-Time Home Buyer Seminar Series and a First-Time Auto Buyer Seminar.  We hosted three Home Buyer Seminars and one Auto Buyer Seminar last year. We will be expanding this platform with more seminar dates as well as additional seminar topics in 2022! These seminars are free and offered virtually to you or your family members.

Last year, there were low inventory issues for both auto and recreational vehicle buyers.  Many members are looking ahead to purchasing items in 2022. The credit union is here to support your borrowing needs for all your new vehicle purchases as well as for refinancing your current loans from another institution. You can often save money on your monthly payment or potentially tap into your vehicle’s equity to use it for other purposes. We offer many terms and great budget-friendly loan options that can help you drive away with savings!

We have seen an increase in home values as well as a shortage of available inventory on the market. Whether you’re looking for your first home, a larger home for a growing family, or downsizing after the kids have left – GSCU is here to help with your mortgage lending, and refinancing, needs. You’ll experience local service for the life of your real estate loan so when your mortgage is with the credit union, you’ll truly feel at home.

Another service we implemented in 2021 was our brand new Refer-A-Friend program that allows our members to refer their friends and family for a checking account or a loan and you’ll each receive $50! This makes referring people super simple – after an initial registration online, you can enter as many friends and family phone numbers or emails into the platform and they’ll each receive an email or text inviting them to open an account! You can even share a general message on your social media! If anyone uses your link, text, or email to open an account and meets the qualifications then you’ll be $50 richer! We hope you will consider referring your friends and family.

We continue to offer our “Talk to the CEO” button on our homepage if there is a problem you need addressed or if you want to share feedback. All the members of our Executive Team, including myself, continue to monitor these emails so we can respond quickly to assist you.  We are proud to lead the credit union and you can look forward to hearing more from other Executive Team members in the future.

Here’s to the New Year ahead and continuing to live boldly with Granite State Credit Union! Thank you.

Denise Barstow
President/CEO