Our History
The Values of Yesteryear, The Visions for Tomorrow
The history of Bellwether Community Credit Union can be credited to employees of the Bell Telephone System. Because of a lack of viable lending options early in the twentieth century, telephone workers often had no choice but to fall victim to unscrupulous lenders who charged incredible interest rates and imposed excessive fines on those who did not pay promptly.
In response, a group of Bell Telephone System employees organized Telephone Workers Credit Union of N.H. in June 1921. Although not sponsored by the company itself, the Credit Union was created solely for the "promotion of thrift" among its members by accumulation of savings and the subsequent loaning of those funds at modest interest rates to other members.
Telephone Credit Union of N.H. was originally located on Concord Street in Manchester, and was relocated several times during the 1970s to accommodate continuous growth. In 1991, we were pleased to move into our current facility at 425 Hooksett Road.
Originally open only to employees of the Bell Telephone System, the Credit Union expanded its field of membership to include the relatives of employees in 1975, other communication industry employee groups in 1984, and in 2001, membership was opened to anyone living or working in New Hampshire. Today, we are proud to provide our products and services to over 20,000 members.
In 2005, the Credit Union changed its name from Telephone Credit Union of N.H. to Bellwether Community Credit Union (BCCU) to better reflect the diversity of its members.
In June 2006, the members of Compass Credit Union voted to approve a merger with BCCU. In September 2006, Compass Credit Union's branch, located on Valley Street in Manchester, became the second branch of Bellwether Community Credit Union. A third branch, the newly constructed Amherst Street branch in Nashua celebrated its Grand Opening in February of 2007, and features a new banking concept with a retail style interior layout and Dialog Banking, which does away with the standard teller line, and creates a more collaborative and open environment for members.
Throughout our history, BCCU has adapted and diversified to meet the changing financial needs of our members. Our founders could not have imagined the multitude of services and conveniences we now offer, especially as technology has enabled unprecedented capabilities. BCCU is proud of our heritage and our preparedness to serve our members into the twenty-first century. As always, our focus is to provide exemplary member value and member service. We look forward to helping you with all your financial needs, now and well into the future.
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