People Helping People
The history of BACU began in 1935 when the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railway (Illinois Division) Credit Union was incorporated by the State of Illinois. Since that time, the credit union has merged with other credit unions and increased its services, membership and assets. In 1982, our name changed to Blackhawk Area Credit Union. Read more about the history of our name.
But, while many things (including our name) have changed, the credit union's purpose has remained the same: to provide low-cost loans, encourage savings and provide other financial services. The union movement's motto says it all: "People helping people."
Sometimes, our name can be misleading since we offer much more than "credit" and we aren't a "union." And, unlike a bank or finance company, we are not in business to make a profit. After we pay our operating expenses and required reserves, any income is returned to the members in the form of higher dividends on savings accounts, lower loan rates and other benefits. Your credit union is member-owned and controlled, managed by a volunteer board of directors elected by the membership.