Moving to Seattle had always been my dream.  When I landed a job as a middle school band teacher, I felt like everything was finally falling into place. Teaching music to young minds, watching their excitement as they grew in their musicianship, leading them through their first concerts—it was exactly what I wanted to do. But outside of the classroom, things weren’t as smooth.

Living on a teacher’s salary in Seattle was tough. Rent was high, groceries cost more than I expected, and all the little costs of living started stacking up higher and higher. I found myself relying on credit cards more than I should have. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal—just a little here and there. But as time passed, my balances grew, and so did the interest rates. Every month, I felt like I was throwing money away, barely making a dent in what I owed.

I tried to be responsible. I researched ways to consolidate my debt, lower my interest rates, and get my finances under control. I tried to refinance my car. Rejected. I tried to get a personal loan. Denied.

It was frustrating. I was doing everything right—working hard, living frugally, and trying to be financially responsible—but it felt like the system was set up against me. What’s more, I felt ashamed. Like I had failed because I couldn’t pull myself out of this situation.

That all changed when a friend told me about Express Credit Union

“Their mission is to help people just like you” he said. “They actually listen to people.”

It took some convincing but the only thing I hadn’t tried was taking the leap of faith in front of me. Skeptical, but hopeful, I made an appointment. From the moment I walked in, I could tell this place was different. The loan officer actually sat down with me—not just to review my credit score, but to understand my full situation.

After looking over my finances, they did what no one else had been willing to do: they approved me for a refinance on my car loan, lowering my monthly payments significantly. Even better, they set up a debt consolidation loan, paying off my high-interest credit card balances and rolling everything into one manageable monthly payment with a MUCH lower interest rate.

For the first time in a long time, I could breathe.

With my finances in order, I could was finally able to put my brain power where it belongs, helping my students, being with my loved ones, and building the life I work so hard for every day. I even started putting money into savings, something I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to do consistently. The stress of my financial struggles slowly faded, replaced by a sense of security I hadn’t felt in years.

Seattle was still expensive, teaching middle school was still like riding into battle every day, but thanks to Express Credit Union I once again had a stable foundation to ground myself to.

I opened my account through my employment at Catholic Community Services where I was able to access a loan through that partnership. Since then I’ve been a member. My financial experience with them has been amazing. Before joining Express I was frustrated with Banks not being consistent. The authenticity of Express shines through and they have helped me in so many ways. Fernando is the best Teller I’ve experienced he is patient kind and admirable, a treasure. Thank you.

I heard about Express through a friend and opened an account to save money. My previous experience with banks was they were charging me for services I never used. At Express I feel appreciated and supported getting help with anything I don’t understand. Before joining I didn’t have a bank account or debit card and used cash, now I have a debit card and am able to feel more secure. Express has made it easier for me to understand my money better.

While attempting to buy a car from the dealership they were offering a very high interest rate, making the vehicle no longer affordable. The car salesmen recommended Express CU and we’ve been members ever sense. They have approved our loans when other banks had denied us or given us excessively high interest rates. I went from having a 0 credit score up to a 730 because of Express. On the first loan Express beat the other bank’s interest rate at 7% compared to 20%.