USE CU recently unveiled its new name: BluPeak CU. The new name better represents the broad and diverse communities it serves to empower more people to achieve peak financial wellness in its five-county field of membership.
BluPeak’s leaders said the decision to rename was to showcase the credit union’s high-quality banking option to all Californians who live, work or worship in Alameda, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Clara or Yolo counties, as well as those employed by the State of California and California university employees and students.
“In today’s world, the relationship and experience a member has with its credit union plays a vital role in the brand,” said Amber Fielder, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at BluPeak CU. “The USE name, which stood for University and State Employees, could imply those are the only Californians we help, when in fact our membership is open to them along with other Californians where we hold community charters.”
In addition to the new name, the credit union also has a new logo and updated messaging to align with its growing membership. The branding and imagery better embody the credit union’s Californian roots and gives a special nod to the majestic ocean and mountains that make up California’s unique landscape.
“We put our values under a microscope and found we needed to take a more intentional approach with our branding to reflect and represent our desire and ability to go above and beyond other financial institutions when it comes to being there for our members and our employees,” said Todd Tharp, CEO of BluPeak CU. “The new name aligns with our mission to serve and uplift our neighborhoods, and the organization’s ambition to be a leader in the financial-technology industry.”
In conjunction with the name change, the credit union is also rolling out several enhanced employee benefits. In August, the senior leadership team announced a Temporary Inflation Offset for 85 percent of its employees, excluding only those in the top 15 percent of compensation. For six pay periods, eligible employees are receiving an additional $250 per pay period, on top of their base pay, to help ease the impact of the volatile economic environment.
Recognizing the temporary increase would not fix the underlying issues, the credit union also announced an updated medical benefit structure for 2023. All individual employees would be fully covered for medical insurance, and employees with spouse and family medical plans would see a decrease in benefit costs of $235 per month.
From the beginning to the present, BluPeak has been dedicated to positive change in numerous ways. So far in 2022, the credit union has:
“We take great pride in our history — and we are going to build on that moving forward,” said Tharp. “We are being intentional about incorporating our mission to the community, into our branding, to ensure tomorrow looks bright for our employees and members.”
