After a few too many ‘bad experiences’ with other financial institutions, Jillene Khan was looking for a change. When she heard about Affinity Plus from a friend, she decided to apply to be a member. Khan has now been an Affinity Plus member for around 16 years.
“Most people don’t talk about how much they love financial institutions, so I feel super nerdy talking about how my bank feels like my friend. But, Affinity Plus has been there for me through a lot of changes in my life and has taught me more than I ever thought I’d learn from a bank.” said Khan.
She’s thankful for the different ways that Affinity Plus has shown her that support, both personally and in her financial life. She specifically remembers the personal interactions, the caring employees, and the teachable moments. Different situations require different knowledge, and Khan was always willing to learn new things.
“I had gotten myself into some pretty bad credit card debt. Every couple of years I’d roll the debt into another signature loan and then use the credit card again. This was a pattern I didn’t recognize, or see a way out of, until the employees at Affinity Plus pointed it out to me,” said Khan. “They provided me with resources and information that I didn’t have and partnered with me to ensure that the pattern stopped. That was an eye-opening experience and I was able to see how important it was to change my behaviors so I could pay off my debt.”
Khan took on a second job, and a third for a period of time, and was able to pay off over $26,000 in debt, in just under two years. Khan was also able to pay her car loan off with Affinity Plus. She says she had goosebumps when, for the first time in her adult life, she was finally debt-free.
Even when Khan moved away from Minnesota for about 10 years, she didn’t feel a need to switch financial institutions. Instead, she decided to continue her banking interactions with Affinity Plus, and was able to have them as close to normal as possible from a different state. When it was time for her to move back to Minnesota, everything was all ready for her as she had the support of Affinity Plus the entire time.
Khan says her experiences with the credit union makes her feel like she matters in the Affinity Plus community. She was impressed that various employees took the time to see the bigger picture when she reached out for help and come up with a plan to set her up for success in the future. Khan has been regularly meeting with Michelle Carlson, a financial advisor at Affinity Plus, to continue to plan out her long-term financial goals.
Affinity Plus also introduced Khan to different volunteer opportunities and ways to give back to the community, which is important to her.
“I follow Affinity Plus on social media and I see them doing all sorts of cool things to help others. If there’s something that I really want to get involved in, I can do that through my credit union. I love that Affinity Plus provides me with an outlet to support local organizations,” said Khan. It means a great deal to her that the efforts of Affinity Plus stay in the local communities where the branches are, and she can help give back to others just by being a member.
From life changes to being in different financial situations and needing some extra help, Khan has constantly pursued learning new things. Affinity Plus is lucky to have members like her who are committed to personal growth and making the most out of hard situations.
