Rio Grande Credit Union Is Recognized Nationally by Firm Callahan & Associates for Returning Proceeds to Members

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Credit Union Strategy and Performance (CUSP) magazine recently rated Rio Grande Credit Union of Albuquerque in the top 80th percentile among U.S. credit unions on the Return of the Member (ROM) Index, which measures the economic value members receive from their credit union memberships. The prestigious rating is assigned by asset categories based on criteria developed by Callahan & Associates, reflecting a credit union's functions of member lending, savings and product usage. Rio Grande Credit Union placed 149 out of 715 credit unions nationally among credit unions with $100-$250 million in assets.

Credit unions are constantly striving to improve their member service, whether it's by offering new savings options, competitive loan rates or a wider variety of services. To help gauge the credit union movement's progress, Callahan & Associates (a national credit union research and consulting firm) created the Return of the Member Index for credit unions looking to measure their most important asset -- their members' use of the credit union.

"We are pleased to have been recognized in the ROM index, because it confirms that we are doing everything we can to give back to our members. We are a not-for-profit organization with no shareholders to please. We exist solely to serve our members, and the ROM index illustrates that we are not only doing our job well, but serving as an example to other credit unions," stated Chris Fitzgerald, President/CEO of Rio Grande Credit Union.

Callahan and Associates uses figures, including dividends, paid through savings accounts, quality of loan products, and product usage to determine ROM scores.

Rio Grande Credit Union was founded in 1953, and today serves more than 16,000 members throughout Albuquerque. RGCU's member base includes employees of the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, the VA Hospital, those living to the west of I-25, and members of Catholic parishes. To learn more about RGCU, visit any branch location, go to www.riograndecu.org, or call (505) 262-1401.