It's time to not just care about your physical health, but your fiscal health too

Founded in 1979, HealthCare Associates Credit Union (HACU) was founded by the Illinois Hospital Association, with the goal of serving those who support healthcare.

HACU is a full-service, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving Select Employee Groups with staff and members that serve or support healthcare nationwide. We provide low rates on loan products such as student loan financing and refinancing, personal loans, auto loans, credit cards, mortgages and much more.

HACU also offers depository products such as savings, checking, money markets and CDs. We also offer commercial loans, lines of credit and equipment loans and access to an award winning financial literacy platform for member organizations, all at no cost to the employer, employee or member.

HACU is more than your typical credit union; healthcare is a part of who we are. Celebrating over 40 years of serving our members, we remain true to healthcare; our board is made up of directors who come from healthcare, hospitals and associations, so we keep those we serve front of mind in everything we do.

We understand that it's not just important to be physically fit, but also fiscally fit. Employers are recognizing that financial stress is a problem for many Americans, and that stress can get in the way of their workdays. Helping employees' deal with their day to day finances as well as planning for the future can also build loyalty with the employer.

HACU started its financial wellness services for their members and member organizations about 15 years ago. After seeing research suggesting a need for financial literacy for our members, and in serving healthcare; we recognized the workplace is a good place to provide it.

We offer an award winning platform with different strategies and goals that can be adjusted for any age or to pinpoint the needs of different stages of life.

Healthcare employers that want to offer financial wellness services as a benefit need to be prepared to respond to a wide range of needs, ages and incomes.

For instance, younger physicians may be facing huge medical school debt and looking for the best way to manage it. Medical residents with modest incomes may be embarking on their first car loan. Physicians who are more established in their careers and with higher incomes might be looking for help with long-term planning for investments and retirement.

With millennials joining the workforce in droves to fill health care jobs, HR departments are keeping a keen focus on how their employees see the world. Young people encounter their finances on a smart phone screen but don't necessarily understand the depth behind the numbers, which tends to distance them from the realities of dollars and cents. HACU provides both the tools and products to help understand their finances and plan for the future.

With local branches and a nationwide network with over 5,600 shared branches and 75,000 surcharge free ATMs; it's easier than ever to bank at HACU. Plus with the financial wellness programs HACU offers, we can provide help to employees and their families with budgeting, saving and spending so they not only manage day-to-day but can also plan for retirement.

HACU is proud to help their select employer groups offer not just superior financial products and solutions, but the award winning platform for financial literacy that can be tailored for life events, age and goals and peace of mind at no cost.

To learn more about HACU and how you can partner with us, visit www.hacu.org.

• Joe Kregul is president and CEO of HealthCare Associates Credit Union based in Naperville. Contact him at (630) 276-5771.