Have you heard the story about the “Big 5” bank CEO who got a call from a troubled customer and immediately sprang to action and solved the problem?

Of course you haven’t.

But you may have heard one of the tales about Key Savings + Credit Union management coming to the rescue for their Alberta members.

From right, CEO Nick Wight, credit manager Wayne Yager and Armande Busby, supervisor – member services, are proud members of the Key Savings + Credit Union team.

Like the time Key Savings CEO Nick Wight received a call at home from a young man who had just been hospitalized and was worried about missing a payment.

“I told him we’d take care of it and not to worry,” Wight explained. “And he all but jumped through the phone line to give me a hug.

“It feels good to help people, and our entire team has that attitude toward every one of our members.”

Incorporated by employees of Calgary Power (which grew into TransAlta Utilities) in 1950, Key Savings was known as Hydro Savings & Credit Union until the year 2000 when deregulation opened some doors.

“For the first 50 years, we were focused on serving the financial needs of TransAlta employees and their families,” said Wight. “We’ve experienced steady growth since welcoming the public to become members, but it hasn’t changed the way we do business.”

The name Hydro Savings and its exclusive membership may be water under the bridge now, but the customer-focused approach to business is flowing as strong as ever.

“We’ve got some members who have been around here since Day 1, 52 years ago, and they would never stand for it if we started acting like a big bank,” said Wight.

“We’re smart enough to realize that our success is tied directly to our value system, which dictates that we treat every member like family.”

Key Savings is a full-service financial institution offering services including general accounts, loans, mortgages, investments, teleservice and leading-edge Internet banking, ATM access and much more.

Indeed, Key Savings has everything the big banks offer (except the hassles), with one important addition to the service menu – the personal touch.

“Key Savings is a place where everyone knows your name – and for a lot of people, that makes all the difference in the world,” said Wight.

In fact, the Key Savings staff even know the names of the members who prefer to phone the branch directly, rather than coming in.

“A lot of financial institutions say you’re more than a number to them, but you quickly find out that’s not the case. You’re a number, all right, and it sure isn’t No. 1.

“On the other hand, we have a 52-year track record of high-quality service in this community. There are 5,000 members who can tell you that we live up to our mission statement, which is to provide a friendly face, knowledgeable people and exceptional personal service.”

And Key Savings is more than just a friendly face. In the last five years alone, it has issued dividends and patronage rebates totaling more than $634,000.

Other advantages of being a Key Savings member include:

* Some of the lowest banking service fees in the market.

* Personal phone service: when you call the branch, you talk to a real, live person – and that person just happens to be friendly and helpful.

* 100% guaranteed deposits, regardless of the amount (some banks only guarantee up to $60,000).

* Same-day appointments to see a lender.

* The ability to apply for a loan online or over the phone.

The long list of financial services is second to none, but the personal touch is the Key.

Suffice to say the staff at Key Savings + Credit Union will go to great lengths to best serve your financial needs.

You can bank on it!

For more information on Key Savings and its services, visit or call the downtown branch (#110, 1202 Centre St. S.E. – phone: 232.4500) or the Airport Corporate Centre branch (#830, 1601 Airport Rd. N.E. – phone: 219.3515), or visit online at www.key-savings-cu.com