March 12, 2025 • 10 mins
In this episode, host Michele welcomes Charles Brandt, product manager in Patelco's consumer lending department. Charles shares his extensive experience and insights on credit cards, discussing how to choose the right product and use credit responsibly to achieve financial goals. Tune in to learn about Patelco's credit card offerings and how they can help you on your financial journey.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Thank you for joining us for SmallTalks for Big Change, where we
help simplify financial topics tohelp with your financial wellness.
Hey, everyone out there, howyou doing with your New Year
resolutions and your financial goals?
If you're a regular listener tothe show, you know that we talk
endlessly about financial health andthe pillars that define financial
(00:21):
health, one of them being borrowing.
So today's episode, we'regoing to talk about credit.
I'm borrowing and utilizing toolsto make it work for you and benefit
you in your financial journey.
We've got a friend with ustoday to help us do that.
Friends, I'd like to introduce youto Charles Brandt, product manager
in our consumer lending department.
(00:42):
Charles has done it all here at Patelcoin his eight years and brings great
perspective to members needs whenit comes to credit and products that
help increase financial capacity.
Charles, welcome to the studio.
So great to have you here today.
Thank you, Michelle.
I'm very excited to talk aboutour credit card products and all
the benefits that they come with.
Awesome.
(01:02):
Charles, I thought your career path hereat Patelco was really interesting and your
experience gives you unique perspectivein creating new solutions for our members.
Can you share a little bit aboutyour experience and your role?
Certainly.
I've been with Patelcogoing on eight years now.
I started at our member contact centeras a card services representative.
(01:26):
At my time at the Member ContactCenter, I listed and helped
with our members everyday needs.
From there, I moved into ourcard operations team, working
the back office side of cards.
And finally, I joined card productteam as a consumer lending product
manager for our credit cards.
I have always been passionateabout ensuring our products are
the right fit for our members.
(01:46):
And my experience allows me toreally match our members needs with
the credit card products we offer.
That's pretty cool.
You spent so much time talking directlywith members about their very specific
credit card needs and for so long.
You're here to talk about credit cardsand help us understand how we make
Using credit cards really work forus to benefit our financial health.
(02:08):
We recently held a series of classesfor a group of teens in Milpitas.
And when covering credit, explainto them that obtaining credit and
using it responsibly is a big keyto meeting your financial goals.
Do you agree with that?
Yes, ma'am.
Credit cards are a vital toolin our member's credit journey.
No matter where they may fall in thatjourney, whether it's your first credit
(02:30):
line or the latest, it is important thatyou have the right product for your needs.
By choosing the right product andmaintaining great credit, it sets
our members on the path of financialwell being to accomplish their goals.
Whether that be buying a newcar, a new home, or whatever
their financial goals may be.
Yep, there's tons ofoptions out there, right?
(02:51):
I think we're presented with them allthe time, I mean, you go to a retail
store and you're asked if you want toput that purchase on a brand new credit
card, credit card companies and neweroptions are coming out all the time.
What types do we have hereat Patelco and what would you
recommend for different purposes?
We offer many different typesof credit cards here at Batelco.
(03:14):
,most institutions offer different product types for different needs
that their members may have.
Batelco is not different here.
We offer three different typesof consumer credit cards that are
catered towards our members needs.
From students starting their journey.
To those looking to maximizetheir rewards, we have
options for almost anyone.
Our student credit cards is primarilyfor students that are looking for
(03:36):
their first credit card, and arelooking to build their credit.
We also have our peer credit card,which is our lowest rate card, and it's
also a great credit builder product.
If you have existing balances, this isa great card, to be taking advantage
of our balance transfer rate of0 percent for 6 months, within 90
days of opening that new balance.
Peer credit card account.
(03:57):
And our final card isour Point Rewards card.
This provides two times points on gasand grocery purchases, and one point
on all other qualified purchases.
This is great for those that want tobe rewarded for the everyday purchases.
Really cool.
So dependent on, you know, whatyou may want as far as, rewards
points or if you want a lower rate.
(04:20):
Or maybe with a student creditcard, you want a limit on purpose
just to keep you disciplined.
We have a type for everyone,sounds like you're saying?
Yes, ma'am.
But it's important to do yourresearch and maybe even walk into
a branch or check out our websiteand compare the different cards.
Definitely.
I would also recommend speaking to oneof our financial advisors about the
(04:40):
different types of credit cards we offerto find one that best fits your needs.
Yeah, that's a great recommendation.
, and most of our branches and you caneven go to our website and schedule
an appointment with one of thosecertified financial specialists
and those services are free.
Yes, ma'am.
You can also be able torequest one online as well.
Awesome.
All right.
Well, what about our rates versusother financial institutions?
(05:03):
How do those compare?
Our rates at Patelco are verycompetitive in the industry.
As a not for profit institution, westrive to always take into account
our members financial well being.
This includes offering our lower rates.
We tend to try to offer the lowest ratespossible to ensure that we're helping
our members meet their financial goals.
(05:26):
You know, Charles, in your eightyears at Patelco, you've been really
involved with helping educate memberson how to best use their credit cards.
And now in product development, you'reat the forefront of creating new tools.
I bet a lot of thingshave changed in that time.
Can you highlight some benefitswith one of Patelco's card options?
(05:46):
So, a few years ago, we looked at our cardproducts, and we saw that there was We
wanted to increase the value of our cards.
So we added a ton of newbenefits to our card.
Our Patelco credit cards allcome with some amazing benefits.
Some of my favorites include our IDtheft protection, which you can sign
(06:07):
up for for free with MasterCard.
This provides our members alerts in caseIn this case, MasterCard detects any
of your information being compromised.
If you do not have a Potelco creditcard and would like to take advantage
of this benefit, you can also qualifyto sign up if you have a Potelco
checking account with a debit card.
Potelco credit cards have a fewadditional benefits that are
(06:28):
not available on our debit card.
These include our cell phone protection,which you can automatically qualify
for if you make your monthly payment.
(06:53):
That's so cool, Charles.
When we were prepping for the showand you mentioned some of these, I
had no idea about any four of those.
So Charles was talking about.
Free identity theft protection support,cell phone protection, extended
warranty, and travel benefits withour Patelco MasterCard, which is huge.
Where can members find out moreinformation about these benefits?
(07:14):
So our members can go to our website andthey can look for the Guide to Benefits,
or go to the credit card page and clickon your card type and click on Guide
to Benefits to be able to see the fulllist of benefits that they can get.
MasterCard offers.
Awesome.
Awesome.
I think ID theft protection and thecell phone protection are probably of
interest to most of our listeners outthere and really cool I also learned
(07:36):
from you that there's all kind of selfserve credit card features within the
Patelco mobile app that are really cool.
Can you help tell us about some of those?
I'd be happy to.
In our online banking, we offerwhat we call card management.
This platform allows members to beable to lock or unlock their card,
place your own personal limits andalerts on any transactions, be able
(07:59):
to place travel notes without havingto call us, and even allows you to
report your card as lost or stolen.
All of these features and morecan be accessed in your online
banking or mobile app under accountservices and card management.
So cool.
There's so many new options now.
I have to tell you the story, Charles.
I, was recently at HomeGoods,one of my favorite places to shop.
(08:20):
And my wallet got liftedat HomeGoods of all places.
I couldn't believe it.
And I get to the counter and I realizethat it's gone and I try not to panic.
And I realized that, oh, my cardis connected to my Apple Wallet, so
I can still pay and like not havethat embarrassment at the cashier.
But then I immediately got to thecar, looked around the car for
my wallet and did realize that itprobably got stolen inside the store.
(08:44):
Logged on to online banking, cancelled mycard, and ordered a new one right there.
It was a great solution to a really badproblem, but not something I could have
done five years ago, ten years ago.
So I was really appreciative for,for technology and the way that we've
advanced with our card features.
That was really cool.
So if you're looking to transfer abalance from a different credit card,
(09:06):
do we make that pretty easy, Charles?
Yes, we have several options foryou to be able to transfer a balance
from another institution to Patelco.
You can be able to easily do thisby talking to any of our Patelco
representatives who would be happyto do that balance transfer for you.
Or, you can go online and doit yourself using your online
(09:28):
banking, to do a balance transfer.
Okay.
Awesome.
Thank you for sharing all of these tips.
Thank you for doing everything thatyou do for our members and trying to
bring us these great features with ourcredit card products and focusing on the
borrowing aspect of our financial health.
Thank you for having me.
(09:48):
I enjoyed going over all ofour wonderful card products and
the great benefits they offer.
All right, friends.
Well, it's that time to share the secretkeyword and that's MasterCard MasterClass.
It's a long one.
Hit us up at webinars at patelco.
org with the keyword again.
That's MasterCard MasterClass fora chance to win a 25 e gift card.
(10:10):
That is going to do it for us todayon Small Talks for Big Change, where
we help simplify financial topics tohelp with your financial wellness.
Have fun credit card comparing.
We'll see you next time, friends.
Podolko Credit Union is insured by NCUA.
Thank you for joining us for SmallTalks for Big Change, where we
help simplify financial topics tohelp with your financial wellness.
Hey, everyone out there, howyou doing with your New Year
resolutions and your financial goals?
If you're a regular listener tothe show, you know that we talk
endlessly about financial health andthe pillars that define financial
(00:21):
health, one of them being borrowing.
So today's episode, we'regoing to talk about credit.
I'm borrowing and utilizing toolsto make it work for you and benefit
you in your financial journey.
We've got a friend with ustoday to help us do that.
Friends, I'd like to introduce youto Charles Brandt, product manager
in our consumer lending department.
(00:42):
Charles has done it all here at Patelcoin his eight years and brings great
perspective to members needs whenit comes to credit and products that
help increase financial capacity.
Charles, welcome to the studio.
So great to have you here today.
Thank you, Michelle.
I'm very excited to talk aboutour credit card products and all
the benefits that they come with.
Awesome.
(01:02):
Charles, I thought your career path hereat Patelco was really interesting and your
experience gives you unique perspectivein creating new solutions for our members.
Can you share a little bit aboutyour experience and your role?
Certainly.
I've been with Patelcogoing on eight years now.
I started at our member contact centeras a card services representative.
(01:26):
At my time at the Member ContactCenter, I listed and helped
with our members everyday needs.
From there, I moved into ourcard operations team, working
the back office side of cards.
And finally, I joined card productteam as a consumer lending product
manager for our credit cards.
I have always been passionateabout ensuring our products are
the right fit for our members.
(01:46):
And my experience allows me toreally match our members needs with
the credit card products we offer.
That's pretty cool.
You spent so much time talking directlywith members about their very specific
credit card needs and for so long.
You're here to talk about credit cardsand help us understand how we make
Using credit cards really work forus to benefit our financial health.
(02:08):
We recently held a series of classesfor a group of teens in Milpitas.
And when covering credit, explainto them that obtaining credit and
using it responsibly is a big keyto meeting your financial goals.
Do you agree with that?
Yes, ma'am.
Credit cards are a vital toolin our member's credit journey.
No matter where they may fall in thatjourney, whether it's your first credit
(02:30):
line or the latest, it is important thatyou have the right product for your needs.
By choosing the right product andmaintaining great credit, it sets
our members on the path of financialwell being to accomplish their goals.
Whether that be buying a newcar, a new home, or whatever
their financial goals may be.
Yep, there's tons ofoptions out there, right?
(02:51):
I think we're presented with them allthe time, I mean, you go to a retail
store and you're asked if you want toput that purchase on a brand new credit
card, credit card companies and neweroptions are coming out all the time.
What types do we have hereat Patelco and what would you
recommend for different purposes?
We offer many different typesof credit cards here at Batelco.
(03:14):
,most institutions offer different product types for different needs
that their members may have.
Batelco is not different here.
We offer three different typesof consumer credit cards that are
catered towards our members needs.
From students starting their journey.
To those looking to maximizetheir rewards, we have
options for almost anyone.
Our student credit cards is primarilyfor students that are looking for
(03:36):
their first credit card, and arelooking to build their credit.
We also have our peer credit card,which is our lowest rate card, and it's
also a great credit builder product.
If you have existing balances, this isa great card, to be taking advantage
of our balance transfer rate of0 percent for 6 months, within 90
days of opening that new balance.
Peer credit card account.
(03:57):
And our final card isour Point Rewards card.
This provides two times points on gasand grocery purchases, and one point
on all other qualified purchases.
This is great for those that want tobe rewarded for the everyday purchases.
Really cool.
So dependent on, you know, whatyou may want as far as, rewards
points or if you want a lower rate.
(04:20):
Or maybe with a student creditcard, you want a limit on purpose
just to keep you disciplined.
We have a type for everyone,sounds like you're saying?
Yes, ma'am.
But it's important to do yourresearch and maybe even walk into
a branch or check out our websiteand compare the different cards.
Definitely.
I would also recommend speaking to oneof our financial advisors about the
(04:40):
different types of credit cards we offerto find one that best fits your needs.
Yeah, that's a great recommendation.
, and most of our branches and you caneven go to our website and schedule
an appointment with one of thosecertified financial specialists
and those services are free.
Yes, ma'am.
You can also be able torequest one online as well.
Awesome.
All right.
Well, what about our rates versusother financial institutions?
(05:03):
How do those compare?
Our rates at Patelco are verycompetitive in the industry.
As a not for profit institution, westrive to always take into account
our members financial well being.
This includes offering our lower rates.
We tend to try to offer the lowest ratespossible to ensure that we're helping
our members meet their financial goals.
(05:26):
You know, Charles, in your eightyears at Patelco, you've been really
involved with helping educate memberson how to best use their credit cards.
And now in product development, you'reat the forefront of creating new tools.
I bet a lot of thingshave changed in that time.
Can you highlight some benefitswith one of Patelco's card options?
(05:46):
So, a few years ago, we looked at our cardproducts, and we saw that there was We
wanted to increase the value of our cards.
So we added a ton of newbenefits to our card.
Our Patelco credit cards allcome with some amazing benefits.
Some of my favorites include our IDtheft protection, which you can sign
(06:07):
up for for free with MasterCard.
This provides our members alerts in caseIn this case, MasterCard detects any
of your information being compromised.
If you do not have a Potelco creditcard and would like to take advantage
of this benefit, you can also qualifyto sign up if you have a Potelco
checking account with a debit card.
Potelco credit cards have a fewadditional benefits that are
(06:28):
not available on our debit card.
These include our cell phone protection,which you can automatically qualify
for if you make your monthly payment.
(06:53):
That's so cool, Charles.
When we were prepping for the showand you mentioned some of these, I
had no idea about any four of those.
So Charles was talking about.
Free identity theft protection support,cell phone protection, extended
warranty, and travel benefits withour Patelco MasterCard, which is huge.
Where can members find out moreinformation about these benefits?
(07:14):
So our members can go to our website andthey can look for the Guide to Benefits,
or go to the credit card page and clickon your card type and click on Guide
to Benefits to be able to see the fulllist of benefits that they can get.
MasterCard offers.
Awesome.
Awesome.
I think ID theft protection and thecell phone protection are probably of
interest to most of our listeners outthere and really cool I also learned
(07:36):
from you that there's all kind of selfserve credit card features within the
Patelco mobile app that are really cool.
Can you help tell us about some of those?
I'd be happy to.
In our online banking, we offerwhat we call card management.
This platform allows members to beable to lock or unlock their card,
place your own personal limits andalerts on any transactions, be able
(07:59):
to place travel notes without havingto call us, and even allows you to
report your card as lost or stolen.
All of these features and morecan be accessed in your online
banking or mobile app under accountservices and card management.
So cool.
There's so many new options now.
I have to tell you the story, Charles.
I, was recently at HomeGoods,one of my favorite places to shop.
(08:20):
And my wallet got liftedat HomeGoods of all places.
I couldn't believe it.
And I get to the counter and I realizethat it's gone and I try not to panic.
And I realized that, oh, my cardis connected to my Apple Wallet, so
I can still pay and like not havethat embarrassment at the cashier.
But then I immediately got to thecar, looked around the car for
my wallet and did realize that itprobably got stolen inside the store.
(08:44):
Logged on to online banking, cancelled mycard, and ordered a new one right there.
It was a great solution to a really badproblem, but not something I could have
done five years ago, ten years ago.
So I was really appreciative for,for technology and the way that we've
advanced with our card features.
That was really cool.
So if you're looking to transfer abalance from a different credit card,
(09:06):
do we make that pretty easy, Charles?
Yes, we have several options foryou to be able to transfer a balance
from another institution to Patelco.
You can be able to easily do thisby talking to any of our Patelco
representatives who would be happyto do that balance transfer for you.
Or, you can go online and doit yourself using your online
(09:28):
banking, to do a balance transfer.
Okay.
Awesome.
Thank you for sharing all of these tips.
Thank you for doing everything thatyou do for our members and trying to
bring us these great features with ourcredit card products and focusing on the
borrowing aspect of our financial health.
Thank you for having me.
(09:48):
I enjoyed going over all ofour wonderful card products and
the great benefits they offer.
All right, friends.
Well, it's that time to share the secretkeyword and that's MasterCard MasterClass.
It's a long one.
Hit us up at webinars at patelco.
org with the keyword again.
That's MasterCard MasterClass fora chance to win a 25 e gift card.
(10:10):
That is going to do it for us todayon Small Talks for Big Change, where
we help simplify financial topics tohelp with your financial wellness.
Have fun credit card comparing.
We'll see you next time, friends.
Podolko Credit Union is insured by NCUA.
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