About Us

It was 1955. Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. Elvis had not yet had his first hit. And a few members of the Traverse City school system were making a little history of their own. Seeing a need to help educators and school staff with their finances, the small group pooled the $50 needed for a credit union charter. On Thanksgiving Day, 1955, the Traverse City School Employees Credit Union was chartered.

In those early days, funds were kept in a cigar box. Those needing a loan could take what they needed and leave an I.O.U. to be covered the next payday. It was a level of shared trust that continues today with TBA members.

Like our area, TBA has grown considerably and now provides a wide range of services to over 10,000 members. Recently, TBA was chartered as a community credit union, allowing us to offer membership to anyone within a five-county area, including Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim, Kalkaska, and Benzie counties. We have, however, never strayed far from our roots. We are committed to our members. Their needs. Their dreams. Their financial futures. It’s why we got started. It’s why we continue.