Freedom Federal Credit Union Opening New Branch in Perry Hall / White Marsh

May 3, 2021

The new branch will mark Freedom Federal Credit Union’s first Baltimore County location, and sixth location overall.

Freedom Federal Credit Union has announced plans to open a new full-service branch in the Perry Hall/White Marsh area. This is the Credit Union’s first branch in Baltimore County, and sixth branch within Northeastern Maryland. The new branch will be located at 5000 Honeygo Center Drive in the Honeygo Village Center, adjacent to Weis Markets, and across from AnyTime Fitness, and Liberatore’s Ristorante.

The branch will feature a full-service lobby, two drive-thru lanes, a 24/7 ATM, a free coin machine, and will provide ample parking and easy traffic flow and access. Financial Service Representatives will be in-person, and onsite, to support all business and individual banking needs.

The branch opening is the next step in Freedom’s expansion of their field of membership into Baltimore County, which the Credit Union announced in July 2020, following approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Since then, Freedom membership has been open to businesses and any individuals who live, work, worship, volunteer, attend school, or have family in Baltimore County. Freedom now serves all of Harford and Baltimore Counties.

The expansion into Baltimore County was a logical step in the Credit Union’s evolution. Freedom was already serving over 3,000 members that are Baltimore County residents and were able to join because of some affiliation with Harford County.

“This is a great milestone in Freedom Federal Credit Union’s history, as well as a monumental opportunity for our members, and the residents of both Baltimore and Harford Counties,” stated Mike MacPherson, President and CEO of Freedom. “The Honeygo Branch provides us our first physical space within Baltimore County, and ensures that we can truly deliver the ‘Freedom Advantage,’ our unique credit union service offering, to the greater Baltimore County communities. Not only will we be able to better serve a larger group of Maryland residents and businesses who we feel are currently being underserved, but we can better enhance the progress and growth of our Credit Union, which will benefit all our members going forward.”

Freedom Federal Credit Union was founded in 1953 as MATCOM Federal Credit Union. The Credit Union started in Baltimore and later moved to Harford County in support of the Edgewood Arsenal, which became part of Aberdeen Proving Ground. Freedom received their Harford County community charter in 1999 and changed their name to Freedom of Maryland Federal Credit Union in 2000.

MacPherson continued: “I think it’s important to emphasize that Freedom has not only risen to the challenge of the day, but even in the worst of times, continues to move forward in our vision and mission. While much of this last year has been focused on helping members through the pandemic, we decided to proceed with our expansion into Baltimore County, which will further allow us to offer lower cost loan options, higher deposit rates, better technology and access, and more community support across both Harford and Baltimore Counties. Our focus has been on expanding and enhancing every avenue and technology to allow our members more access to conduct business wherever needed, in-person, or online, all in the name of creating a better member experience.”

The new site in the Honeygo Village Center, which formerly housed First National Bank, is currently undergoing renovations, and is expected to open to the public in late summer with a grand opening event to be announced at a later date.

About Freedom Federal Credit Union

Freedom Federal Credit Union is a community-chartered federal credit union offering consumer financial services to those who live, work, volunteer, worship, attend school, or have family in Harford and Baltimore Counties. Additionally, Freedom offers a full-line of banking services for all businesses, associations, and other organizations that are based in Harford and Baltimore Counties. To learn more, visit freedomfcu.org.

I Think Therefore I Am

July 17, 2020

I think thinking is good. I think about thinking a lot; especially these days because there is so much more to think about. I think we even think about things we never thought about before and think about what we’re going to need to think about in the future. You think more about where to go, how to go, the known and unknown. You think more about family and friends. You may think more about strangers and what they’re thinking. You may even think about how much thinking people are not doing these days. You think about how they act rather than think because thinking takes too much effort. I must say, however, I think there is some non-thinking that is actually good.

When you think about it, our brains are a marvelous thinking machine and I find myself thinking about how much thinking my thinking machine can take. Which is why, I think, it’s good to take some time not to think, but not in the way most people aren’t thinking these days. For example, if I go to the beach I see lots of people reading books or scrolling on phones and tablets. Not me. I took a book once and read only three chapters in a week. I took a comic book for the entertainment value and minimal time it took. Mostly though, I just sit and stare off. Perhaps play some music, but it’s just background. I sit and think of nothing. I take in the wind and sounds and visual rhythms that pass before me, but I don’t think about them; they just are. As I think about it now, I realize when I don’t think, sometimes I think the best. When you tune out the all the thoughts that constantly plague your mind, when you take a few moments to clear your head, it’s like a reboot to your entire system and when you tune back in, there are amazing ideas, a greater appreciation of things and a renewed focus on what needs to be done.

Of course, you don’t need to be on a beach. You can do it anywhere. Sometimes I take a few moments to get up from my desk and look out the window. You just need to make time, for a few brief moments, at home, in your car, walking a trail, anywhere, to let it all go, breath deep, and don’t think.

Thinking is good, thinking is necessary most of the time, but not thinking for even just a little bit here and there, is a really good thing too. I think.

Mike

Freedom Federal Credit Union Expands Field of Membership
to Include Baltimore County

July 2, 2020

The Credit Union Was Approved by the National Credit Union Administration to Serve Residents and Businesses of Baltimore County

Freedom Federal Credit Union announced that they received approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for their request to expand their field of membership. Effective immediately, Freedom membership is now open to businesses and any individuals who live, work, worship, volunteer, attend school, or has family in Baltimore County. Prior to NCUA approval, Freedom’s field of membership was focused solely on Harford County.

“This is a very exciting time for Freedom Federal Credit Union, our members, and residents of both Baltimore and Harford Counties, as a whole”, stated Mike MacPherson, President and CEO of Freedom. “With NCUA’s approval, we can now provide what we call the “Freedom Advantage”, our unique credit union service offering, to the greater Baltimore County communities. We will be able to better serve a larger group of Maryland consumers and businesses who have currently been underserved, and address their immediate and long-term savings and lending needs as only a credit union, like Freedom, can do”.

Freedom Federal Credit Union was founded in 1953 as MATCOM Federal Credit Union. The Credit Union started in Baltimore and later moved to Harford County in support of the Edgewood Arsenal, (which became part of Aberdeen Proving Ground). Freedom received their Harford County community charter in 1999 and changed their name to Freedom of Maryland Federal Credit Union in 2000.

The expansion into Baltimore County was a logical step in the Credit Union’s evolution. Freedom already serves over 3,000 members that are Baltimore County residents and were able to join because of some affiliation with Harford County.

MacPherson continued: “We feel Freedom is an organization best qualified to meet the financial service needs of the expanded community. We’re financially strong, with full service, easily accessible locations, user-friendly tools for remote accessibility, and a wide range of products, services, and technology. Additionally, Freedom has always focused on our social responsibility, generously supporting the communities we serve. We now have even more opportunity to do good in the community, for even more organizations, businesses, and people across both Baltimore and Harford Counties”.

“Strategic growth is vital to our long term strength and viability”, stated Mike Kaiser, Chairman of the Board for Freedom. The entire Board of Directors saw the wisdom and value in our expansion, not only for the organization, members and communities we currently serve, but also for our future members, and unanimously adopted the expanded field of membership”.

Kaiser continued: “Expanding our field of membership to Baltimore County will also allow us to provide cutting edge products and services to many more members. As a full-service financial institution, Freedom has long catered, and is uniquely structured, to serve a wide variety of consumers, including those of low and modest means. We believe that Freedom is positioned to provide the value of a local, community-focused, ‘people helping people’-centric financial institution, while we continue to adhere to the principles, mission, and values that we have developed over our more than 67 year history”.

As part of the expansion, Freedom will look at all options with respect to new, physical locations, in both Harford and Baltimore Counties, as well as how best to leverage technology for those who like and want to conduct business electronically and remotely, whenever and wherever it is convenient for them.

About Freedom Federal Credit Union