Get to Know Patelco:
Q&A with SF Sunset's Branch Manager,
Luis Gaerlan

1. Tell me about your involvement with
financial literacy.
I work with individuals who don’t have a great knowledge of
financial institutions or credit unions, educating them on how
to better manage their finances. Recently, Patelco participated
in San Francisco’s Leland Street Festival and we set up a booth
for this purpose. It was truly a rewarding experience.

2. What’s been the response to financial
literacy outreach?
People begin to understand the merits of responsibly managing their financial resources and are more likely to effectively and profitably utilize the services of a traditional financial institution. However because a lot of the people I work with are immigrants or have had problem accounts in the past, they are faced with severe financial challenges. One way Patelco is helping this segment is by participating in Bank on San Francisco.

3. Tell me about Bank on San Francisco.
Patelco’s four San Francisco branches are participating in Bank on San Francisco, a city program designed to help people enter the financial mainstream and start saving for their future. It enables those who’ve had a problematic account history, or don’t have a driver’s license or Social Security card to open a bank account in San Francisco.

For more information please call the Bank on San Francisco hotline at 415-554-4409 or send an e-mail to bankonsf@sfgov.org.

156 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Copyright © 2006, Patelco Credit Union.