Fulfilling a Legacy After Loss | My Member Story

 

When a loved one passes away, it feels like life will never be the same. Family and friends often wonder how they will ever move forward.

 

Mountain America Credit Union member Terence White’s sudden passing was devastating to all who knew him. Since the beginning, he had a profound effect on many credit union employees.

 

This is his story.

 

The beginning

We were initially introduced to Terence in 2019 through a Mountain America member spotlight video. He wanted to buy a truck that would be sufficient for his family and keep them safe on the road. But due to poor credit, he couldn’t qualify for financing at an acceptable interest rate.

 

He had all but resigned himself to the fact that he was never going to buy the truck he wanted. He happened to make one last stop at Mountain America—that’s when his life changed and so did ours.

 

Bambi Burnell, senior financial services representative at the Spanish Fork branch, knew Terence best. “Terence was a hard guy not to love,” she says. “He’s just a gem.”

 

When he came to the branch and sat down with Bambi, she listened to what he was looking for and found out more about his experience with other financing options. After reviewing his credit score, she broke the news—Mountain America couldn’t approve the loan at the interest rate he wanted.

 

But that wasn’t the end of the conversation! Bambi explained that Terence’s goal was attainable—if he put in the work. A plan was put in place and an unbreakable friendship was formed.

 

Implementing the plan

Terence did everything that Bambi asked him to do. His focus was on paying off debt and increasing his credit score. That meant sacrifices—no vacations, no eating out and no “extras” for the family. Everyone was on board.

 

Bambi stayed involved to check on his progress and offer advice. She even helped him contact his creditors to negotiate payoff amounts.

 

In less than a year, Terence was able to get a good interest rate on an auto loan and get the truck of his dreams!

 

A quiet man with a big message

When Bambi asked Terence if he would be willing to share his story on video, she wasn’t sure how he would respond. You see, Terence wasn’t comfortable talking to people he didn’t know. He was very reserved.

 

Surprisingly, he was totally on board!

 

Terence was so impressed with what Mountain America and Bambi had done for him that he wanted to tell the world. He figured that if he could help just one person, his discomfort would all be worth it. What showed up on camera was genuine authenticity—he was even invited to be a guest on our podcast. Watch Terence’s episode here.

 

The unthinkable

For two years, Terence and Bambi worked together to get closer to financial freedom. In their regular meetings, Bambi would listen to what he had done since their last appointment and provide additional products or strategies that could help him with next steps.

 

Knowing how much Terence wanted to protect what he had worked so hard to build, Bambi talked to him about our loan relief plans. These plans, when added to a loan, help to pay off the remaining balance (up to contract maximums) in the event of unexpected illness, injury or death. He immediately added it to his two auto loans—one for his truck and one for his wife’s car.

 

Sometime later, he was poised to make the last payment on his truck when the unthinkable happened—Terence passed away from complications of COVID-19.

 

“Because of this product, we were able to give his family the titles to both vehicles and pay off the debt,” said Bambi. This meant even more as Terence’s wife, Meredith, has been fighting cancer for over two years. “It allowed us to make things just a little bit easier for her so she can focus on getting well.”

 

An unexpected surprise and plenty of family support

After learning about Terence’s passing, Bambi—and everyone who knew him at Mountain America—was devastated. Bambi knew that Terence had a loan relief plan in place to help his family with financial obligations.

 

She set things in motion for an in-branch surprise for Meredith. In addition to many of the employees who knew and loved Terence, twelve family members showed up to witness the presentation of the free-and-clear vehicle titles.

 

Nathan Anderson, chief operating officer at Mountain America, remarked on the festivities, “This has been such an important thing for Mountain America. For us, it’s important to be part of our members’ lives in a meaningful way.”

 

Thank you, Bambi, for being an amazing friend and supportive financial guide for Terence. And thank you, Terence, for leaving your mark and being an example to us all.

 

We love you!