90 years of service and success at Tropical Financial, with more to come

Nine decades of accomplishments would be enough for anyone. Not Tropical Financial Credit Union. As we celebrate our 90^th anniversary, we are working to provide better, faster, and smarter member service.

The in-house Power BI program provides employees with real-time data through detailed dashboards to speed loan processing and deliver better service and accounts tailored to the needs of individuals and businesses. Credit union account holders are getting more than ever before from their membership.

The new Ring Central, a cloud-based platform, improves communication with members and among employees. The technology merges phone calls, messages and meetings into one app, ensuring that members don’t fall through the gaps when they need information or help.

Later this year, Tropical Financial will add Zelle to its menu of funds transfers. Individuals and businesses can use it to send money quickly to other people and vendors.

These and other technological advancements will make it easier for members to manage their money, get help from Tropical Financial bankers, and achieve their financial goals.

The credit union has come a long way from that day in March 1935 when a small group of Southern Bell employees pooled a little over $800 to form Tropical Financial. By the second day, it had $400 in loans.

What else of note happened that year? Let’s take a look:

• Miami’s population was booming, rising to 172,172 in 1940 from 110,637 in 1930, according to the U.S. Census. Broward County’s population nearly doubled in the same time period to 39,794.
• Julie Andrews, the star of “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music,” was born on Oct. 1. Singer Johnny Mathis, known for hits like "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say," was born on the day before. Later that year, actor/director Woody Allen was born.
• The DC-3 aircraft, which revolutionized air travel, made its first flight on Dec. 13. The National Youth Administration, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, was created to provide work and education for young people.
• “Mutiny on the Bounty,” which starred Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, won the Oscar for Best Picture. Other notable films that year included Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps,” the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical "Top Hat,” Errol Flynn as the swashbuckling “Captain Blood,” and “Bride of Frankenstein.”

We're so proud of everything we've accomplished in the past 9 decades, and can't wait for you to see what's in store for the future of Tropical Financial.