Founded in 1955, BrightBridge Credit Union (BrightBridge) is a state-chartered community credit union with over $2.4 billion in assets. Our Corporate Office is located in Lawrence, Massachusetts. We currently serve over 115,000 members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, offering a wide range of savings and loan products, commercial services and digital banking to meet the financial needs of our growing member base. Our network of twenty-eight branches stretching from New Hampshire through Massachusetts down to Rhode Island comprise nineteen community branches and nine workplace branches.
We are focused on serving families, individuals and businesses with the credit union philosophy of "people helping people". We believe in giving back to the communities we serve and demonstrate our commitment through our sponsorships of non-profit organizations, employee volunteer program, and financial literacy initiatives.
Our dedicated Board of Directors & Management team puts you first in all we do.
1955: MVCU is founded as the Communications Workers Employee Credit Union by Union Local 1365 in North Andover, MA. The name quickly changed to Merrimack Valley Credit Union. G. Harvey Ellis was our first General Manager.
1962: We reached the $1 million in assets milestone! Duncan MacLeod is now the General Manager.
1990s: Our field of membership opened up to serve more than 200 employer groups in the Merrimack Valley as well as their family members.
2005: MVCU converted to a community charter, allowing us to serve eligible members in the Merrimack Valley. Peter J. Matthews Jr. is the President & CEO.
2007: Our Corporate Office moved to Lawrence, MA, and we have five branches.
2016: We opened our sixth branch in Seabrook, NH.
2018: MVCU became a state-chartered credit union.
2019: MVCU merged with Bridgewater Credit Union, allowing us to serve members both in the Merrimack Valley and the south-shore region of Massachusetts. John J. Howard became our President & CEO.
2020: MVCU merged with the Ocean Spray Employees Federal Credit Union, expanding our field of membership to include all Ocean Spray employees and contract growers.
2021: MVCU expanded the field of membership to include additional counties in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
2023: MVCU merged with RTN Federal Credit Union to welcome 40,000 additional members of RTN's Select Employer Groups and community members.
2025: MVCU becomes BrightBridge Credit Union.
We are a financially sound and well-capitalized credit union. What this means is that we can expand the products and services we offer to better fit your financial needs. Despite our growth, our passion for serving our members has never wavered. We have your best interest at heart!
News
Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) and Bridgewater Credit Union, a division of MVCU, are proud to announce that as of March 24, 2025, the organization has officially rebranded to BrightBridge Credit Union. This new name unifies a branch network that spans from southern New Hampshire through the South Shore of Massachusetts and reflects the credit union's commitment to empowering members with financial opportunities and building stronger connections with the communities it serves.
Rapid developments in technology have led to a growing number of people—and financial institutions—depending on the convenience of online and mobile banking. While convenience is beneficial for business, many people still want to trust and feel supported by the organizations that hold some of their most valuable assets. This makes personal connections with members more important than ever before for community-driven institutions like credit unions. It is this commitment to connection and community that led Magali Garcia-Pletsch to join the Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) family.
On Friday, Feb. 14, Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) and Methuen High School (MHS) teamed up for the sixth year to present the Credit for Life Fair to hundreds of graduating seniors. Credit for Life is a two-hour financial simulation held in Klimas Field House at MHS where students selected a profession that best fits their post-graduation plans and received an estimated salary. They then connected with volunteers and discussed financial decisions they would encounter as adults, such as attending community, state or private college; choosing between purchasing a car or a public transit pass; and deciding whether to rent or own a home.
The RTN GoodWorks Foundation, a nonprofit, public charitable foundation affiliated with Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU), has made donations totaling $3,000 to five local non-profit organizations in celebration of Giving Tuesday.
Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) has donated $30,000 to Emmaus, Inc. in Haverhill, Mass. The credit union is proud to be the nonprofit’s longest running and largest partner, having donated more than half a million dollars through 30 years of support for Emmaus, Inc.