PENSACOLA, Fla. – Add Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union to the number of credit unions that have rewarded members with dividends. The $273 million CU issued a $1 million dividend to its more than 37,000 members' accounts on New Year's Day. This is the fourth time in the last nine years that GWFCU has returned a bonus dividend payment to its members, the CU said. The combined total is more than $1,925,000. "This bonus dividend is a powerful way to differentiate between a not-for-profit cooperative and a for-profit bank," said Chris Rutledge, GWFCU president/CEO. GWFCU was able to disperse excess income through the dividend while still offering low interest rates on loans in 2005, said Fred Houston, chairman of the board, adding doing so reinforces the movement's mission of "people helping people." "There is no debate that the credit union's reason for being is to help better the lives of its members by providing high quality, low cost financial services," the CU said. "GWFCU is proud to provide diversified products with service that soars above to a wide array of members."