| Choice
Matters Newsletter For Members Of Choice One Credit Union |
| First Edition 2008 |
|
• Let It Snow Savings! |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Choose Choice One Community Federal Credit Union for all your investments, and your savings will add up even faster. We offer high yields on a variety of savings products. Select the account that works best for your needs, and watch your savings grow! Money Market Accounts
Share Certificates (CDs)
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
Current Rates Are Always Available At www.choiceone.org Apply Today! *Offer and rates subject to change. Outback Steakhouse Gift Card subject to availability. Limit one gift card per member.
Contact the credit union for complete details.
April 15 comes faster than you think. Choice One Community FCU can guide you through this taxing time with ways to help you increase your tax gains through an IRA, get your refund more quickly, and even assist in filing the paperwork. Increase Your Refund Get Your Money Sooner
With Direct Deposit Start Gaining Tax-Deferred
Dividends With An IRA Traditional IRA Roth IRA Coverdell Educational
Savings Account Free Tax Help For Seniors & Others Choice One Community Federal Credit Union Commission On Economic Opportunity Office (CEO) Wilkes University - Breiseth Hall *38,348 if married. Investment income may not exceed $2,800. SCAM ALERT… From fake Nigerian princes to bogus Russian mail-order brides, the globe is full of con artists scamming for your money. Watch out for a slick scam called "Phishing." Thieves pose as legitimate companies, like a financial institution, online retailer, utility, prospective employer, even a government agency. They send e-mails from look-alike websites, or call on the telephone to dupe you into providing your Social Security number, account number, PIN numbers, and more. To get you to act quickly, phishers usually threaten to close your account. Sadly, close to 5% of victims volunteer their personal financial information! Ward-Off Phishers
Dormant Account Alert! Member accounts with no activity for 6 months will be classified as dormant. Accounts dormant for five years or more will be turned over to the PA Dept. of Revenue. State law requires all financial institutions to report all abandoned and unclaimed property in their possession for five years or more from the date it was first abandoned. Credit union policy allows for a maintenance fee of $2.00 per month to be assessed on dormant accounts with balances of $50.00 or less. A dormant account can be reactivated by simply making a deposit or a withdrawal. Contact us if you have any questions.
Have you considered how you would pay the bills if you or a member or your family ever needed long-term care? If you’re like many people, you may think that your health insurance coverage will pay, or Medicare, or perhaps Medicaid. In fact, regular health insurance policies, Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance, don't cover most long-term care services. Specifically, Medicare only covers up to a 100-day benefit period for skilled care in a nursing facility if you're admitted after at least a three-day hospital stay and your doctor prescribes skilled medical care. That means Medicare doesn't pay for any nursing facility care unless you were in the hospital first. And it doesn't pay for the custodial care that is more commonly needed for long periods, such as help with bathing, dressing, or eating. Moreover, Medicare generally doesn't cover care in assisted living facilities. And Medicare doesn't pay for personal health care at home unless you're also receiving skilled care, such as nursing services or physical therapy. What about Medicaid? The Medicaid program is intended only for those who meet federal and state poverty guidelines for income and assets. Plus, the government has strict rules to discourage people from giving away assets to qualify for assistance. That's why you may want to check into long-term care insurance. Today's long-term care policies typically offer coverage for all levels of care - skilled, intermediate, and personal - in varied settings including nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, hospice facilities, and at home. Whether you're a candidate for coverage depends on your age, health, income assets, and personal situation. James H. Van Wert, Jr., CFP*, the MEMBERS™ Financial Services Representative serving your credit union, can help you determine if long-term care insurance is right for you. Contact Jim at (570) 208-4520 for personalized assistance. *Insurance products are not federally insured, may involve investment risk, may lose value and are
not obligations of or guaranteed by the financial institution.
Don’t Say Debit - Say Credit! Credit or debit? That’s the call of cashiers from coast to coast. When this question comes up, use your Choice One Community FCU VISA® Check Card and answer "credit!" We will soon launch a program that will reward you for it. Keep watching your newsletter! Consolidate Those Holiday Bills & Save! The New Year always brings a fresh outlook, new dreams… and post-holiday bills. The cash to get them off your back could be right under your feet. Choice One Community FCU offers fixed or variable rate Home Equity Loans or Signature (unsecured) Loans to consolidate bills, renovate, or even get a great deal on that new car you've been eyeing. Whatever you've resolved to do in '08, visit www.choiceone.org for a Home Equity Loan or Signature Loan to fit your lifestyle.
*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Rates are based upon applicant's creditworthiness and may vary from those advertised. Other rates and terms available. The Home Equity Line of Credit is based on the Prime Rate as published in the Wall Street Journal. Contact the credit union for complete Home Equity details.
Did you know: Members of Choice One and other credit unions in Pennsylvania save an average of $76 per member or $145 per member-household annually. This totals $257,467,381 in direct financial benefits to the state's 3,365,789 members in 2006. Unfortunately, millions of Pennsylvanians never received those benefits. Not everyone belongs to a credit union. July 9, 2007 marked the launch of the statewide "iBelong" advertising campaign - a TV, radio, and web-based initiative designed to raise awareness and promote the availability of credit unions. Consumers seeking a credit union will be directed to the iBelong.org website featuring ads, credit union facts, and an online locator. The 18-month, $2.25 million promotion is the cooperative effort of more than 500 credit unions operating through the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association. Overall, Pennsylvania credit unions offer lower average loan rates and return higher average yields on savings. For four consecutive years, credit unions have beaten banks and other financial providers in customer advocacy and loyalty rankings. It's time to let the rest of Pennsylvania know what they're missing! You Belong – Do Your Family And Friends Belong? The Convenience Of Membership Choice One Community Federal Credit Union wants to make financial management as easy as possible for our members. We've built up a roster of convenient services that let you tend to your finances online or on the phone, anytime, anywhere, easy as you please. Don't miss out on the benefit - all you have to do is apply to receive these member perks! Virtual Branch® Account Access
It's all online, 24-7. You're in charge of when and how you manage your money with our Virtual Branch. Apply today! Online Bill Payment
Either way, you can take care of your bills from your home or off-site without peeling a stamp. Direct Deposit Weekly jaunts to the teller and long banking lines are a dim memory for Choice One Direct Depositers, and lost checks are a thing of the past. Just provide the credit union's Routing Number 231386878 to the payee and you can put these drudgeries behind you. To show you how much we appreciate your business, we'll even qualify you for a free ATM or VISA Check Card when you sign up! Share Draft/Checking
BARB 24-Hour Response Line BARB is easy to use. Here's all there is to it:
The Choice One VISA® Check Card But that's just the beginning. You can use your VISA Check Card to verify your
balance, transfer money between Talk about convenience! It's easy to apply for any of these handy services online. Check out our online Products and Services page for application links and full program details today, and make financial management much simpler! Bulletin Board Holiday Closings Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 21, 2008 Presidents' Day - Monday, February 18, 2008 Memorial Day - Monday, May 26, 2008 Independence Day - Friday, July 4, 2008 67th Anual Meeting
Terms will expire in 2010. Nominations may also be made by petition. Petitions may be signed by 1% of the adult membership with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 500. Signed petitions must be submitted by February 19, 2008 to:
Credit union bylaws state that nominations from the floor will only be accepted if there are not sufficient nominations from the nominating committee or by petitions. If an election is needed, it will be by paper ballot at the Annual Meeting ONLY.
The Dollar Dog Kids ClubSM
Kid-Friendly Money
Management Give your child the creative tools to teach them the importance of saving, today! Dollar Dog
Update Pictured: 1st row: Kelsey Smith, Daughter of Tom Smith, Vice President/CFO; Noah Kendra, Son of Deborah Kendra, Collections; Jessica Koptcho, Daughter of Jill Koptcho, Vice President of Member Services; Madison Smith, Daughter of Tom Smith, Vice President/CFO; 2nd row: Dallas Kendra, Daughter of Deborah Kendra, Collections; Dollar Dog; Megan Kebles-Wood, Granddaughter of John Kebles, President/CEO
Plus, they can visit cha-ching! Online for games and resources. Watch your newsletter for cha-ching! tips to help young people build credit, stretch their budgets, and more!
Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Nationwide Insurance Company of America. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide, Nationwide is On Your Side, and the Nationwide Framemark are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. ©2007 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved. Are You Ready For Your First Home? As a full-service Mortgage provider, Choice One Community Federal Credit Union can get you a First Mortgage with the great rates and the low monthly terms you've been hoping for. Why put off becoming a homeowner when we can get you up to 100% financing? Wherever you're moving, we'll help you get there. A Choice One Fixed-Rate First Mortgage Offers:
Apply online or call Cathleen Casey for an appointment at (570) 823-7676, ext. 237. Staff Changes President/CEO John P. Kebles announced staff changes within the management team of the credit union effective January 1, 2008.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tax Time Is
Coming… 
Statewide "iBelong" Ads 
accounts, or withdraw cash from thousands
of nationwide ATM machines that display the VISA or STAR symbol. No one will
ask you for ID, or turn down your out-of-state check when you use our VISA
Check Card. So what are you waiting for? We'd love to sign you up right away. 
Youth Power!
Dollar Dog flew in to lend
a paw at the opening of
the new Dollar Dog Kids
Clubhouse at our main
office in Wilkes-Barre,
October 19. Here, some of
our youngest savers laugh
it up with our hero at the
ribbon-cutting.
