NEWSLETTER G.E.C.U. MEMBER. ATTENTION High School Seniors and Enrolled College Students. Take a look inside... Fall 2012

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1 G.E.C.U. MEMBER NEWSLETTER Fall 2012 ATTENTION High School Seniors and Enrolled College Students Now is the time to apply for the G.E.C.U. $500 scholarship. We want to see you succeed by helping out with higher education costs. All you have to do is stop by the Credit Union and pick up a Scholarship Packet, complete the packet, send it in, and then sit back and relax... Well not quite, summer is wrapping up and another school year has just started. To be eligible to apply you must be: a G.E.C.U member AND accepted into or attending a technical or accredited college for the upcoming academic school year ( ) DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted no later than October 31st! Take a look inside... Help Me Rhonda Page 2 Meet our newest member of the loan department Page 3 Check out the entire G.E.C.U. staff Page 4 G.E.C.U. fills NEW Marketing Position Page 6 Complimentary snacks, drinks, and prizes for National CU Day Page 7

2 Help Me Rhonda! Your credit score is a number that summarizes your credit risk and lenders use it to make credit decisions, such as the interest rate you get when you apply for a loan. Q: How can I raise my credit score, so I can purchase a new home or refinance my existing mortgage? A: 1. Pay your bills on time and establish a 24 month payment history with no late payments. 2. Manage credit cards responsibly and be sure to keep credit card balances below 50% of the credit limit. 3. Don t close unused credit cards and be sure to keep a minimum of 3 credit cards open on your credit at all times. 4. Rather than doing a credit card balance transfer or moving debt around, pay the debt off. 5. Apply for and open new credit accounts only as needed and try to keep credit inquiries to once every 12 months. The home buying process can be complicated and confusing, but GECU makes it easy and will step you through the process so it doesn t have to be difficult. Q: What are the first steps to buying a home? A: 1. Be aware of your credit score for qualifying purposes. 2. Know where your down payment will come from and make sure it can be verified. 3. Gather your income verification, such as paystubs and W-2 s 4. Call and make an appointment with one of our mortgage professionals for a pre-approval before you go house shopping. 5. Once your pre-approved, you can choose a realtor to help you find a home that meets your specifications. 6. When you have an approved offer to purchase, GECU takes care of the rest. Phone Phishing Alert! If you have been recieving telephone calls or automated calls asking for your personal information, DO NOT REPLY TO THE REQUEST! G.E.C.U. will never solicit any of your personal information via telephone, text, , or automation. 2

3 Meet the newest member of the loan department, Jackie Mahlum- Paul! Welcome Jackie! We are very excited to announce that, in August, Jackie Mahlum- Paul joined the G.E.C.U. team. Not only will she be a Loan Officer, but she will also be the Collections Manager. As the collections manager, she will be responsible for helping people regain their financial stability, rebuild their credit, and make sure they can make all of their other payments as well. Jackie joins us with 40 years of experience in loans and collections at area credit unions. So to say the least, she is your go to woman for any financial decisions. Not only is Jackie very passionate for the credit union philosophy people helping people, but she also has a passion for family. With 3 children and 2 grandchildren, she tries to spend as much with her family as she can. She has been very involved in the community over the years, most notably holding the Presidential position for 10 years with the 7 Rivers Region Chapter of Credit Unions. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Coulee Council on Addictions. Needless to say, she loves the area. Jackie looks forward to getting to know our members and continuing to help and serve the members of the La Crosse area. Hey kids, the COLORING contest is back! It is once again time to put those coloring tools to use. Coloring sheets will be available for pick up on Monday, November 11, All masterpieces must be returned by Wednesday, Decemeber 19, The contest is open to boys and girls in the following age groups; 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and There will be a prize awarded to one winner selected from each age group. Winners will be announced on Friday, December 21, With any questions please contact Katie Hagen in Member Services. 3

4 Recognize anyone? Meet the entire G.E.C.U. staff! Member Services Back Row (left to right): Adam Dikeman Meghan Farrell Dustin Bagstad Roxanne Martell Angie Swenson Front Row (left to right): Linda Malin Katie Hagen Linda Gofus, Member Service Coordinator Supervisor Administration Left to Right: Sue Prinsen President Nick Neubauer Compliance Officer Travis Carley Vice President 4

5 Holiday Closings G.E.C.U. will be closed for business hours on the following days listed in order for our staff and their families to enjoy the holidays. G.E.C.U. online banking services will be available on these days, 24/7. Thursday, November 22 - Thanksgiving Monday, December 24 - Christmas Eve Tuesday, December 25 - Christmas Day Monday, December 31 - New Year s Eve (Drive Thru ONLY 7:30am - Noon) Tuesday, January 1 - New Year s Day Loan Department Back Row (left to right): Jackie Mahlum-Paul, Loan Officer Sue Baker, Loan Officer Kate Pahl, Loan Officer Front Row (left to right): Molly Smith, Mortgage Loan Officer Yapa Xiong, Mortgage Loan Processor Rhonda Britton, Mortgage Loan Officer/ Loan Department Supervisor 5

6 G.E.C.U. fills brand new Marketing position Hello everyone! My name is Nikki Fischer. I am currently a senior at UW-L where I am studying marketing and graphic design. G.E.C.U. decided to bring me on to fill a brand new position called Marketing and Member Relations. I will be taking care of any aspect of the Credit Union that has to do with marketing to members and the general public. I will be in charge of creating the quarterly newsletter among other things. This is my first one so I hope you all enjoy it! I really look forward to working with the staff and all of the members at G.E.C.U. If any one has any comments or great ideas regarding the newsletter or G.E.C.U. please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. News at G.E.C.U. On August 7th, 2012, G.E.C.U. and other local credit unions hosted the 27th annual Miracle Open Golf Classic at Drugan s in Holmen. The event raised over $8,700 to benefit local Children s Miracle Network Hospitals. G.E.C.U. thanks all the donors, players, and volunteers that helped make the day such a success for all of the families in need. Governmental Employees Credit Union now offers mobile text banking! In order to sign up you must log into your online banking account through It s Me 247. At the far right of the page click on the Go Mobile icon to set it up. For any questions contact Member Services at (608) Looking for a new car, well now is the time to buy. Stop by and see a member of the loan department to find out more information. Auto loan rates are as low as 2.49% APR* *Annual Percentage Rate. Rates are for 2007 or newer vehicles and are based on credit worthiness. 6

7 Time to celebrate National Credit Union Day with FREE FOOD! National Credit Union week is slowly approaching. Help celebrate 81 years of service by stopping by G.E.C.U. and enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. National Credit Union week will start Monday, October 15th and end Friday, October 19th. So don t miss out on this opportunity to say, Hi! to your favorite staff members and enjoy some yummy free food. Can this week get any better? It sure can! On Thursday, October 18 G.E.C.U will be having a drawing in honor of National Credit Union Day. Our members have the chance to win fun prizes, like Visa gift cards. To enter to win you need to fill out the form below and either drop it off, mail it to G.E.C.U, or it to [email protected]. Forms will be available in the main lobby as well. You must be a G.E.C.U. member to enter and you may enter once per day up until Wednesday, October 17th. National Credit Union Day Drawing Form Name: Address: Member Number: Phone Number: Date: Find more information about G.E.C.U. at gecuwi.com! Or check us out on Facebok and Twitter. 7