SEE YOUR MONEY DIFFERENTLY Media Kit

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1 2013 Media Kit Vision Statement To become the financial institution and employer of choice by consistently exceeding member and employee expectations. Our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Empathy, & Trust SEE YOUR MONEY DIFFERENTLY Our Core Business Principles: Knowledgeable Employees, Exceptional Service, Innovation & Financial Strength

2 Georgia United Credit Union is one of Georgia s largest and strongest not-for-profit financial cooperatives, serving more than 120,000 member-owners across the state and beyond. Our mission is to save members time and money in their personal finances. We pride ourselves on providing great service, community support, and convenience. What is a Credit Union? Credit Unions are not-for-profit financial institutions that are owned by members and provide many of the same financial services that banks offer (usually at a lower price), including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, auto and mortgage loans and ATMs. Credit Unions are led by a board of directors elected from and by the membership. Board members volunteer their time and service. The earnings made by credit unions are returned to members in the form of lower fees and rates on loans and higher returns on deposits. What s the Difference Between a Credit Union and a Bank? Credit Union members actually own the institution where they conduct their financial business. Therefore, credit union members have an equal vote in determining the direction taken by the institution regardless of how much money they have deposited in the credit union. Credit Unions are not-for-profit, which helps keep fees low and typically allows for higher returns on deposits and lower interest rates on loans. Credit unions cannot issue stock and, most importantly, they return earnings to their members. Member ownership also supports a more personalized service. Cooperative Principles of Credit Unions Members, Not Just Customers Democratic Control Service Oriented Profits Belong to the Members One great example of credit union cooperation is the CU Service Center Network which allows credit unions to share 4,400 branch locations to offer additional service locations for members. To find participating branches, visit Who Can Join a Credit Union? Just about anyone can use a credit union as there are many ways to qualify to join. Most credit unions are open to individuals who are associated through employer, religion, organization or community. Georgia United Credit Union serves all Georgia state and county employees, Board of Regents colleges and universities, adult and technical education institutions in Georgia,, select school systems, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Visit georgiaunitedcu.org for a complete list of our 500+ member groups, schools, state and county agencies, or membership eligibility.

3 Is There a Cost To Join A Credit Union? To join Georgia United Credit Union, eligible members simply open a basic membership savings account with a $5.00 deposit and pay a one-time $5.00 membership fee. The basic savings account establishes the members relationship with the credit union. Once this account is opened, members can take advantage of all our products and services. Do Credit Unions Have Insured Deposits? Yes. Credit Unions have insured deposits. Credit Unions have their own federal insurance program covering member accounts, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). The NCUSIF is administered by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Do Credit Unions Pay Taxes? Credit unions do, in fact pay taxes. They pay property, employer and some other local taxes, but because credit unions are not-for-profit, they do not pay corporate income taxes. Banks, however, must pay corporate income taxes because they are in business to maximize profits and return them to stockholders, not customers. Georgia United s History Georgia United Credit Union was founded in 1958 by DeKalb County educator Vernon E. Carne and six other DeKalb County School System teachers. Mr. Carne encouraged the other teachers to join him in pledging $5 each to form the Credit Union and apply for a charter with the National Credit Union Administration, which was granted on April 8, Our original name was changed from DeKalb County Teachers Federal Credit Union in 1983 to Georgia Federal Credit Union when our charter was expanded to take in other school systems and groups. Our name changed once again in December, 2010, when we converted to a state charter and became Georgia United Credit Union. Shortly after that time, $205 million State Employees Credit Union of Atlanta joined Georgia United via merger, allowing us to expand our branch network and prepare for additional convenience and technology for the future. To date, this is the largest credit union merger between two healthy credit unions in Georgia s history. We officially welcomed all State of Georgia employees and added three branch locations to our membership on April 30, Georgia United Credit Union by the Numbers Number of Branch Locations 16 Number of Credit Union Members 120,000 Total Assets $925 million Loans $456 million Capital 11% Number of Employees 210

4 Branch Locations Athens (East) 190 Gaines School Road Athens (UGA) 1710 S. Lumpkin Street Atlanta (GDOT) 600 W. Peachtree Street #401 Atlanta (Twin Towers) 2 MLK Jr Drive #466 Atlanta (Whitehall) 400 Whitehall Street Clarkston 500 N. Indian Creek Drive Conyers 1381 Milstead Avenue Cumming 312 Canton Highway Dalton 605 Calhoun Street Dublin 2006 Veterans Blvd Duluth 6705 Sugarloaf Parkway Gwinnett 2270 Satellite Boulevard South DeKalb 5173 Panola Industrial Blvd. North DeKalb 4448 Tilly Mill Road Northlake 3840 LaVista Road Stockbridge 105 N. Park Trail Products & Services Georgia United offers many of the same financial services you might expect from a bank and some that you might not find at a commercial bank and our pricing and interest rates are hard to beat. In addition to free checking accounts, Georgia United offers free mobile banking and bill pay with e-statements. Our newest service is Swift Deposit which allows account holders to deposit checks using a free app on their smart phone. Georgia United, like many credit unions, also offers small denomination signature loans to help members through financial difficulties, savings clubs for children and seniors, and financial counseling. Here s just a sample of the financial services available: Savings, Checking, Certificates and IRAs ATM, Debit and Credit Cards Online banking, bill pay and mobile banking Loans for cars, boats, RVs Mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, real estate and land loans In 2012, thousands of Georgia United members took advantage of record low loan rates to borrow over $160 million in car, home and small business loans. One of the most popular programs offered was new and used car loans at 1.99%. Community Involvement Georgia United Credit Union has a tradition of being an active part of the many different

5 communities we serve. Many of our employees volunteer for numerous community projects including our own Georgia United volunteer programs: Community Speakers' Bureau Community Speakers' Bureau volunteers speak to thousands of students each year well over 120,000 since its inception. In addition, we provide programs for schools, civic organizations and industry groups with information on money management, how to use credit wisely, how to plan for retirement, first time homebuyers, budgeting, and more. Partners In Education Georgia United Credit Union became the first credit union in Georgia to participate in the "Partners in Education" program (formerly known as the Adopt-a-School) in 1984 with DeKalb County. This program creates a partnership between businesses and local schools, thereby providing support, mentors and a volunteer network. We currently have partnerships with Clarke, Forsyth, Henry, Laurens, Newton, Rockdale and Whitfield counties and are a Partner at Large with DeKalb County. Our goal is to invest in both our communities' education systems and our local students. Scholarships Each spring, Georgia United Credit Union offers 10 scholarships for high school seniors with the annual Vernon E. Carne $10,000 scholarship competition offered to our credit union members (or their children). In addition, Georgia United offers the John F. Donoghue $2,500 scholarship to Catholic high school seniors in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Each fall, we offer a University of Georgia scholarship of $2,500 to a UGA Student through our annual welcome back to class drawing. A total of over $200,000

6 in scholarships has been presented to high school students since the program s inception. Annual Wish Tree Program Georgia United's Annual Wish Tree Program provides gifts for deserving foster children through the generous donations from members and employees. Since 1989, the Credit Union has partnered with various departments of family and children's services for this holiday project and donated an estimated 13,500 gifts with 714 items donated during 2012.

7 Teachers Make a Difference Program Georgia United partners with STAR94 Radio to recognize outstanding educators in our communities through an annual Teachers Make a Difference program. In 2012, we received more than 600 nominations and awarded finalists and their schools with cash prizes. Our grand prize winner also receives a continuing education grant. The deadline to nominate an outstanding teacher for 2013 is April 12. You may nominate an outstanding teacher at School Supply Drives In 2012, Georgia United partnered with STAR94 Radio and our local branches to collect over, 2500 classroom supplies during the summer months for local school students in need. The 2013 program will kick off in June. Team Day Community Service Project Georgia United Credit Union employees gather each year on a federal holiday to volunteer

8 in a community service activity. In recent years, all employees from across the state would gather on Presidents Day and assemble thousands of meal and hygiene kits for the Gateway Center, Atlanta s largest homeless support center. On Presidents Day, 2013 we doubled last year s total by assembling/delivering 8,000 meal and hygiene kits. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Georgia United Credit Union is partnering again this year with the Internal Revenue Service and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences of the University of Georgia and Dalton State to provide the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The VITA program extends FREE tax return assistance to individuals and families with low to moderate income. Visit to make tax prep reservations. In 2012, our efforts assisted more than 684 individuals and families with their tax returns who received federal refunds totaling more than $864,534 and $146,431 in state refunds! Can Hunger Food Drive Georgia United kicked off CAN HUNGER food drives to benefit local food banks during a two month period in We collected over 9 tons (18,000) canned goods for community food banks and plan to top 9 tons in Donations are accepted through March 31, 2013 for this year s program at any Georgia United location.

9 Credit Union for Kids Georgia United Credit Union is very active in raising money for Children s Miracle Network. Georgia United collaborates with other Credit Unions in metro Atlanta to raise money through Credit Unions for Kids, a national CMN sponsor. Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children s hospitals across North America. Each year the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind. Sponsorships Georgia United proudly sponsors the following events and organizations: New Teacher Orientation for public school systems, private and parochial schools as well as the colleges and universities Georgia United serves Board of Education county event sponsorships for the school systems Georgia United serves Member group benefit and health fairs The Archdiocese of Atlanta Special Olympics Ronald McDonald House Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Dalton) Relay for Life (Athens) March of Dimes (Dublin)

10 Chambers of Commerce Georgia United Credit Union stays involved with local chambers of commerce to actively participate in community affairs and to build strong ties with other area businesses. Georgia United is a member of the following Chambers of Commerce: Clarke, Conyers-Rockdale, DeKalb, Dunwoody, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Henry, Laurens, Newton, Whitfield, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Awards Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) Top Workplace Recipient 2011 Georgia United was the only financial institution to receive the AJC Top Workplaces award in In the Atlanta market, 1,500 companies were nominated for the program and 162 finalist companies were surveyed. The companies were divided into 3 categories: small, mid and large size. Of the companies nominated in Atlanta, Georgia United was one of 100 selected to be recognized in the program and ranked in the top 10 of 30 total mid-size companies! Georgia United was evaluated and named to the list based on the 97% response rate to the survey and the 383 comments submitted by our employees. Georgia United received top scores in the following categories: Direction - organization operates by strong values and ethics Career - many opportunities to learn and grow Execution - employees are well-informed about important decisions and senior managers understand what is really happening in the organization Pay/Benefits - benefits package is good compared to others in the industry Workplace Conditions - employees feel genuinely appreciated and have flexibility to balance work and their personal lives Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award Georgia United has won the state Dora Maxwell award for excellence in community service (for Credit Unions in our asset category) 11 times in the past 15 years. The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Recognition Award recognizes credit unions for social responsibility work and charitable projects that support their local community.

11 For More Information Georgia United Credit Union is an excellent resource for up-to-date information on financial issues from interest rates and consumer spending habits to banking trends, financial legislation and more. Let us assist you to build a dynamic story that impacts your audience. For more information, or to speak with a Georgia United representative, contact Kim Wall, Director of Community Development, at Georgia United Credit Union, (770) , or kim.wall@georgiaunitedcu.org.