2011 S. Central AvenueMarshfield, WI 54449(715)384-2867

1105 Western AvenueMosinee, WI 54455(715)693-3400

2940 Church StreetStevens Point, WI 54481(715)341-4543

107 S. Third AvenueWausau, WI 54401(715)845-5010

440 8th Street SouthWis. Rapids, WI 54494(715)424-4400

Five convenient locations to serve you!

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Lobby Hours Drive up HoursM-Th 8:30 to 4:30 M-Th 8:00 to 5:30Fri 8:30 to 6:00 Fri 8:00 to 6:00 Sat 8:30 to 12:30

Lobby Hours Drive up HoursM-Th 8:30 to 4:30 M-Th 8:00 to 5:00Fri 8:30 to 6:00 Fri 8:00 to 6:00 Sat 9:00 to 12:00

Lobby Hours Drive up HoursM-Wed 8:30 to 4:30 M-Wed 8:00 to 5:00 Th 8:30 to 5:30 Th 8:00 to 5:30Fri 8:30 to 6:00 Fri 8:00 to 6:00 Sat 9:00 to 12:00

www.valleycommunities.org

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Federally insured by NCUA

MembershipMATTERS

Quarterly newsletter

In this issue: • Seven Reasons to Make a Budget • Dormant Account Information • New! NetBranch 4.0 • Financial Wellness Conference • Fee Schedule Reminder • In the Community • Tips for Credit/Debit Card Safety • Recipe Corner • Locations and Hours • Find us on Facebook!

January 2013

Tips for Debit/Credit Card SafetyStay ahead of fraudsters with these tips from the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO).

Figure out your balance.Balance your checking account or any financial account that is accessible by a plastic payment card. Seeing dramatic balance changes is the best early warning sign a consumer can have. If your financial institution offers online banking or email balance alerts, sign up for them immediately.

Respond to contact by unknown persons with caution.It’s okay to hang up and call back later. Don’t trust text messages, emails or direct phone calls from people you don’t know especially if they identify themselves as an employee of your credit union. If you do receive a call, it’s okay to hang up and call your credit union back to verify your account status. Never call a number that is provided by an unknown person. Obtain your credit union’s number on your own and call immediately.

ATM safety.Never approach an ATM if someone is lingering nearby. Don’t engage anyone who is hanging around an ATM. Stay in your vehicle until they leave. Don’t use an ATM if it is damaged or it has changed significantly since your last visit. If you feel at all uneasy, go to a different loca-tion where you feel safer.

Unreported incidents can be harmful.If your card gets stuck in an ATM, call your credit union immediately. Your card may be at risk of getting into the wrong hands. You need to arrange for a replacement card as soon as possible.

Don’t hessitate to ask.Ask your card issuer for a new card number if you suspect any compromise at a merchant, restaurant or ATM. Change both the card, card number and PIN if you experience any potential theft of your personal information.

Recipe Corner

Truffle Tarts with RaspberriesIngredients1 1/2 cups fine chocolate wafer crumbs (from Oreo cook-ies or chocolate wafers)6 tablespoons melted butter1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffles, recipe follows6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving

DirectionsUse a fork to mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tin with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diam-eter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you’ll need this overhang to remove the tarts). Use the bottom of a small glass to press the crumbs over the bot-tom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up to only about 1 1/2 inches. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag or small plastic bag with the corner snipped off, fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Truffles:1/2 cup heavy cream8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 cup cocoa powder, for dusting

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Social responsibility is part of our core values and we know that sharing our time and talents, helps to create stronger communities. Here are just some of the recent activities VCCU staff and board members have participated in.

The Wisconsin Rapids office collected toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program, Toys for Tots. Toys were collected during December and then distributed to families in need within the community.

We recently asked members and area residents to donate their used cell phones to help U.S. military troops connect with their loved ones back home. During the month of October Valley Communities Credit Union, along with the Mosinee Middle School, served as drop off locations for Cell Phones for Soldiers. With the help of the Mosinee Middle School Student Senate, Valley Communities credit union was able to collect over 120 cell phones to donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers.

VCCU members and staff partici-pated in the Circle of Joy, a program of the Mosinee Community Center of Hope. Age ap-propriate gifts were collected through December to make the holidays bright-er for area children and families.

CommunityIn theSeven Reasons a Budget is Important

You say your savings account balance grows every month. You put aside a certain amount each month for emergen-cies. You pay your bills on time and you consider yourself frugal. So, why do you need to make a personal budget? An article from moneyning.com lists several reasons that tracking expenses is a good thing.

Listed below are seven reasons you should set your own personal budget at the beginning of 2013.

Builds Discipline and OrganizationSetting a budget and tracking your expenses is the only way to know where you stand financially.

Forces You to Think About MoneyWhen you make a budget, it forces you to think about your money. As a result, you can focus on building your wealth, finding more ways to save.

Crisis PreventionLooking at your finances regularly will highlight problems before they become disasters.

Great Tool to Start Family DiscussionsWhen everyone is involved, talking about money becomes easier.

Way of Measuring ProgressBy keeping track of your money you’ll be able to measure your success.

Without a budget, how do we know that we are meeting our goals?Keeping and sticking to a budget is the key to meeting your financial goals. Knowing where your money is going can also help with planning for emergencies.

Stress RelieverKnowing exactly where you stand financially can be a major stress reliever. You don’t have to worry about the unknown because you know your financial strengths and/or weaknesses. You can plan accordingly and fix any prob-lems that may need fixing.

Source: http://moneyning.com/budgeting/7-reasons-why-we-need-to-start-budget-tracking-now/

Saturday, JaNuary 19, 2013JohN Muir Middle School

1400 WeSt SteWart ave, WauSau9:00aM – 2:30PM

Registration & Breakfast at 8:30 am

C O S T

Pre-registered by January 11, 2013

Adults, pre-registered .......... $2.00

Youth, pre-registered .............FREE(under 18 years)

Day of the event

Adults, on the day ................ $4.00

Youth, on the day ................ $1.00Unable to pay? Call us to discuss

other options. 608-663-6332

Asset Builders, a WI nonprofit organization, conducts this nonprofit conference

in cooperation with many area partners. There is no selling or pressure

to buy any financial products at this event.

Childcare available for children ages 2–5 (Sign-up in advance).

Also included: continental breakfast, lunch and a free copy of your credit report.

Call Asset Builders for more information.

608-663-6332www.assetbuilders.org

A SAMPLING OF ADULT CLASSES

■■ Job Search Skills—How to GET THAT JOB

■■ Feed Your Family Good Food—Without Going Broke!

■■ Budgeting Basics...How to Have More Money Than Month For A Change

■■ How to Understand Your Credit Report and Improve Your Credit Score

■■ Love and Money—a Relationship Challenge

■■ And much more!

A SAMPLING OF YOUTH CLASSES

■■ Wants and Needs— What’s the difference

■■ Education after high schools— Admissions and financial aid tips

■■ And much more!

See reverse for registration form.

Featuring:

Mr. Bill Shirer, Ph.D Hermening Financial Group, LLC

AssetBuilders

o f A mer i ca , Inc .

FINANCIALWELLNESSC O N F E R E N C E

A S S E T B U I L D E R S P R E S E N T SThe 6th Annual Wausau

Fabulous Door Prizes

given throughout the day! Must be present to win

(ages 6-18)

Valley Communities Credit Union is a proud sponsor of the Financial Wellness Conference. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn everything from budgeting basics, to job search skills, to how to read and understand your credit report. Everything to help you become more financially fit! There are classes for adults and youth. Check out our website for details.

Saturday, January 19, 2013John Muir Middle School

1400 West Stewart Ave., Wausau9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Registration and breakfast at 8:30 a.m.Pre-registered by January 11, 2013

Adults - $2.00Youth (under 18) - FREE

Day of the eventAdults - $4.00Youth - $1.00

Check out our website for details. www.valleycommunities.org

Fee ScheduleAt Valley Communities Credit Union our mission is to build lifelong relationships one member at a time; providing sound financial products and services. We strive to maintain fees at the lowest possible rate necessary. Please see the fee schedule insert with your quarterly statement. You can also see our fee schedule on our website. https://www.valleycommunities.org/Documents/FeeSchedule_2012.aspx

Have you seen it yet!? Our online banking site has recently gotten a face lift. If you aren’t currently signed up for online banking, we invite you to sign up for NetBranch 4.0 and check out the enhanced features. Features include a new dashboard you can customize to your personal pref-erence, e-Alerts about your account activity, and more. Check out the demo video at https://www.valleycommu-nities.org/Helpful-Tools/Online-Banking.aspx and stop in to one of our five locations to find out how you can enroll today!

NetBranch 4.0

Valley Communities Credit Union strives to provide quality financial products and services at low cost or no cost. In order for the credit union to be able to provide those services to members, the credit union must keep its own cost as low as possible.

For each credit union account, the credit union must provide account statements, newsletters, postage, handling, etc. These mailings for inactive accounts increase costs for the credit union, which in turn can lead to increased cost for the members. The credit union’s goal is to have members with active accounts, so that we can continue to offer members quality products and services at low fees or no fees. Your credit union’s Dormant Account Policy provides for an account to be deemed a dormant account when there has been no member initiated activity for a period of 2 years and balance is $100 or less. If an account is deemed to be dormant, the account may be assessed a $5.00 fee per month. This fee was effective June 1, 2012. Accounts belonging to members 21 years old and younger will not be assessed a fee.

Dormant Credit Union Accounts