tacu newsletter, may 2011
DESCRIPTION
May 2011 issue of the Tomah Area Credit Union monthly newsletter.TRANSCRIPT
940 North Superior Avenue PO Box 940 Tomah, WI 54660
Phone: 608.372.4736 Fax: 608.372.4394
www.tacuonline.com
Buy a House and Fix it... with ONE Closing! Now You Can With Our New FHA Loans
T A C U C r e d i t U n i o n l M a y 2 0 1 1 I s s u e
JUNE EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARY
Meredith
Marketing Director
1 year at TACU
EXPRESS B e c a u s e t i m e i s m o n e y
CLOSED JULY 4TH
TACU will be closed on
Monday, July 4th for Independence Day.
READ YOUR STATEMENT!
Almost 1/3 of all identity theft victims
discovered the crime by seeing
unfamiliar charges on their account
E-Bill Pay Saves Time & Money
When home buying on a budget, do you ever find yourself choosing
between a home too small for your needs and a fixer –upper?
Fortunately, the U.S. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has a
mortgage insurance program specially tailored for this situation.
Features of TACU’s FHA home loan program are:
Low Down Payment. 3.5% down is all that is needed.
More flexible credit requirements. Lack of credit or past
problems may not prevent you from acquiring an FHA loan.
Finance Repairs. The FHA 203k loan allows you to finance the
cost of repairs right into the loan.
You can finance practically anything: appliances, carpeting,
landscaping, paint, and much more!
TACU is the ONLY mortgage lender in Tomah to provide this
unique lending opportunity. Stop by to see Eric for questions on this
exclusive loan program or call him at 608-372-4736.
Have you ever found a bill that you thought you'd paid earlier in the month? Now it's late. TACU's electronic bill payment
service can eliminate this worry.
What is it? Direct payment is the electronic transfer of an authorized payment from a member's checking or savings
account into the account of a biller, financing or investment company, or nonprofit organization. It's ideal for recurring
payments such as household bill payments, insurance premiums, automatic investment and savings plans, mortgage
payments, auto loan payments, and charitable donations.
It works while you are away. You can schedule payments in advance so bills get paid even when you're away on
vacation or away on business.
It’s proven. Electronic bill payment studies show that consumers using automated bill payment generally become
more responsible with funds and generally have higher account balances. Over a 31-month
period of using automated billing services checking account balances increased by 38%.
It saves money. Members who use E-Bill Pay are eligible for discounts on TACU loans. Plus…
think of all the money you will save on stamps!
It’s easy to use. E-bill pay is accessible through your online banking account. If you have
questions about using bill pay or signing up for online banking, ask a TACU
representative for assistance.
Federally Insured by NCUA up to $250,000
Equal Housing Lender
www.tacuonline.com
T A C U C r e d i t U n i o n l M a y 2 0 1 1 I s s u e
Avoid Overdrafts the Easy Way
Record all Transactions. Millions of consumers now enjoy the
convenience of debit cards instead of checks. But when you use your debit
card, save your sales slips and record all transactions in your share draft/
checking account register as soon as possible. That way you'll avoid
overspending and costly overdraft fees.
Be careful of your daily limits. You have a limit of $400 per day when
selecting debit at the check out and $1,500 when selecting credit. But as
always, make sure you have enough money in your account.
Vacations: Save Before you Set Sail
Vacation season is here and budgets are tight, but with some disciplined planning and
money-saving tricks, that dream vacation can become a reality.
Be careful with plastic. Don't finance your entire vacation on your credit card. That
doesn't mean it's off limits, but relying solely on plastic will only lead to stress and heavy
interest charges down the road.
Save, save, save. Try to set aside some of every paycheck in a TACU vacation club
account. Decide how much you want to have on hand to start your trip. Divide that total by the
number of paychecks until vacation, then save that amount in your vacation account. If you are not
able to save this much, take a look at your spending habits. Are there places you can make cuts?
Plan ahead. Booking airfare, hotels, and rental cars in advance could save you a bundle.
Consider using public transportation to save cash on a rental car or taxis. And travel midweek
for the best deals.
Hotel deals. You may be able to pick the price you pay for your hotel room. When renting
a room or condo, some web sites, such as Priceline.com or Hotwire.com, let customers bid
for the lowest price. On sites like eBay, time-share owners sometimes sell unreserved rent-
als at discounted prices. Do some searching before booking a full-price room.
If your savings come up short, see us for low-interest loan options.
Traveling and Need Cash?
Using your TACU debit card is a convenient and safe way to get cash when your
credit union is miles away. If you do your research, you can use your debit card at
ATM machines throughout the country without paying unnecessary fees.
Our ATM is not the only machine you can use without a surcharge. TACU belongs to
a network of ATMs throughout the country.
Members may use ATMs marked “Fee Free” without surcharges. These ATMs
are often found in gas stations.
Go to www.AllianceOne.org and use the ATM locator find out which ATMs
you can use without a surcharge.
Find Fee Free ATMs Nationwide