IN THIS ISSUE. Make it Easy with Mobile Tax Refunds Financial Resolutions Helping Hands Scholarships

Transcription

1 IN THIS ISSUE Make it Easy with Mobile Tax Refunds Financial Resolutions Helping Hands Scholarships

2 PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Just like that, we blink, and another year is in the books. First, I want to welcome any new members to the Minnequa Works Credit Union family. It s our membership that makes us great! Thank you for choosing our Credit Union as your financial partner marked 80 years in business for Minnequa Works. A landmark we are very proud of. To celebrate, we kicked off the year by giving over half a million dollars back to our loyal members, because we couldn t have made it this far without them. We also celebrated the anniversary by giving back to the community in our 80 Days of Gratitude Project. We made advances with our technology to provide cutting edge service to our members, rolling out the carpet on Mobile Check Deposit, Apple, Android & Samsung Pay, and an update to the personal finance management tool for members: Budget Works. Our employee ran group, Helping Hands has also made great strides this year in giving back to our local community and members in times of hardship (read more about the volunteer efforts of Helping Hands on page 7). In an effort to become more environmentally friendly and provide the quickest and most secure service for our membership, we began a promotion that encourages members to make the switch to e-statements explaining all the reasons they should switch and giving four lucky members $749 just for doing so! Two members took home cash in 2017, a third will soon be announced and the fourth will be drawn in April so you still have a chance to make the switch in time to get entered! * As for 2018, we hope that your year is filled with happiness, wellbeing, and good health. We have more innovative and helpful solutions coming your way in 2018 such as Instant Issue EMV MasterCards, where you will be able to pick up your new debit or credit card same day in two of our Pueblo branches. Keep an eye out for updates on that and other new products and services throughout the year! We look forward to continuing our relationship with you this year and for many more to come. *Sign up online or in branch for 749 Reasons to Switch to e-statements. Eligibility restrictions apply.

3 MAKE IT EASY WITH MOBILE Mobile banking is on the rise making it easier than ever to manage your credit union accounts. In fact, 43 percent of adults with mobile phones and bank accounts are using mobile banking. 1 Our mobile app makes it easy for you to bank on the go 24/7. If you haven t used our app, now is the perfect time to try it. You can use it to: PERFORM TRANSACTIONS View account summary, history and check images Schedule and review bill payments Transfer money between your MWCU accounts Make payments on loans GET A LOAN Apply for a Minnequa Works CU loan anytime, anywhere, using your mobile device. 2 MOBILE CHECK DEPOSIT Deposit checks using your mobile device. Take a picture of your check using the App, and it will be deposited directly into your account. 3 BILL PAY Schedule one-time or recurring payments, track payments, and receive confirmation for each payment made all from your mobile device. BRANCH & ATM LOCATOR Locate the nearest MWCU branch. Locate MWCU and CO-OP Network surcharge-free ATMs (nearly 30,000 nationwide). INCREASED SECURITY Our mobile app features a number of security features and services that can help you protect your account information including Mobile Alerts. Mobile Alerts allows you to receive text alerts based on thresholds you have set for your account. 4 GET THE APP TODAY Download it free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. For more information, contact a Member Service Representative today! 1. Federal Reserve s 2016 Consumers and Mobile Financial Services Report. 2. Loans on approved credit. 3. Mobile Check Deposit application approval required. 4. Standard SMS rates do apply from your cell phone provider. Shopping Made Easy! Pay quickly and securely from your smart phone. There s no reason to lug around a wallet full of credit and debit cards. With mobile wallet solutions like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay, you make purchases in-store through your mobile wallet by connecting your Minnequa Works Debit or Credit cards. Questions on how to get started or how to use this product? Ask our staff, we can help!

4 COMMUNI HEADING TO COLLEGE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS? Mobile Check Deposit lets you deposit checks from the Minnequa Works Mobile app! Deposit checks wherever, whenever! Enroll today! 2018 ANNUAL MEETING April 7, 2018 Pueblo Convention Center Cocktails at 5:00 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. THANK YOU to everyone to joined us for International Credit Union Day and our Member Shred Event!

5 TY BOARD PET OF THE QUARTER Want to win a month of pet food and see your pet on our Community Board? It s simple! MinnequaWorksCU 1. Sign up for e-statements, Text Banking or our App. 2. Send a creative photo of your pet to: contests@mymwcu.com Photos must be submitted by the 25th of each month. All submitted photos will be voted on by your friends at Minnequa Works. Winners will be notified by phone. Congratulations to last quarter s winner Tipsy & Leonidas, owned by Emilie. By signing up for e-statements, they have won a $100 gift card to buy a months worth of pet food. March 11, 2018 Ooey Gooey Almond Coconut Chex Mix INGREDIENTS 3/4 Cup Margarine 1 Cup Karo Syrup 1 1/2 Cup Sugar 8 Cups Corn Chex 2 Cups Coconut 2 Small Packages of Slivered Almonds Melt margarine, add karo and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 3 minutes. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a big Tupperware bowl. Pour the sugar mixture over cereal mixture and mix well. Pour mixture onto a big cookie sheet until cool. Chances are it will be gone within the hour but it can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This recipe is courtesy of Katelyn who joined the Minnequa Works team in August 2017.

6 What Should I do with My Tax Refund? Getting a tax refund is great. Here are some ideas on how you can use it to better your financial position. Begin an Emergency Savings Plan. If you don t have a cash emergency fund set aside, put your tax refund into a savings account that is for emergencies only. Increase your 401(k) contribution. If you already have an emergency fund, you can use your refund to increase your 401(k) contribution at work. To do this, you need to be a bit creative. Start by depositing the entire refund into a savings account. Then, say you received a refund of $1,200, increase your 401(k) contribution from your paycheck $150 a month. Your paycheck will decrease by about $100 (The 401(k) contribution is tax deductible, so about a third of your contribution comes from Uncle Sam s pocket, not your net pay.). Each month for the next 12 months, replace the $100 that would normally be in your net paycheck with $100 from the savings account where you deposited your tax refund. Invest in an IRA. If you don t have a 401(k) at work, or you are already contributing the maximum, you can use your tax refund to contribute to a Roth or Traditional IRA. MWCU offers IRA options beginning at a minimum deposit of $1000. For more information on IRAs visit: Pay down debt. Use the money you received from your return to help pay down some of your debt. If you have credit cards, pay the highest interest one first. Save for an education. Since education is always a good investment, invest in an education IRA for your children s education. You could also use the refund to pay tuition for courses that will increase your future earning power as well. MWCU offers Educational IRA options beginning at a minimum deposit of $1,000. Remember, Minnequa Works is here to help. If you have any questions, contact Ouida, our Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor or Laura E., our IRA Specialist, at This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be tax or investment advice. Please consult your tax advisor before making changes to your tax withholdings. Financial Resolutions for the New Year REVIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORT This resolution is as easy as it gets! Visit: equifax.com experian.com transunion.com MAKE A REALISTIC BUDGET & STICK TO IT Budget Works can help simplify this process and makes it easy to see how your doing. Budget Works is available on Mobile & Online Banking so your budget is always with you. ADD ONE MONTH S PAY TO YOUR EMERGENCY FUND Figure out your average monthly take home and divide that by 12. Ex. $3,000 per mo. / 12 = $250 that s how much you want to put aside each month. If this doesn t fit into your budget, try half a month s salary or even just one dollar a day. The goal by the end of the year is to have an emergency fund. SPEND LESS MONEY The best way to do this is to make small changes. Try keeping a 30 day list*, bringing your lunch to work and making your own coffee. * 30 day list: A list you keep of things you see that you really want. If in 30 days you still really want it, buy it. This will help with compulsive shopping.

7 HELPING HANDS HELPS OUT At Minnequa Works CU, the staff has the opportunity to become involved in a volunteer fundraising group completely ran by employees called Helping Hands. Throughout the year, Helping Hands coordinates multiple fundraising efforts for credit union employees and members to participate in. The proceeds from Helping Hands activities are given to those in need in our community as well as individual members who need a helping hand in times of hardship. Thanks to the participation of members and employees with Helping Hands initiatives, we have been able to give gift cards to families who may have trouble making ends meet, buy new shoes for a member who couldn t afford new ones and purchase a new walker for a member whose old one broke. We wouldn t have been able to do these things without our supportive members and engaged staff. So we want to say thank you! Keep an eye out for more Helping Hands fundraisers next time you visit a branch! Scholarships Based on Need & Merit MyMWCU.com Up to $1,000 Towards College SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE Deadline March 9, 2018 To be eligible for MWCU scholarships: Must be a member for 1 year or more Have a 3.0 GPA or higher Show community & school involvement Prove financial need. For questions & complete details please contests@mymwcu.com or call our scholarship committee at ext

8 HOLIDAY CLOSURES New Years: January 1, 2018 Martin Luther King Day: January 15, 2018 President s Day: February 19, 2108 CALL US Service Center Toll Free TeleWorks Lost or stolen MasterCard (during business hours) Lost or stolen MasterCard (after business hours) US Help: memberservices@mymwcu.com Loan Services: loans@mymwcu.com BRANCH LOCATIONS MAIN BRANCH 1549 E. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, CO EAGLERIDGE BRANCH 4700 Eagleridge Cir., Pueblo, CO NEPCO BRANCH 1010 Bonforte Blvd., Pueblo, CO HOURS: Lobby: Mon - Wed, Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm Thur 9:30am - 5:00pm Drive Up: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 6:00pm Sat 8:30am - 1:30pm ROCKY MOUNTAIN BRANCH 701 W. 8th St., Pueblo, CO HOURS: Lobby: Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Thurs 9:30 am - 4:30 pm Drive Up: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 5:00pm Federally Insured by the NCUA, Loans subject to credit approval. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PUEBLO, CO PERMIT NO. 43