Banner 2.99APR. Credit Card. locked for 6 months

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1 Banner & % 2.99APR Transfer your balances to an AFCU Visa Credit Card before March 31st, 2014, to get this limited-time offer! Call or and transfer your balances today! Credit Card Balance Transfers locked for 6 months Learn more at AFCU.org AFCU.org Federally insured by NCUA

2 Board of Directors Garold L. White, Chairman Phillip B. Boudreaux, Vice Chairman Jerry E. Spratt, Secretary, CPA, CFE, CGFM, CFSA Art Williams, Treasurer William Shrigley, Director Supervisory Committee Robert Rodgers, Chairman, CPA Jay Simmons, Secretary Don Greene, Member Thomas Russell, Member Vondra Armstrong, Member Credit Appeals Committee Jan Avant, Member Felicia M. Johnson, Member Holiday Closings Arkansas Federal will be closed in observance of the following holidays: Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 20th President s Day, Monday, February 17th Larry s Letter Keeping You Informed I pray that each of you had a Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year! 2013 certainly was a year filled with many challenges. Yet in spite of all the negative economic news, including many financial institution failures, your credit union improved its already well-capitalized position and continues to provide a safe and secure place for its members to conduct their financial business. AFCU is financially sound and stands ready to assist you in the same way that we have assisted members for over 57 years! During 2013, we provided many loan and new account promotions geared toward improving your financial life. AFCU also reached more and more of its membership with mortgage loan products and services that saved our members thousands of dollars! As I shared last quarter, we have worked hard to bring you an upgraded checking experience and we continue to provide one of the best checking accounts to our membership. We make it easy for members to choose to make AFCU their primary financial institution. Stop by your nearest service center and let our team of service professionals show you how AFCU can improve your financial life with one of its checking accounts. Another way AFCU is improving the financial lives of our members is with one of the best credit card programs in the country. We have one of the lowest rates in the country and no penalty rates, or over limit fees, or balance transfer fees. Additionally, during 2013 AFCU introduced our identity theft protection program. We have partnered with Merchants Information Solutions to offer you the highest quality identity theft solutions available in the market today. We take pride in knowing that once enrolled, you can have peace of mind knowing you have a safeguard against identity theft. Visit your nearest service center, call our member service center, or visit AFCU.org to get more information on this member friendly product. Your Board of Directors, the management team, and staff, certainly want to thank you for making 2013 such a successful year and for continuing to allow us to serve you each day in realizing your dreams and financial security will see us continue to introduce products and services that make it easy for you, our members, to do business with us. We will continue to explore new locations as well as new products that will add even more value to your membership. We will continue to monitor the economic environment, making adjustments that will ensure we maintain your trust and confidence as measured by your continued support and ever-increasing use of your credit union. We want to be your primary financial institution, your trusted advisor, your credit union! We promise to deliver on our service promises to you and we will always work to improve your financial lives in everything we do! May God continue to bless you and yours! P.O. Box 9, Jacksonville, AR AFCU.org 2 Central Arkansas Toll-Free Fax FAXX info@afcu.org Federally insured by NCUA

3 The nomination process for the Board of Directors election was announced in the last newsletter. One three-year term will expire in The Nominating Committee reviewed volunteer applications received by Friday November 8, At the November meeting of the Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee presented the following candidate: Art Williams Chaplain Intern at UAMS Current Occupation Medical Center (Incumbent) Chaplain Intern at UAMS Medical Center Retired - Information Technology Security Administrator, Alltel Communication Education Master s in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bachelors degree, University of Arkansas Completed the National Credit Union Administration s Management Enrichment Training Program Completed the National Credit Union Associations s Volunteer Achievement Program. Activities 39-year credit union volunteer OVCA Federal Credit Union volunteer Board of Volunteer since 1985 Past Regional Director of National Association of Credit Union Supervisory and Audit Committees (NACUSAC) for ten years. Retired - Information Technology Security Administrator, Alltel Communication Why are you seeking election to the AFCU board of directors? I have had the opportunity to serve on the AFCU Board for over 25 years. I ve been Board Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and I also served as a Regional Director of the National Association of Credit Union Supervisory and Audit Committees. During my volunteer service, Arkansas Federal Credit Union has: Grown from $68 Million to $980 Million in asset size G r ow n f r o m 1 to 15 b r a n c h e s, a d d e d products and services such as credit cards, member investments, retirement counseling, online financial services and a full range of loan products. Reached over 90,000 members Been nationally recognized as a trendsetter in the credit union industry. I believe that credit unions are member oriented and not-profit driven, as many banks seem to be. We have a credit union that is successful and is nationally recognized as a leader in the credit union industry. I have been active in bringing select employer groups into our field of members, and I have worked hard to ensure that our credit union offers loan rates that are fair and that the credit union pays a good rate of return on our share accounts. I am asking for your support in election to the Board of Directors to guide our credit union in this new millennium. We have a credit union that is successful and is nationally recognized as a leader in the credit union industry. In accordance with your credit union bylaws, nominations for vacancies may also be made by petition. Any member wishing to be nominated by petition for a position open to the board and who missed the nominating process may visit any AFCU branch or call the AFCU Member Service Center at or to request a Petition for Nomination. For a petition to be valid, it must contain the signatures and member numbers of 500 Arkansas Federal Credit Union members. The petition must be signed by the nominee indicating willingness to serve if elected, and include a statement of qualifications. The petition must be returned to the Secretary of the Board of Directors no later than Monday, February 10, 2014 If an election is necessary, ballots will be mailed no later than Tuesday, February 25, 2014, to members in good standing, age 18 or older, as of January 31, All qualified ballots received by midnight on Saturday, March 22, 2014 will be counted. If you do not receive a ballot and you believe you are eligible to receive a ballot, please call Patrick McCollough at or ext The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 2:00 p.m., in the Board Room at AFCU headquarters in Jacksonville, where election results will be announced. P.O. Box 9, Jacksonville, AR AFCU.org 3

4 Income Tax Reporting & Refund Information Arkansas Federal prepares IRS reporting forms for you to use when filing personal income tax returns. IRS Forms mailed by January 31 include: 1099, 1098, 1099-R. IRS Form 5498 is mailed by May 31. Tax Refunds by Direct Deposit IRS Direct is the fastest, safest and easiest way to receive your IRS tax refund. If you are eligible to receive direct deposit, the IRS can transmit your 2012 refund directly to your Arkansas Federal account. With Online Banking, the AFCU mobile app or Touch-Tone-Teller you can confirm the deposit of your income tax refund and transfer the refund to any of your other accounts. FREE Credit Reports to Consumers The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act signed into law in December 2003 gives consumers access to one free copy of their credit report annually from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, go to or call You may also request your free annual credit report by mail by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box , Atlanta, GA You can print the form at Do not be fooled by companies offering to provide you with a free credit report if you sign up for services or purchase products. You are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus each year no purchase necessary! We suggest that you spread out your free credit report requests every three months or so throughout the year so you can guard against identity theft on an ongoing basis instead of receiving all three reports at the same time. Fee Change Cash Advance Fee *Rate and fee subject to change Overdraft Protection from Credit Card ATM Foreign Fee Decline Transaction Fee Current Fee Proposed Fee 5% Effective 3/1/14 $3 Effective 3/1/14 $1 $1 As previously disclosed in the January 2012 Banner Newsletter, this fee remains the same. Start your Healthcare Savings Today! Is your high-deductible healthcare plan costing you more, but covering less? Does your healthcare plan qualify for a health savings account? Healthcare costs are on the rise, so protect yourself against unexpected medical expenses by accumulating funds in a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs are individual accounts which allow you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for future medical expenses and are designed specifically for individuals who have chosen a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). You can deduct your contributions, and the account earnings will accumulate on a tax-deferred basis. Distributions from your HSA are tax-free as long as they are used for a qualified medical expense as defined in IRS Publication 502. To learn more, contact our Member Service Center at or toll free at , or by visiting one of our convenient service center locations. *This article is not intended as tax advice, so please consult with a tax professional. Debt Cancellation We re rolling out our new and improved debt cancellation starting April 1st, Debt Cancellation Protection helps protect you during times of unexpected events. Protection for you, your family and your savings. Easy application process Flexible options Affordable rates 4 Central Arkansas Toll-Free Fax FAXX info@afcu.org Federally insured by NCUA

5 On December 17, President/CEO Larry Biernacki presented a $55,176 check to Arkansas Children s Hospital Neonatal Nursing Director, Luann Jones and the president and CEO of Arkansas Children s Hospital, Marcy Doderer at a press conference held in the main lobby of Arkansas Children s Hospital. Arkansas Federal employees and members raised the money this past year through several fund raising events, including the 8th Annual Arkansas Federal Golf Classic, Painting with a Purpose, candy and card stock sales and several Bunko Bash events. Since 1998, Arkansas Federal has contributed over $730,000 to Arkansas Children s Hospital. The money donated by Arkansas Federal will help fund new isolettes for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The isolettes are small pods that feature low lighting and low noise, factors that are important for the smallest of babies who need minimal stimulation in their earliest days. is part of Credit Unions for Kids, a national sponsor of Children s Miracle Network Hospitals. Children s Miracle Network Hospitals is a national organization dedicated to helping raise awareness and funds for its 170 member hospitals, including Arkansas Children s Hospital DORM ROOM MAKEOVER contest winner AFCU proudly presented Michael Harris, an Arkansas Tech University student, with a $1,000 check for winning our Dorm Room Makeover Contest. Be sure to check in with us on Facebook and Twitter for details on our next contest in 2014! 5

6 Job Change? Don t Ignore Your Retirement Plan Dollars What is the Arkansas Federal Financial Service Program? The Arkansas Federal Financial Services Program is a full-service financial advisory program Mike Van Bokhoven located at offering members retirement, insurance and investment services. Our goal is to help our members achieve their financial goals for themselves and their families. A full-time Arkansas Federal Financial Services Representative is available to meet with you to evaluate your situation, offer recommendations and coordinate your investment and insurance choices. You may want to tackle just one financial issue today. We can help you: Members Education Seminars: Social Security and Your Retirement Thursday, January 30th, at 5:30 p.m. at our WLR Service Center or Thursday, March 13th, at 5:30 p.m. at our Jacksonville Service Center So that Arkansas Federal can efficiently satisfy all of your banking needs, please take a moment to sign in to Online Banking and confirm that your address is up to date. Simply log in to Online Banking at AFCU.org, then select Update Member Info under the My Profile tab. To learn more or register for a seminar, call or , ext Representatives are registered, securities are sold and investment advisory services offered through CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. (CBSI), member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor, 2000 Heritage Way,Waverly, Iowa 50677, toll-free (866) Nondeposit investment and insurance products are not federally insured,involve investment risk, may lose value and are not obligations of or guaranteed by the financial institution. CBSI is under contract with the financial institution, through the financial services program, to make securities available to members. The Banner is the official quarterly publication of Arkansas Federal Credit Union. Comments and suggestions should be addressed to: Marketing Department P.O. Box 9, Jacksonville, AR The Banner Newsletter does not represent legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Although we try to ensure the information contained is accurate, no party assumes liability for loss or damage due to dependence on this material. We also have over 5,000 offices at Credit Union Service Center locations in all 50 states and eight foreign countries to serve you. To find a location near you, We do business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. NMLS Central Arkansas Toll-Free Fax FAXX info@afcu.org 6