QUARTER 2 2015 IN THIS ISSUE Meet Prestman Auto New VISA Rates Celebration Recap page 2 President s Message page 3 Mortgage Article page 4 Upcoming Events page 6 Branch News page 7 Alliances That Benefit Members Building alliances with local businesses is an excellent way for TransWest to benefit its members by reducing associated costs, increasing revenues and building relationships within the community we serve. This vision so closely resembles that of Prestman Auto that it only makes sense to build an alliance with them. In their relentless pursuit to be the best independent dealership in the country, they continuously disrupt the traditional dealership business model by creating a unique and innovative dealership that truly focuses on the needs of their clients while improving the lives of their staff. They firmly believe in providing exceptional products at incredible prices paired with an extraordinary buying experience that creates members for life by focusing on honesty, trust and integrity. Watch for more alliances over the next few months! - Scott Peterson, 801-487-1692 #931, scott.peterson@transwestcu.com Your Ideas Lead to Positive Change At TransWest we know that when we are listening to our members, we are listening to our owners and your input is extremely important to us. Last year, we asked you which design you liked on the TransWest VISA green debit card. You responded, we listened and, thanks to you, we have a great looking, brand-new card. Another example is our VISA platinum card without rewards. You told us our rates were too high for the market. We heard you and lowered our rates by 2%, down to a fantastic rate of 7.89%. If you have ideas to make your credit union experience better, please let us know. Give us a call, drop by and visit a branch or submit your idea online or by email. Just like the positive rate change to our VISA cards, we have the flexibility to implement changes which benefit both the credit union and its members. - Tamara Pluth, 801-487-1692 #941, tamara. pluth@transwestcu.com
CELEBRATION OF MEMBERSHIP RECAP TransWest celebrated 80 years at the annual Celebration of Membership on Friday, March 20th at the Little America Hotel. The evening was a huge success with 1 interactive entertainment by Party Rock Project, 2 great attendance, 3 lots of prizes, 4 a chance to meet new President/CEO Bret Rigby, 5 recognition of service for Rose Kocinski (35 years), Teisha Dinkelman (15 years), Ed Samuels, Randy Call and Tamara Pluth (5 years), and introduction of our 2015 Celebrity Members - Lemuel Manoa, Kelly Edwards and Ronald Duncombe. - Tamara Pluth, 801-487-1692 #941, tamara.pluth@transwestcu.com TRANSWEST CREDIT UNION 2015 QUARTER 2 NEWSLETTER
PRESIDENT S MESSAGE I m happy to be at TransWest and in Utah! Bret H. Rigby, President/CEO I would like to honor and thank those forward-looking railroad operators in Utah who banded together 80 years ago to create a credit union they could own, they could run and that would directly benefit them. Their initial investment has multiplied many times over the years. I m proud to say that today TransWest is owned by almost 13,000 members who have brought together $120 million to help each other accomplish their dreams and protect their futures. It s interesting now that I am living and working in Salt Lake City, the number one question I get asked is if I bleed blue or red. I m a graduate of BYU and my daughter Caroline is about to graduate from the Y, so you might guess I bleed blue. But my other daughter, Kate, is attending the U on a soccer scholarship, so when I cheer her on, I bleed red. From what I remember about the color chart, I d say with certainty that it appears I bleed purple. But that would make me a Weber Wildcat and that s definitely not anything I can claim yet. I often get asked, What is the difference between Credit Unions and banks? From the outside they often look very much the same. However, credit unions have a 1-2 punch advantage over banks ownership and cooperation and TransWest is a great example of both. Banks are always talking about listening to their customers. At TransWest we know when we are listening to our members, we are listening to our owners. Believe me - that means we listen well. One example is our VISA Platinum cards. You, our members, were telling us our cards were too expensive because the rates were too high for the market. At our annual Celebration of Membership on March 20th, it was my pleasure to announce our non-rewards Platinum VISA is 7.89%. That is a decrease of more than 2%! TransWest is also taking advantage of the way credit unions work together. Our mortgage department at TransWest is second to none. We are in the process of building partnerships with other credit unions such as Grand County Credit Union in Moab, UT. This will allow us to share our in-house talent with other credit unions so they can benefit by providing mortgages to their members without incurring the expense of hiring staff to underwrite and process them. We believe strongly in sharing the TransWest advantage with everyone in Salt Lake County. Over the next several months you will hear about many new alliances we are forming with companies throughout the valley. Our most recent alliance is with the good folks at Prestman Auto Group. Beginning April 1st, we will be the preferred auto loan provider with Prestman for our members and all Prestman s car buyers who live in Salt Lake County. And, of course, we will continue to pay our members their 1% commission - up to $300 - on their car loans. I have been working at TransWest for almost two months and they are probably the fastest months of my life. My first priority was to get to know the staff of the credit union. I am impressed with their talent, knowledge and dedication. But what most impresses me is how much they care for and feel responsible for you - their members. At our annual celebration we honored Rose Kocinski, Teisha Dinkelman, Randy Call, Tamara Pluth and Ed Samuels who achieved service milestones at TransWest. I would like to focus a moment on Rose who has accomplished something that is truly amazing in today s transient world by working at TransWest for over 35 years. I have been told by others that if Rose says you are good people then you are in with the TransWest membership. It is one of my fondest hopes in the coming months that I can get Rose s seal of approval. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Board of Directors of TransWest which is made up of members with diverse backgrounds who work to lead this credit union. It is a big job and they do it well. I d like to thank them for the faith they have put in me by appointing me the President/CEO of TransWest Credit Union. I look forward to getting to know all of you better and to share our plans for a great TransWest future. And the next time someone asks me what color I bleed, I m going to say I bleed TransWest green! 801-487-1692 www.transwestcu.com
Rates remain near historic lows, giving borrowers with good to excellent credit a chance to save thousands of dollars in interest over the life of a mortgage. If you ve been thinking about refinancing, now is a good time to take a closer look. Here are a few pros and cons worth considering: The pros The top reason to refinance is to save money with a lower interest rate and monthly payment. Say you originally borrowed $200,000 at 5.5% over a 30 year term, but after several years decide to refinance the balance at 3.75%, paying $4,000 in fees. That translates to a monthly payment reduction of about $210. Although it would TRANSWEST CREDIT UNION 2015 QUARTER 2 NEWSLETTER
take 19 months to recoup the transaction costs, you d save more than $48,000 in interest over the life of the loan. Several years of on-time monthly payments on a mortgage can improve your credit score, which may mean a better loan rate when refinancing. Plus if your financial situation has improved, you may be able to handle a shorter-term loan, which can save even more. It can also be worth considering switching from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate loan. Borrowers may want to lock in a rate now before rates rise, as expected over the next several years. The cons Refinancing can be expensive, so it can take several years to recoup the transaction costs. If you don t plan to stay put for at least as long as that takes, it may not be a smart move. Also, if you ve already paid down the existing loan, you may at first pay more towards interest each month with a new loan even with a lower interest rate. If you can t handle the transaction costs without eating up savings, it may not be worth it. If you still aren t sure whether to refinance, you can run the numbers using an online calculator or contact one of our experienced mortgage loan officers to work through it with you. Before committing, make sure you have a healthy emergency savings fund built up. If you re in good shape, refinancing can be a solid way to make things even better. Cait Klein, NerdWallet.com 801-487-1692 www.transwestcu.com
UPCOMING EVENTS TWCU Annual Golf Tournament Saturday, August 29th Eaglewood Golf Course 8:00 a.m. shotgun start/ scramble Throughout the year we invite our members to join us in having some fun. In March it s dinner and entertainment at the Celebration of Membership and in the late summer we host the annual golf tournament. On Saturday, August 29th, we ll be swinging our clubs at the Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake. Prizes will be awarded for Closest to the Hole, Longest Drive, 1st and 2nd Place as well as a few surprises. So mark your calendars and get ready to have a great time! Watch for details as we get closer to the date. - Tamara Pluth, 801-487-1692 #941, tamara.pluth@transwestcu.com TRANSWEST CREDIT UNION 2015 QUARTER 2 NEWSLETTER
BRANCH NEWS The Taylorsville branch is sporting a brand new ATM machine complete with interactive touch screen and enhanced security. Join us in welcoming our newest employee, Account Representative Elizabeth Espinoza. She recently moved to Utah from California when her husband accepted a job transfer. She has over 6 years of credit union experience. Her warm personality and sunny smile are a great addition to TransWest! Keep the TWCU 2016 calendar in mind as you snap photos of all your adventures over the course of the year! Photo submissions can be made by emailing them to marketing@ transwestcu.com. Earn double ScoreCard rewards with every home improvement purchase made on your VISA credit card starting April 1st and going through the end of June. Paint the house, plant a garden, remodel the living room - you get the idea. TransWest makes redeeming awards easy. What a great way to make all that Spring upkeep pay for itself! ShredFEST is coming to TransWest again on Saturday, October 3rd. It s an easy way to safely and securely destroy your old documents, disk drives, and CDs and it s FREE! 801-487-1692 www.transwestcu.com
DIVIDENDS as of 3.27.15 TransWest is now on social media! Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. We post all our latest programs and events and new loan promos! Remember as members you have an incentive program that will pay you for your referrals! If you share our posts and one of your friends comes in and opens an account or does a loan that s all it takes to be paid for your referral! Please remember that your efforts to help TWCU grow will help us give back in the long run! - January Barney, Account Representative, 801-487-1692 #221, january.barney@transwestcu.com CONTACT US 801-487-1692 All Branches 801-487-4846 Telephone Teller 800-748-4488 Toll Free www.transwestcu.com HOLIDAYS & EVENTS HOLIDAY CLOSINGS Memorial Day Monday, May 25 Independence Day Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 Pioneer Day Friday, July 24 EVENTS TWCU Golf Tournament Saturday, August 29 ShredFEST Saturday, October 3 Account Type APY* Share Savings**.10% Club Account.10% IRA & ROTH IRA Shares Less than $2,500.10% $2,500 to $19,999.15% $20,000 and up.20% Kids Club $50 to $999.10% $1,000 to $49,999.15% $50,000 and up.20% Green Savings $50 to $499.15% $500 to $9,999*** 1.51% $10,000 and up.15% Special Rate Green Checking $100 to $2,499.00% $2,500 and up.05% High Yield Checking $1,000 to $4,999.05% $5,000 and up.10% Money Market $100 to $999.10% $1,000 to $19,999.15% $20,000 to $49,999.20% $50,000 and up.25% Certificate of Deposit*** 24 mo., $1000 and up 1.00% 36 mo., $1,000 and up 1.50% 60 mo. $1,000 and up 2.10% * Annual Percentage Yield. Rates effective on deposits over $50 if not specified. ** Share Dividends are determined by Credit Union Board and declared monthly. Interest paid monthly on average daily balance. CDs subject to early withdrawal penalties. Rates subject to change. *** Special rates on Green Savings will be paid through 6/30/15. Extended