UFCU Currency Affairs April 2007
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Currency Affairs Inside this Issue Spring 2007 | Consolidating Retirement Plan Assets | Zero Fee Student Loans | Let’s Talk About Real Estate and Home Loans ����� Member Mark your Education calendar and Seminars register at ufcu.org Seminar Topic Date Time Location Details Real April 17th 6:30 pm Norris Conference Center Get a bird’s eye view of the real estate market from a Estate 201 2525 W Anderson Ln national, state and local perspective. We’ll look at loans that Austin, TX can be dangerous to your fiscal health, local Austin “hot” and (rear entrance of “cold” neighborhoods, capital gains strategies, and the dos Northcross Mall) and don’ts of “flipping” a home for profit. Mastering the April 24th 6:00 pm Norris Conference Center Every year, thousands of pages from hundreds of magazines Fundamentals 2525 W Anderson Ln and books written by an infinite number of experts spout of Investing Austin, TX all kinds of complex financial strategies. The good news (rear entrance of is that the basics of investing are much more simple than Northcross Mall) they would have you believe. This presentation will discuss the fundamental keys of investing and would be a great opportunity for anyone that wants to understand or refresh on the basics. Credit Score April 30th 6:30 pm Norris Conference Center Enhancing your credit score can save you hundreds, if not Enhancement 2525 W Anderson Ln thousands, of dollars in interest during your lifetime. Learn Austin, TX how your credit score is calculated, how you can improve (rear entrance of your credit score, and how credit scores are used by lenders. Northcross Mall) Consolidating Retirement Plan Assets If you’re like most people, you’ve probably worked for a number of different employers. The average American changes jobs eight times during the course of a 30-year career, leaving their retirement assets behind with their previous employer. The 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) simplified the steps for rolling over retirement assets when changing jobs. Now, money in various employer sponsored retirement plans or IRA rollovers can be transferred into your current employer’s IRA plan. How you choose to handle your retirement assets could have a lasting impact on the type of retirement you enjoy. Because this decision is so critical, consider consolidating your IRAs with your Financial Advisor; he or she can facilitate this process for you. With your retirement money in a single place, your advisor will be in a better position to assess your total financial picture and design a retirement plan that best fits your personal needs. To schedule an appointment with a UFCU Financial Advisor, available through CUSO Financial Services, L.P., please call (512) 421-8112. Investment products and services offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS) are not NCUA/NCUSIF insured, are not credit union guaranteed and may lose value. Investment representatives are employees of University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) and registered through 1 CFS. UFCU is affiliated with CFS (Member NASD/SIPC). PIN-based transactions your predetermined amount clears your Criminals may perpetrate Debit account. For example, you may wish to be Card fraud by placing a card notified by email whenever a transaction President’s skimming device on point-of-sale greater than $100 clears your checking terminals that captures Debit Card account. This service is easy to initiate Report magnetic stripe data and each and is provided to you by UFCU at no associated four-digit PIN number. cost. Simply login to online banking, select Using the captured data, criminals Preferences, eMail Services, and then My then manufacture fraudulent Debit Personal eLerts to set up this feature. Cards subsequently utilized at ATMs to steal money from individual’s accounts. Making ATM withdrawals You will need to continue to use your Preventing Debit Card fraud PIN to withdraw cash at ATMs. National Most members benefit enormously from ATM networks require all member banks the convenience of using Debit Cards and credit unions use fraud prevention rather than writing checks or carrying technology that encrypts your PIN as soon large amounts of cash. By following these as you enter it into the keypad, making ATMs guidelines, you can avoid this and similar a secure environment. Of course, always be Debit Card fraud schemes: mindful of your personal safety. Avoid ATMs in dark, secluded environments. Avoid any 1. First and foremost, when making a ATM or point-of-sale device that appears Debit Card purchase at a merchant for broken or that shows signs of having been groceries, gas, or other consumer goods, altered. Trust your instincts. If something This past February, we were select the Credit option instead of the looks unusual, report it to the ATM owner Debit option, thereby avoiding use of and use a machine with which you are ® informed VISA Check Cards (also your PIN. To do this, you may need to comfortable. known as Debit Cards) used by SLOW DOWN because point-of-sale several hundred UFCU members, terminals vary and may require different We know UFCU members appreciate responses. Some terminals simply offer the convenience afforded by electronic along with those belonging to you a choice of Debit or Credit as part banking services, so we continuously strive patrons of other credit unions and of your transaction. Others require you to maintain the integrity and security of to Cancel the Debit Card transaction in electronic delivery channels. As always, thank banks, may have been compromised order to be given a Credit option. Still you for your membership and business! in a security breach at a local other terminals require some action from the sales clerk. Remember: The best merchant. UFCU immediately Warmest regards, way to prevent Debit Card fraud at the contacted each affected member by point-of-sale is to avoid using your PIN by phone and, in some cases, by mail selecting the Credit option. You control whether or not your VISA Check Card to alert them of the situation and transaction is processed as a PIN-based to inform them we had deactivated Debit or as a Credit transaction. If need Tony C. Budet be, ask the sales clerk for assistance. their UFCU VISA Check Cards President/CEO to prevent unauthorized charges 2. Use UFCU’s online banking service to to their respective accounts. That review the transaction history on your evening, two UFCU branches account frequently, if not daily. Report any suspicious transactions immediately to remained open late to permit UFCU Member Services. affected members to immediately 3. Set up the eLerts feature within UFCU’s replace their potentially online banking to automatically notify compromised cards. you by email anytime a transaction over 2 needed to pay more. Doesn’t that fit this That’s why dealerships have tried to move a classic definition of predatory – to injure or large portion of their profit away from areas exploit others for personal gain or profit? where customers typically bargain to the areas where most customers don’t bargain. Predatory financing differs from “risk- Here are the key new places dealerships based” financing. In risk-based financing, don’t want you to bargain. your interest rate is determined by the risk a company takes when it lends to you. The price of service agreements. One The interest rate is usually determined customer might pay $700 for a service by your credit score. Risk-based financing agreement. The next customer might pay can actually help you if you’ve had credit $1,800 for the exact same agreement. problems. But “risked-based” financing quickly becomes “predatory financing” the The charge for “paperwork”. First minute the lender raises the interest rate question: why are dealerships even higher than the rate you qualify for. charging you to do paperwork? Isn’t the There’s No paperwork something the business should Need To Be Because this credit union, as well as other pay? Second question: why pay hundreds credit unions, operates on a not-for-profit for paperwork, when the dealership might Nervous stance, we want to help you build a strong accept $30, instead? financial future and we won’t take advantage By Remar Sutton of you so we can make an extra buck. UFCU The charge for “tag, title, and UFCU’s Consumer Spokesperson will always extend you the lowest rate you registration”. Some dealerships try Have you ever been concerned about your qualify for on every product and service, to charge you hundreds of dollars for credit because of late payments? Maybe and educate you along the way. Hey, that’s these items. you’ve felt a little nervous when getting a nice reason not to be nervous when you ready to apply for a new loan or credit deal with UFCU! You work hard for your money, don’t throw card? Many of us have been in that nervous it away without a fight. Don’t be afraid to try state at some point in time. to negotiate every item when you purchase your next vehicle. In fact, thousands of businesses around the What’s country have discovered a way to make negotiable at a To a Thicker Wallet lots of money on the “nervous consumer.” The moneymaking technique used by these car dealership? businesses is called “predatory pricing.” You know the feeling, “Whew, now I can put my guard down,” after you’ve finished Predatory pricing works like this: negotiating and finally agreed on the price • You have a credit score which says you of a vehicle? should probably qualify for a loan at 7%. • Because you are nervous about your Feel that way and you’re going to be very credit, the lender quotes you a loan rate of popular at just about any dealership – 14% —twice as high as the rate he could whether you’re buying online or in person.