It’s week 7 of our infamous eStatements with Check Images drawings. We have already given 6 lucky people some extra spending money but we have more to give! So, sign up now for your chance to win…and for your chance to make life easier with eStatements.
On to the drawing. This week, our sweet receptionist Lori helped draw our lucky winner. Thanks Lori!
And the winner is…
Karen Foss
Congratulations Karen!! We hope you have a great week!
A few months ago, Northwest Georgia Credit Union fell victim to a scam. The scam came in the form of phone calls, e-mails, and text messages.
Today, the scammers are back and people all over Rome, GA have received calls and texts with a warning about their debit or credit card being cancelled. The scam is a recorded message asking members and non-members to provide their debit or credit card information including a PIN number.
Please continue to be on the lookout for scams of this nature and be very wary of giving account information to anyone. Rest assured that Northwest Georgia Credit Union did not release any member information and our information was never compromised.
April 22 was established in 1970 as a day for appreciation and awareness for the environment, and so today we celebrate!
Ever seen these handy dandy reusable shopping bags? A lot of stores are selling them these days in hopes that people will use less plastic bags. We love these things, so in honor of Earth Day 2009, we’re giving them away to members when they come in to do their financial business.
We have plenty, so stop by the credit union today to celebrate with us! Also, be sure that you are signed up for eStatements, which is another great way to celebrate Earth Day!
Oh, and not only are they great for reusing…
The bag folds up and snaps so that you can keep it packed away in a small space when you aren’t using it. Genius!
We’re excited and we hope that people will use these at the store instead of plastic bags! I like to keep mine in my car so that when I stop by the grocery store, I’ll always have it with me.
P.S. – There are only a few days left in Financial Literacy Month and we hope you’re still enjoying these fabulous tips!
It’s week 6 and eStatements is taking off! We’re excited that so many people are saving trees and signing up!
Our lucky $50 winner this week is (drum-roll please…)
Kathleen Woodhall
Congratulations Kathleen!!
If you’d like to save a tree, you can find out how to sign up for eStatements here. And if you are just in it for the money, you still have 9 chances to win!
If you’ve never heard of Dave Ramsey, let me introduce you. He is this guy that used to be in loads of debt until he found a way out. He now encourages others struggling with debt and he has become somewhat of a financial guru.
If you’re interested, he hosts a radio show that you can listen to on WLAQ in the afternoons.
Now, for the point of this post.
Good ole Dave is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the economy. It’s called Town Hall for Hope and you can find all the information you’ll need here. It is a simulcast that will be broadcast at different venues all over the country, including places here in Rome! His goal in this town hall meeting will be to discuss where our economy was and where it is now. He’ll give tips about what we should be doing with our money and then answer questions from people watching the broadcast.
Here are the locations in Rome:
First Baptist Church
Pleasant Valley South Baptist Church
Pleasant Valley North Baptist Church
New Armuchee Baptist Church
If you’d like to attend, you can sign up here.
Last Friday afternoon was exciting to say the least. There was a huge storm that wreaked havoc in our area.
Over the weekend I heard a lot of people asking ‘where were you during the storm?’ Everyone experienced different things in different places. Here is our story:
The credit union stays open until 6 PM every Friday. Last Friday was no different. There were members inside and in the drive-thru depositing checks, getting cash, and just doing their normal Friday business.
The rain started late in the afternoon, but it wasn’t until about 5:30 when the wind started picking up and the hail started falling. Not usually a huge deal. Storms happen.
Well, then we start hearing the tornado sirens and the radio is saying that there is a tornado close by. Everyone upstairs ran downstairs to the back hallway where there are no windows. A few people thought they would be safer in the vault, so there was a crowd in there as well.
As everyone is gathering in safe places, we realize that the members in the drive-thru need to come inside. They (they as in really smart weather people) always tell you to get to safe place during a tornado. The car didn’t seem too safe, so we ushered everyone inside.
All of the members inside and outside joined us in the back hallway. It was quite the mixture of people. There were toddlers, teens, family members, staff members, three pregnant women and one dog.
The dog’s name was Jasmine and we are pretty sure she was a boxer puppy. She was great, even through golf ball sized hail and the tornado sirens.
We chatted and got to know each other, and then just as quickly as it started, it was over. Not too much damage to our cars and no damage to the building. Whew!
So, next time you’re in the building during a dangerous storm, just know that you’ll be taken care of.
Where were you during the storm?
As you know, Northwest Georgia Credit Union now offers eStatements. If you did not already know that, read this.
Each week we are taking our list of eStatements users and drawing one name. The lucky winners get $50!
It’s week 5 of our weekly drawing and the winner is…
Benjamin Farnham
Benjamin was very excited to win the drawing. I believe his exact quote was “awesoooooome!”.
Congratulations Benjamin! Enjoy!
Make sure you are signed up for eStatements and you could be our next winner! And if you win, be sure to say things like ‘awesooooome!’
Now that Financial Literacy Month is in full swing, we are excited about all the financial chitchat we’ve been hearing.
In addition to informative and helpful tips, financialliteracymonth.com also has a blog with even more helpful information.
Today’s post is about debt and totally worth the two minutes it takes to read through it!
The writer, a blogger from Prime Time Money, talks about 5 great reasons to have less debt:
Do you agree? Check out the rest of his thoughts here.
And be sure to take the debt test to find out if your debt is too much debt!
Every year Northwest Georgia Credit Union offers two $1,000 scholarships to deserving high school seniors. If you don’t know about our scholarships, here’s the deal:
If you are a high school senior with plans to attend college and a member of Northwest Georgia Credit Union, hurry up and fill out these applications.
Only TWO days left before applications must be turned in!
Does a better rate on a loan really help lower monthly payments that much? Does it really matter where I get my loan? How much difference could there be in a few points?
Check this out:
It’s a fact. Loan interest rates are usually lower at a credit union than at a bank, which translates into smaller monthly payments for you and your family. Take a look at these national loan rate averages:
| Credit Union | Bank | |
| 48-month used car | 5.94% | 7.50% |
| 48-month new car | 5.70% | 6.92% |
| Credit card | 11.90% | 13.89% |
| 36-month unsecured | 10.78% | 12.54% |
Source: Datatrac, March 2008
Using these same loan interest rate averages, check out how the credit union monthly payments compare to bank monthly payments:
| Credit Union | Bank | Annual Savings By Choosing a Credit Union | |
| $10,000 used car loan, 48 months | $234.58 | $241.79 | $86.52 |
| $20,000 new car loan, 48 months | $466.95 | $478.18 | $134.76 |
| $6,000 balance on a credit card that you are trying to pay back in 12 months | $532.81 | $538.41 | $67.20 |
| $7,000 unsecured loan, 36 months | $228.44 | $234.31 | $70.44 |
These rates are just averages! If your interest rates are higher, you could potentially save even more by borrowing at Northwest Georgia Credit Union instead of a bank. In fact, between better loan and deposit rates and lower fees, credit union membership confers a real financial benefit to consumers, to the tune of about $240 a year per member household.*
*Source: Credit Union National Association
A few points can make a big difference! Educate yourself before you go searching for a loan and save money by getting the best rate you can find!
