You may have read about the scholarships that we offer at NWGACU a few weeks ago on our blog. It’s been a few weeks now and I just wanted to be sure that you don’t forget to take advantage of this great opportunity.

I mean…it’s free money!

Education is our thing and we love to get involved however we can. The Tom Nunn Memorial Scholarship and the Progressive Leader Scholarship are two ways that we offer assistance to rising college freshman looking for an education.

They are both $1,000 scholarships (free money), but with different requirements in mind. The judges for the Tom Nunn Memorial scholarship will be looking for a student that shows a commitment to excellence in academics, service, and involvement in the community. The winner of the Progressive Leader Scholarship will be an entrepreneurial, progressive student leader who believes in their cause and makes it happen.  

Finding money for college can be tough, but don’t give up! Apply for scholarships and hopefully you’ll save yourself some money on student loans.

Stop by either branch to pick up your applications or print them here:

Tom Nunn Memorial Scholarship

Progressive Leader Scholarship

If you are a member of Northwest Georgia Credit Union you probably know (or know of) Dana. This credit union has been open for 50 years and Dana has been employed here for 25 of those years.

Congratulations, Dana on 25 years of service!

We wanted to celebrate Dana in a big way to congratulate her on this accomplishment and to tell her how much we appreciate her hard work and dedication to this credit union and its members.

We started with a surprise breakfast in her honor, an award, some pictures from the past, and some words of encouragement. After another meal and some delicious chocolate cake, I got to sit down with Dana and learn more about her 25 years here at NWGACU.

Interesting facts:

• When Dana started, the credit union’s asset size was 6 million dollars. It is now 51 million dollars. A LOT has changed in 25 years!
• In the past 25 years Dana has seen the introduction of home loans, credit cards, debit cards, Online Banking, Bill Pay, ATMs, and our second location on Dean Avenue.
• Dana started out as the Collections Manager and moved into various roles in lending and member service. She is now the Director of Financial Services aka ‘The Lending Guru’.

We appreciate Dana for her knowledge of all things credit union and her sincere dedication to our members.

New address?

New cell phone number?

New e-mail address?

It seems like our information is constantly changing these days and updating everyone in our lives can be a tough job. A new address comes with a whole list of people to inform: family, friends, utilities, post office, DMV, employer, and anyone who mails you anything. A new cell phone needs to be updated with all kinds of people as well: family, friends, emergency contacts, and probably your employer.

It’s all very complicated and while I don’t want to put anything else on your plate, I do want to remind you that your credit union needs to know your updated information as well. Having a correct address, phone number, and e-mail address on file is very important for financial institutions. If anything changes with your account, debit card, or credit card, we’d like to be able to notify you as quickly as possible.

And if you have your address or phone number on your checks – you’ll probably want to stop by and order more with your new information.

It’s a very quick process to update your information at NWGACU – just fill out this form and mail it, fax it, or bring it to us.

Applying for a loan online? You may have noticed some things have changed about our Online Loan Application.

If you haven’t noticed then I’ll go ahead and tell you that the application looks a little different than it used to. There are more security features and a sign-in process. These were put in place to help keep your information as safe as possible.

If you already have a login ID you will sign in and apply just like normal. Once you’ve applied you can then check the status of your loan online.

To get a login ID and create a password for the first time, select the second option on the screen ‘create a new login’.

If you choose to apply without a login ID, that’s no problem. It’s up to you. But, members and non-members that apply for a loan without a login ID will not be able to check the status of their loan online.

Applying online is still basically the same – just a few small changes. One thing that hasn’t changed: you can still apply in the comfort of your own home in your PJs if you like. Totally up to you.

Apply for a credit union loan online quickly and easily here.

I like discounts. You like discounts. So imagine my excitement when NWGACU enrolled in Invest in America, a member discount program that is totally free!

Invest in America was started by credit unions in Michigan who were looking for ways to add even more value to being a credit union member. They began to form partnerships with auto manufacturers to offer reduced prices to credit union members. It was a win-win-win: manufacturers sell more American-made cars, credit unions make more loans, and members save both by financing at a low CU rate and getting the vehicle discount.

Thankfully, Michigan decided to share. Now, credit unions across the country (including yours truly) have teamed up to offer these same discounts. With more credit unions involved, more retailers want a piece of the pie. In addition to vehicle discounts, credit union members can now get discounts at 1,200 online stores (Target.com, anyone?) and even wireless service, television service, medical and lifestyle services, and much more.

The website is LoveMyCreditUnion.org. You can also find it on the member discounts page of our website. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving dinner is over, but wait…

Before you throw away those leftovers because you just can’t eat one more bite of turkey or dressing, take a look at some of these creative ideas for using Thanksgiving leftovers:

• Healthy ways to get the most out of Thanksgiving [VIDEO]
• Ideas for making something way better than a turkey sandwich
• Sweet potatoes into sweet potato biscuits
• Delicious ideas from Tasty Kitchen
• Casseroles, soups, and other easy leftover ideas

After you’ve enjoyed your leftovers in fun, new ways you’ll want to know what to do with all of that leftover dessert. No need to create a new dish, just eat and enjoy!

Recently I posted some information about our very popular Christmas Club account – the account that helps you save for the holiday season.

Then I started thinking that some of you may not have set up your account in time to save any money for this year! Or you may have, but the amount isn’t quite what it needs to be to get through the next few months. Here’s another option for you: 12-12-12 Holiday Loan.

This loan is the perfect amount to give you a little extra help this time of year, but also comes with very reasonable payments so that you’re not strapped just trying to pay it off.

This loan is available starting October 1 until January 31.

Just another option for you to think about. Let us know how we can help!

I have been working at NWGACU for about 3 years now and I’m loving it! It’s not only a great place to work, but I get to do something that I’m passionate about: talk about money!

But sometimes I get so caught up in telling strangers, students, and members about the credit union difference that I often forget about my friends. The people in my life may know that I have a job at a credit union, but that doesn’t always mean we’re on the same page about finances. I’m just realizing this because I have a great friend that asked me about credit unions  recently.   

Friend: “Wait, credit unions are different than banks?”

Me: “Oh wow, we need to talk!”

I proceeded to tell her about how credit unions are owned by their members, not stock-holders and that we’re not-for-profit. These two things make it possible for us to offer fewer fees, much better loan rates, and treat people as people – not customers with earning potential.

Usually we’re able to save people money on loans since our rates are so great, but the saving doesn’t end there. We also have the best credit card around – great rewards, lower rates, and a lot less fees. And I love to tell people about our credit builder loan because we know that people don’t always have good credit, but instead of sending them away, we are able to help get their credit back in order.

Do you love your credit union as much as I do?

If so, it’s time to start telling your friends! Don’t leave them out of the loop – the money-saving, people-loving credit union loop.