New and improved online banking coming!

thinknorthwest — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:52:28 +0000

Online banking is about to get even better. On January 24th, we will be converting to a new online banking system with some pretty cool new features. Here’s the skinny on the updgrade.

The new online banking system will allow you to manage your finances and pay all of your bills, in one place, with one password and just a few easy clicks. It’s always convenient and secure. More than just your basic online service, Online Banking with Bill Pay lets you transfer money between accounts, pay virtually anyone without writing a check, set up alerts, turn off paper statements, and much more. Best of all, Online Banking and Bill Pay will now have a single sign-on! No more remembering two separate logins and passwords. Now, you will be able to access Bill Pay through Online Banking, with your current Online Banking login information.

Other features include:

• View your deposit and loan balances all in one place
• Make and schedule transfers
• Strengthened password length
• Initiate stop payments
• Access your NWGACU Visa credit card information and redeem points
• Set up automatic email alerts
• Secure messaging
• Bill Shrink
• Download activity into your preferred financial management software
• Create and manage payees – send payments to anyone anywhere, 24/7
• Manage recurring and automatic payments
• Customize your account display

As always, secure Online Banking and Online Bill Pay are FREE!

Check out the demo here.

Please note: you may experience an interruption in Online Banking and Bill Pay service Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 while we upgrade. Watch the website for more details; we’ll let you know as soon as we’re up and running.

*Current Quicken users: As Northwest Georgia Credit Union completes its new online banking system conversion, you will need to modify your Quicken settings to ensure the smooth transition of your data. Please download the instructions for your Quicken version below.

Quicken for Windows 2009-2011
Quicken for Windows 2010-2012
Quicken for Mac 2005-2007
Quicken for Mac 2010

Introducing – Myself! (Stephanie Graves, the new Director of Marketing at Northwest Georgia Credit Union)

Stephanie — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:35:18 +0000

That’s right, I’m one of NWGACU’s newest employees, and I’m here to make sure our marketing efforts continue to be unbeatable. It’s already been a terrific week here in the office, and I’m so excited to be working alongside such a wonderful group of people.

As a Samford University graduate (Go Bulldogs!), I began my career with a Birmingham non-profit, where I found a love for all things marketing and public relations. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to put my knowledge in these fields to use here at NWGACU, and to be a part of this unbelievable community.

I look forward to working with all of our wonderful members, and I’m so excited to be un-banking!

It’s Halloween All Day Long!

Kelly — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:01:28 +0000

Happy Halloween from your credit union friends! Here is a little peek at our celebration. Enjoy!

Harry Potter and the entire Hogwarts crew.

1920′s Flappers

Three witches and a devil tempting us with candy.

Snow White, an evil queen, and a few dwarves.

Sleepy.

Doc and Bashful.

A S’more.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Is it secure when I log in to Online Banking?

Tiffany — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:16:27 +0000

A few days ago, some members raised a valid concern, so I thought I might address it (blog-style!)…just in case you may have had the same concern too. (Warning: this is mildly techy.)

Our conscientious members noticed that while on our website that the URL reads http:// while browsing the website, then https:// after logging into Online Banking. However, you enter your Online Banking log in information on the http:// side of the website. Does this mean that your log in information is unprotected, thus making you susceptible to someone else logging into your account?

Answer: Not at all. Here’s how it works:

1. You enter your log in credentials, which gets passed over to this page: https://homebanking.smartsourcesolutions.org/nwgeorgia/go.aspx . You’ll notice that this page has the necessary SSL Certificate, as evidenced by the https://

2. This page lives on the same server as our main website, so the traffic between the pages never leaves the server.

3. Then, we pass the information on to our Online Banking server, which also has an SSL certificate.

This means that the log in process does in fact take place securely, and it is no less secure than the main website having its own SSL certificate. It’s really important to us that your identity and accounts stays protected and secure. Heck, we’re members too, and we want our own information protected too! It’s a big scary world out there, but with proper caution, we can really enjoy the convenience of managing our money online. We’re committed to keeping up that necessary attentiveness.

If you ever have any concerns, we’re always ready to listen, provide an answer, and if needed, fix the problem.

Cutest Kid Photo Contest

Kelly — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:50:54 +0000

If you have a kid in either the Little Sprouts or Acorn Club kid’s clubs and you think yours is the cutest kid on the block, we are having a contest you will love!

Here’s the deal:

• for members of our Little Sprouts and Acorn Club kid’s clubs

• kids must be wearing their kid’s club t-shirt in photo

• pictures will be posted on facebook for our members to decide which one deserves the title of ‘cutest kid’

• one winner will be chosen from each club

• winners will get $100 to add to their savings account

To enter, just send a picture of your kid in their Little Sprouts or Acorn Club t-shirt to nwgacumarketing@gmail.com with ‘contest’ in the subject line. A response will be sent when a photo is received. Pictures must be sent by Wednesday, August 31. Contest will be held at facebook.com/nwgacu September 1 until September 8.

Good luck!

Time for a Fresh Look?

Sam — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:02:28 +0000

Are you moving into a new house or apartment soon? Or maybe you want to redecorate a room in your house? Don’t feel the pressure to go out and buy all new decorations. First, look at what you already have and start from there, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

For instance, in the kitchen, make it more homey by adding old colorful dinner plates to a neutral color wall. This will save you money and the wall will have a sense of depth to it. Another place to work on is a small bathroom, if you have extra paint from previous decorating phases, then paint one wall a different color to make the bathroom look bigger. There are simple ideas that you can add to any room without blowing your budget. Look for more at HGTV.com to get do it yourself ideas and cheap ways to decorate!

Maintain, Maintain, Maintain.

Sam — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:12:32 +0000

Routinely maintaining your house is a must for everyone who wants to save money and not be surprised when an emergency happens. But are you following a scheduled maintenance for your car? Most people rely on their car to get them to work, the grocery store, grandma’s house, school, and about every other place you would want to go. Scheduled maintenance for your car is also a must to not only save money, but to not be stranded!

This article from Edmunds.com tells you why it is so important to follow the maintenance schedule in your car’s service manual book and how to not get overcharged by the dealership. So if you don’t want to be pushing your car into an open parking lot any time soon, then you better be ready to save a lot of money in the long run!

Learning Financials in the Classroom

Sam — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:48:36 +0000

Now that almost every student in Rome is back to school and settling in their first week of class, it’s time to start thinking about the next few months. Our financial literacy program, learn.grow., is not only for kids at the credit union but also for the schools in the community. Learn.grow. in the classroom is a series of classroom lessons on various topics that form the foundation for a lifetime of financial success. Here’s the short version of it: a lesson taught by a trained credit union staff member will go into a teacher’s classroom and teach a financial lesson for any age group (K-12) for absolutely FREE!

Teachers and parents: here’s your chance to deepen the knowledge of your student’s financial education straight from the people who know it best. Check it out here!

Brown Bag Luncheon 2011

Sam — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:53:28 +0000

Adorable Centerpieces

On Friday, July 29th NWGACU hosted the annual Brown Bag Luncheon held for new educators in the Rome City and Floyd County areas. It was a successful event with Dr. Mike Buck, Chief Academic Officer for the Georgia Department of Education, as our keynote speaker and over 25 door prizes donated from local businesses! There were about 150 people in attendance including principals, administration, school board members, and of course, new teachers. Lunch was provided by the talented duo, Barbara and Ellen, the owners of Two Can Do Catering.

Dr. Mike Buck, photo taken by Daniel Bell of RN-T.

After Dr. Buck spoke, the new teachers as well as the attendees were filled with happy thoughts about the first day of school and an enlightened view about the future of education. The way he spoke about teachers having an effect on almost every child’s life even made me want to become a teacher for a split second. We were so fortunate to host this event this year, as last year we were not able to hold the Brown Bag Luncheon due to the low number of new hires. We hope this is a sign of what is to come of the education field for the coming years.

Branch Facelift

Sam — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:31:14 +0000

For the past month the NWGACU branch on Dean Avenue was under construction in order to upgrade the outside of the building. Since the branch opened in 1997, it’s been changed a few times to keep up with the brand and current looks. Now it is sharp and looking better than ever! Look below to see a comparison of the branch when it opened and today’s view!