newsletter - Governmental Employees Credit Union

G.E.C.U. MEMBER
N EWSLETTER
Fall 2012
ATTENTION High School Seniors and
Enrolled College Students
Now is the time to apply for the G.E.C.U. $500 scholarship.
We want to see you succeed by helping out with higher education
costs. All you have to do is stop by the Credit Union and pick up
a “Scholarship Packet”, complete the packet, send it in, and then
sit back and relax... Well not quite, summer is wrapping up and
another school year has just started.
To be eligible to apply you must be:
• a G.E.C.U member
AND
• accepted into or attending a
technical or accredited college for
the upcoming academic school
year (2012 - 2013)
DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted
no later than October 31st!
Take a look inside...
Help Me Rhonda | Page 2
Meet our newest member of the loan
department | Page 3
Check out the entire G.E.C.U. staff | Page 4
G.E.C.U. fills NEW Marketing Position | Page 6
Complimentary snacks, drinks, and prizes for
National CU Day | Page 7
Help Me Rhonda!
Your credit score is a number
that summarizes your credit
risk and lenders use it to make
credit decisions, such as the
interest rate you get when you
apply for a loan.
The home buying process can
be complicated and confusing, but GECU makes it easy
and will step you through the
process so it doesn’t have to be
difficult.
Q: How can I raise my credit score, so I can purchase a
new home or refinance my
existing mortgage?
Q: What are the first steps
to buying a home?
A: 1. Be aware of your credit
score for qualifying purposes. 2. Know where your down
payment will come from and
make sure it can be verified. 3. Gather your income verification, such as paystubs and
W-2’s 4. Call and make an
appointment with one of our
mortgage professionals for a
pre-approval before you go
house shopping. 5. Once your
pre-approved, you can choose a
realtor to help you find a home
that meets your specifications. 6. When you have an approved
offer to purchase, GECU takes
care of the rest.
A: 1. Pay your bills on time
and establish a 24 month payment history with no late payments. 2. Manage credit cards
responsibly and be sure to keep
credit card balances below 50%
of the credit limit. 3. Don’t
close unused credit cards and
be sure to keep a minimum of 3
credit cards open on your credit
at all times. 4. Rather than
doing a credit card balance
transfer or moving debt around,
pay the debt off. 5. Apply for
and open new credit accounts
only as needed and try to keep
credit inquiries to once every 12
months.
Phone Phishing Alert!
If you have been recieving telephone calls or
automated calls asking for your personal information,
DO NOT REPLY TO THE REQUEST! G.E.C.U. will
never solicit any of your personal information via
telephone, text, email, or automation.
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Meet the newest member of the loan
department, Jackie Mahlum- Paul!
Welcome Jackie! We are
very excited to announce that,
in August, Jackie MahlumPaul joined the G.E.C.U. team.
Not only will she be a Loan
Officer, but she will also be the
Collections Manager. As the
collections manager, she will be
responsible for helping people
regain their financial stability,
rebuild their credit, and make
sure they can make all of their
other payments as well.
she tries to
spend as much
with her family
as she can.
She has been
very involved in
the community
over the years,
most notably
holding the
Presidential
position for 10 years with the 7
Rivers Region Chapter of Credit
Unions. She also served on
the Board of Directors for the
Coulee Council on Addictions.
Needless to say, she loves the
area.
Jackie joins us with 40 years
of experience in loans and
collections at area credit
unions. So to say the least, she
is your go to woman for any
financial decisions. Not only is
Jackie very passionate for the
credit union philosophy “people
helping people”, but she also
has a passion for family. With
3 children and 2 grandchildren,
Jackie looks forward to getting
to know our members and
continuing to help and serve
the members of the La Crosse
area.
Hey kids, the COLORING
contest is back!
It is once again time to put those coloring tools to
use. Coloring sheets will be available for pick up on Monday,
November 11, 2012. All masterpieces must be returned by
Wednesday, Decemeber 19, 2012.
The contest is open to boys and girls in the following
age groups; 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. There will be a prize
awarded to one winner selected from each age group.
Winners will be announced on Friday, December
21, 2012. With any questions please contact Katie Hagen in
Member Services.
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Recognize anyone? Meet
the entire G.E.C.U. staff!
Member Services
Back Row (left
to right):
Adam Dikeman
Meghan Farrell
Dustin Bagstad
Roxanne Martell
Angie Swenson
Front Row (left to right):
Linda Malin
Katie Hagen
Linda Gofus, Member Service Coordinator
Supervisor
Administration
Left to Right:
Sue Prinsen
President
Nick Neubauer
Compliance Officer
Travis Carley
Vice President
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Holiday Closings
G.E.C.U. will be closed for business hours on the following
days listed in order for our staff and their families to enjoy
the holidays. G.E.C.U. online banking services will be available on these days, 24/7.
Thursday, November 22 - Thanksgiving
Monday, December 24 - Christmas Eve
Tuesday, December 25 - Christmas Day
Monday, December 31 - New Year’s Eve
(Drive Thru ONLY 7:30am - Noon)
Tuesday, January 1 - New Year’s Day
Loan Department
Back Row
(left to right):
Jackie Mahlum-Paul, Loan Officer
Sue Baker, Loan Officer
Kate Pahl, Loan Officer
Front Row (left to right):
Molly Smith, Mortgage Loan Officer
Yapa Xiong, Mortgage Loan Processor
Rhonda Britton, Mortgage Loan Officer/
Loan Department Supervisor
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G.E.C.U. fills brand new
Marketing position
Hello everyone! My name is Nikki
Fischer. I am currently a senior at UW-L
where I am studying marketing and graphic
design. G.E.C.U. decided to bring me on to
fill a brand new position called Marketing and
Member Relations. I will be taking care of
any aspect of the Credit Union that has to do
with marketing to members and the general
public. I will be in charge of creating the
quarterly newsletter among other things. This
is my first one so I hope you all enjoy it! I really look forward to
working with the staff and all of the members at G.E.C.U. If any
one has any comments or great ideas regarding the newsletter or
G.E.C.U. please feel free to contact me at nfischer@gecuwi.com.
News at G.E.C.U.
• On August 7th, 2012, G.E.C.U. and other local credit unions
hosted the 27th annual Miracle Open Golf Classic at Drugan’s
in Holmen. The event raised over $8,700 to benefit local
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. G.E.C.U. thanks all the
donors, players, and volunteers that helped make the day such
a success for all of the families in need.
• Governmental Employees Credit Union now offers mobile
text banking! In order to sign up you must log into your
online banking account through It’s Me 247. At the far right
of the page click on the Go Mobile icon to set it up. For any
questions contact Member Services at (608) 785-7720.
• Looking for a new car, well now is the time to buy. Stop by
and see a member of the loan department to find out more
information.
Auto loan rates
are as low as
2.49% APR*
*Annual Percentage Rate. Rates are for 2007 or newer vehicles and are based on credit worthiness.
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Time to celebrate National Credit
Union Day with FREE FOOD!
National Credit Union week is slowly approaching. Help
celebrate 81 years of service by stopping by G.E.C.U. and enjoy
complimentary snacks and beverages. National Credit Union week
will start Monday, October 15th and end Friday, October
19th. So don’t miss out on this opportunity to say, “Hi!” to your
favorite staff members and enjoy some yummy free food.
Can this week get any better? It sure can! On Thursday,
October 18 G.E.C.U will be having a drawing in honor of National
Credit Union Day. Our members have the chance to win fun
prizes, like Visa gift cards. To enter to win you need to fill out the
form below and either drop it off, mail it to G.E.C.U, or e-mail it to
memberservice@gecuwi.com. Forms will be available in the main
lobby as well. You must be a G.E.C.U. member to enter and you
may enter once per day up until Wednesday, October 17th.
National Credit Union Day
Drawing Form
Name:
Address:
Member Number:
Phone Number:
Date:
Find more information about
G.E.C.U. at gecuwi.com!
Or check us out on Facebok
and Twitter.
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