FMFCU Choices Fall 2010alt2:Layout 1

FRANKLIN
MINT
FEDERAL
CREDIT
UNION’S
MAGAZINE
Choices
FALL 2010
®
Michele Hengey
Member since 1998
Refinanced car loans
SUPER
SAVERS
Valerie Voluntad
Member since 2001
Consolidated debt
FMFCU members
cut thousands of
dollars off their
auto and home
loans
Rob Henderson
Member since 1993
and his fiancée Lisa Myers
Financed their mortgage
Rhoda Kahler
Member since 2008
Financed her mortgage
HOLIDAY
HIGHLIGHTS
EUROS AND MORE
AVAILABLE HERE
JOB-HUNTING
MISTAKES
DEALING WITH
DISRUPTIONS
BUSINESS LOANS
ARE GROWING
MAIN LINE MEMBERS
GIVE MERGER OK
OFFICIAL FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION PARTNER
SAME-DAY APPOINTMENTS
WITH FAMILY, INTERNAL MEDICINE
AND PEDIATRIC PHYSICIANS.
Just call
1-800-CK-HEALTH
Same-day appointments must be made by 10:30 am.
Most major insurance plans accepted.
CROZER-KEYSTONE HEALTH SYSTEM MEMBERS
Community Hospital | Crozer-Chester Medical Center
Delaware County Memorial Hospital | Springfield Hospital
Taylor Hospital | Crozer Medical Plaza at Brinton Lake
Media Medical Plaza | The Physicians of Crozer-Keystone
p r e s i d e n t ’s u p d a t e
Choices
®
FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION’S
MAGAZINE
FALL 2010
Publisher
John D. Unangst
Managing Editors
Christine T. Bicking
Drew Stanley
Dear FMFCU Family,
Amazingly, we are approaching the end of our 40th Anniversary year! Thank you
for your continued business. Like our early days, we're still in business to lend
money, and have $100 million to do so. It's easy to borrow now — to fix up your
home, buy or refinance a home or vehicle, or obtain Personal Lines of Credit.
Rates are low and it's a great time to apply at FMFCU for a loan or line of credit.
Even if you borrowed elsewhere, we may be able to save you some money.
Stories on check scams, ways to improve your credit score, job-hunting tips
for new grads, and more are included in this issue. You'll see we've begun
making business loans, too.
Welcome to our newest members
Executive Art Director
Peter Richardson
Executive Editor
Jim Murphy
Supporting Editor
Cindy Wanamaker
Photography
Lien-Nibauer Photography
Davinder Pal Singh • American Candids
Portraits by Kellie (Kellie McGinn)
Circulation: 70,000 Members and Business Offices
For permission to reproduce any article in this
magazine, to request advertising information or
to submit a Letter to the Editor, contact:
I want to extend a warm welcome to members of Main Line Health Employees
Federal Credit Union (MLHEFCU), who are now FMFCU members. A membership vote concluded on August 31 and we merged membership data the
weekend of October 9. Thank you for your understanding and patience during
the conversion weekend when our offices were closed.
For up-to-date merger information, visit www.fmfcu.org/mlmerger. Also
see Newsbriefs on page 24. We look forward to providing Speed, Service and
Convenience to our new members at Lankenau, Bryn Mawr and Paoli Hospitals,
three full-service branches that our entire membership can use. Again, welcome!
Your story ideas and feedback are always welcome. I personally review
every e-mail or letter that comes to my attention. It's not like the old days when
I knew how to do everything, so I may refer it to someone else here at FMFCU
for follow-up. Please keep your comments coming.
Sincerely,
Choices Magazine
1974 Sproul Road, Suite 300
Broomall, PA 19008
610-325-5100
610-325-5299 (fax)
fmfcu@fmfcu.org
John D. Unangst
President/CEO
johnunangst@fmfcu.org
Choices is the official magazine of Franklin Mint
Federal Credit Union. It is published for the benefit
of our current and prospective members and
partnering organizations. The information presented
is as accurate as possible, but as with all financial
matters, you should consult your financial, tax or
other advisors before implementing any of the ideas
presented. For specific information about any FMFCU
product or service mentioned, please visit our Web
site at www.fmfcu.org. You can also call the Member
Service Center at 610-325-5100 (Outside PA,
call 1-800-220-3193).
P.S. Thanks for voting us “Best Bank” for the third consecutive year in the Delco
Times “Best of Delco” awards, and voting us the “Best Credit Union” in
Chester County in the 2010 Daily Local News “Readers’ Choice Awards.”
w h a t ’s i n s i d e
© 2010 Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union.
COVER PHOTO:
FMFCU members
share their savings
stories.
Savings On Loans
4
A Loan and a Hug
6
Branch Builders
9
Profile: Main Line Health
10
Successful Job-Hunting
12
Foreign Currency
18
departments
Members' Forum
20
Family Finances
14
Timeless Traditions
22
Newsbriefs
24
Run the Numbers
26
18
3
Michale Napoliello, a member since 2009, was happy when Marie Cannon (inset photo), MacDade
Branch Manager, stayed late to help him and his wife refinance two car loans at much lower rates.
" Marie's diligence and customer service will save us $8,000
over the term of our loans and allow us to pay off our cars
faster," Michale says. "I never had anyone do that for me."
$AVINGS
ON LOANS
F
$1 MF
00 CU
to ,000 has
le
nd ,00
0
!
Two members pay $8,000 & $4,950 less after refinancing here
A
T A TIME WHEN BANKS have
been reluctant to lend consumers or businesses money,
FMFCU is helping members buy
and refinance cars, purchase and improve
homes and take out Personal Lines of
Credit or personal loans to handle
emergencies.
In fact, this past summer, the Credit
Union had an amazing $100 million to
lend to members.
Why so much? Because members
moved money out of the stock market,
took it out of bank accounts after the
financial crisis, or simply got tired of bank
mergers, takeovers and name changes.
Many of them deposited it at FMFCU.
Deposits grew $86 million in 2009.
As a result, FMFCU has a great deal of
money to lend at very attractive rates.
That trend started last year when
FMFCU increased loans by $29 million
and originated over $130 million in first
mortgages.
For members using FMFCU as
their loan provider, the savings can be
significant.
"Marie's diligence and customer
service will save us $8,000 over the term
of the loans and allow us to pay off our
cars faster," Michale says. "I never had
anyone do that for me."
Teaming up to save a family money
Like many other FMFCU members in this
economy, Michele Hengey was looking for
ways to cut back on her family's expenses.
So Michele, Marketing and PR
Director at the Community YMCA of
Eastern Delaware County, was happy to
listen when the Member Service Center's
Barbara Mulhern called to talk about a
way the Hengeys could save money.
Barbara, Loan Origination Team
Lead in the Member Service Center, and
co-worker Maggie Tucker told Michele
they thought the Credit Union could save
her family a significant amount of money
by refinancing their car loans.
The Hengeys did, keeping the same
number of payments, and saving $150 a
month for 33 months, or a total of $4,950
over the remaining term.
"Someone taking the initiative to
help you save money doesn't happen
anymore," says Michele, a member since
1998.
Maggie Tucker clearly explained all
the details of the refinance and then
helped set up Super Saver Savings
Accounts for Michele, her husband Matt,
and children Madison and Matt.
Maggie kept asking, "Is there anything else I can help you with," Michele
(Continued on next page)
The bottom line: if you don't think of
FMFCU first when looking for a loan —
mortgage, home equity, home equity line
of credit or personal loan — you could be
overpaying … and throwing money away.
Our members' real-life stories attest
to this.
In with a question,
out with lower rates
Michale Napoliello and his wife Hyo Son,
members since 2009, strolled into the
MacDade Branch about ten minutes
before closing time on a Thursday
evening. Their goal: to take a few minutes
to discuss how to improve their credit
score for a future mortgage.
"We were going to come back later,"
Michale says.
Instead, Branch Manager Marie
Cannon sat with them for over an hour
after closing time. Realizing the Napoliellos were paying two car loans with high
interest rates of over 13% and 16%, she
helped them refinance their two loans to
much lower rates.
Rather than refinance a mortgage loan, Glen Schwenke
(above), a member since 1994, spoke to Marty Burke (inset
photo), Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Development,
and then took out home equity loans on two properties.
Glen, who saved several thousand dollars, says, "It was
the easiest loan process I ever went through."
5
Artist Rhoda Kahler (above), at work in her new pottery studio, says her new house "just looks like it
was designed to hang artwork." She also describes Mortgage Loan Officer Cindy Ripka (inset photo),
who helped her with the sale, as "a pleasure to work with." Rhoda's been a member since 2008.
SHE GOT A LOAN AND A HUG
W
HEN FMFCU OPENED a
branch office in downtown
West Chester in December
2007, the branch team began searching
for an artist to exhibit in its cozy living
room-like lobby during the area's Gallery
Walks — popular events sponsored by
the Greater West Chester Chamber of
Commerce.
It found the perfect person in Rhoda
Kahler, a personable ceramic tile artist
with a talented touch and large group
of followers.
Since then, Rhoda has exhibited her
work at the branch on the first Fridays of
June and October, drawing enthusiastic
crowds. As a thank you, she created and
donated two original tiles to FMFCU that
sit on the fireplace mantel; one is the
exterior of the building, and the other is
the Credit Union's logo.
Impressed by the warmth of the
staff, Rhoda and her husband Mike also
became members in 2008. Earlier this
year, after needing more space for her
studio, Rhoda applied for a mortgage with
the Credit Union.
The end result? She now has a
detached studio in her new home "that
she is filling" for upcoming shows. In her
former house, her studio was "crowding
out her husband."
"We love the new house," she says.
"It's just perfect for us. It just looks like it
was designed to hang artwork."
Rhoda also praises Mortgage Loan
Officer Cindy Ripka, "who was on top of
everything and kept us up to date. We
would e-mail her and she replied from
somewhere in minutes."
Rhoda was so impressed by the sale
— and the hug she received while leaving
the settlement table — that she thanked
Cindy in an e-mail: "It was such a pleasure
to work with you and the entire FMFCU
branch. The staff at FMFCU is amazing.
I have never had a Credit Union where
I could get a loan AND a hug."
(Continued from previous page)
recalls, and then helped her again. "It
was such a wonderful experience. It really
is about members and exceeding their
expectations. They really took care of me
and my family."
6
MONEY TALKS, BUT
SERVICE STILL RULES
While your Credit Union always strives to
offer you great rates, outstanding service
FAST FACTS:
Name: Rhoda
Kahler
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts,
West Chester University
Art: Hand-made
tile, mosaic tile,
sculpture and permanent fixtures
Galleries: Barnstone
Gallery,
Z Gallery, Penwick Design
and Maureen's Gallery
Special Tribute: Featured
on
HGTV's That's Clever.
Upcoming Shows: Nov.
8 – Dec. 17,
Mitchell Hall, West Chester
University; Nov. 11 – Dec. 17,
Chester County Art Association.
Details: www.rhodakahler.com
is still its greatest differentiator.
And that probably is why FMFCU
has been named "Best Bank in Delaware
County" three years running by the
readers of the Delaware County Daily
Times.
Like "night and day"
While buying a new home in Delaware last
August, Rob Henderson and his fiancée
Lisa Myers were offered special savings
on closing costs if they applied to the
builder's bank for financing.
But, after numerous problems with
poor service, being shuffled back and
forth between several people and an
overall lack of attention, Rob, a member
since 1993, called Marty Burke, FMFCU's
Assistant Vice President, Mortgage
Development.
Rob, who joined the Credit Union
while he was a student at Swarthmore
College, had first worked with Marty while
taking out a mortgage on a home in
Chester five years ago.
Impressed with Marty's customerservice orientation, knowledge and help
with that loan, Rob asked him about
mortgage options on this new purchase.
Rob and Lisa liked what they heard,
as well as the fact that Marty responded
quickly to any and all questions. "The
experience was like night and day," Rob
says. "We definitely had a better overall
experience working with Marty, and felt
that he cared, and that we weren't just
another file on his desk."
At the bank, Rob says, "the right
hand did not know what the left hand was
doing." Nor did the bank adequately
respond to complaints. "I knew there was
a better way," he says.
"Fortunately, the stars lined up and
we switched to Marty and FMFCU."
Like "going home again"
For Linda Hurlock, an employee in the
Chester County District Attorney's office
and an FMFCU member since 1980, the
Market Street Branch is super-convenient.
It's very close to where she works.
The branch also helped her save
about $200 a month.
That's how much less she's paying
by refinancing her mortgage with FMFCU,
and also combining a previous home
equity line of credit plus credit card
balances into the loan.
Linda, who worked at The Franklin
Mint, first took out a mortgage through
FMFCU many years ago.
More recently, before the Credit
Union's Market Street Branch opened,
she refinanced with a local bank. But her
mortgage was transferred from one big
national bank to another,"and I didn't
want that."
Refinancing through FMFCU "is kind
of like going home," she says. "It's also
making life much easier for me. I'm glad
it's local."
By refinancing her mortgage and consolidating her debt, Linda Hurlock, a member since 1980,
is saving about $200 a month. She's shown here at her West Chester home.
(Note: FMFCU's wholly owned
subsidiary, State Financial Network, Inc.,
services all mortgage loans originated by
the Credit Union. So at FMFCU, you don't
have to worry about your service being
transferred from company to company —
the way many banks do.)
Philadelphia, she keeps her FMFCU
account open because of the personal
treatment she receives.
The Credit Union's "customer service
is definitely better than anywhere else I
could go, which is why I keep my account
open," she says.
"Definitely better customer service"
Unlike horror stories,
"this refinancing was easy"
Valerie Voluntad, a member since 2001,
was so appreciative of the help she
received while consolidating her debt with
FMFCU that she sent Barbara Mulhern in
the Member Service Center a thank-you
card.
"She gave me all kinds of information
and explained my options," Valerie says.
"She was nice and professional and
answered all my questions. She even
checked after I got the personal loan to
see if everything went OK."
Even though Valerie's work location
changed from Delaware County to
When member Glen Schwenke wanted to
refinance a loan on a property he owned,
he called Marty Burke, FMFCU's Assistant
Vice President, Mortgage Development.
Marty had helped Glen refinance a
different property several years earlier.
This time, though, when Marty looked
at the numbers and analyzed Glen's
situation, he felt a home equity loan was
the better choice. Glen agreed, and ended
up taking home equity loans on both
properties.
(Continued on next page)
7
(Continued from previous page)
WHY OVERPAY FOR
FINANCIAL PRODUCTS?
SEE FMFCU FIRST
There are many reasons to
contact FMFCU before taking
out any kind of loan:
Excellent rates: FMFCU offers
outstanding rates with no pre-payment penalties or surprises. That's
especially important in car buying.
USA Today reports that "Americans pay $20.8 billion a year in
excess interest by taking out loans
through dealerships rather than
going to a bank or credit union."
Source:
www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/
editorials/2010-05-05 editorial05_ST_
N.htm? loc=interstitialskip&POE=click-refer
The right loan: At FMFCU, you're
a member, not a customer, and
the Credit Union does its best to
satisfy you long-term. Barbara
Mulhern of the Member Service
Center says, "We're not going to
put you into a product that's not
good for you."
No tricks: BNET.com says the
Better Business Bureau and state
regulatory authorities get more
complaints about auto dealers,
including their financing tactics,
than any other industry. Common
tactics include "yo-yo sales," in
which dealers change financing
terms after the customer purchases a car; tacking on unnecessary fees; and steering buyers to
higher-cost loans and expensive
add-ons.
Source:
industry.bnet.com/financial-services/
100010096/financial-reform-five- reasonswhy-we-need-protection-from-car-dealers
The right move: FMFCU's
Barbara Mulhern says, "Come to
us first. People get wrapped up in
the emotion of the moment and
the smell of real leather and just
go with dealer financing. They
don't think about what the Credit
Union can do for them. If we can
save you just $20.00 a month over
the life of a loan, it's a big deal.
You are talking about $1,000 to
$1,500 total."
8
Besides being very happy with the
thousands of dollars he saved, Glen was
amazed at how different his experience
was from the horror stories recounted
each Sunday in a popular real estate
column in a Philadelphia metropolitan
newspaper.
He was so motivated that he
wrote John D. Unangst, FMFCU's
President/CEO, praising Marty, as well
as Kyle Shirkness and Frank Sieck of the
Broomall Branch, for getting all the paperwork together "and making it happen."
Glen says, "It was the easiest loan
process I ever went through" … "no
headaches, no hassles, no runaround."
He describes what happened as: "a
couple of phone calls and then I went
and signed the papers."
He especially appreciated the fact
that Marty looked into the home equity
loan as a money-saving option.
Glen, a member since 1994, also is
a firm believer that it's better to be a
member than a customer.
Since then, he has also taken out a
loan for a motorcycle. "Any loan I need,
I go to Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union,"
he says.
Often, delinquent credit history is the
reason, Dan says. If that happens, you
can talk to branch staff or anyone in the
Member Service Center about possible
remedies and ways to improve your
credit profile.
Many people go through rough times
with their credit, and FMFCU can offer
you a credit rebuilder plan or refer you to
our partner, Consumer Credit Counseling
Service of Delaware Valley (CCCSDV). The
Credit Union even absorbs the $50 cost of
credit counseling or budget management
enrollment at CCCSDV, one time per
member. It's just another service FMFCU
offers to help members improve their
financial situation.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT AUTO LOANS
Buying or refinancing a car? Visit FMFCU's
Vehicle Center. It includes everything you
need in one spot: www.fmfcu.org/vehicle
You'll find information on:
Auto Express Checks — Get your
financing ahead of time for autos, motorcycles and Recreational Vehicles (RVs).
Agree on a price, sign the check and
present it to the dealer as payment.
That's it. You're done.
Vehicle History Reports: Learn about
the car you want to buy and limit
potential problems.
No-Hassle Buying Service: Get a great
deal without haggling.
Auto Insurance: MEMBERS Auto Insurance, underwritten by Liberty Mutual,
may save you money. Get a free quote
from our Vehicle Center and know for
sure. Credit Union members also get an
additional discount. For more information on this and other types of insurance,
go to: www.fmfcu.org/insurance
Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP):
Protects you if you total a new car when
the balance of the loan exceeds the
insured value of the vehicle. Can be
added to a new or existing loan. FMFCU
members can get GAP for $290 on loans
made through the Credit Union. Dealers
usually charge $600 or more.
Enterprise Car Sales: Great deals on
used cars are offered several times a
year on over 120 makes and models.
AutoSMART: Coming soon. An easy way
to research vehicles, check ratings and
search car inventories of nearby dealers.
Online loans attracting
more and more members
Some 26% of FMFCU's loans now start
online, says Dan D'Imperio, Assistant Vice
President/Lending Manager, and that
percentage is increasing.
He believes the simple application,
major improvements in the online system
— including the ability to save your application and complete it later — and quick
decisions are making online loans more
attractive. More than half of the loan applications approved online receive instant
decisions.
You can apply 24 hours a day from
the privacy of your home, office or in a
branch, track the application, get an
instant decision (except on mortgage
loans), see your status, and even post
secure comments through the e-mail
portal.
So if you forget to include something
in your application, such as bonus income
or the fact that your mortgage will be
paid off shortly, you can communicate
that new information quickly, easily and
confidentially.
In the near future, FMFCU also plans
to roll out electronic signature authentication, making loan closings even faster
and more convenient.
With FMFCU's online loan system,
if your loan is declined, you can see why.
BRANCH BUILDERS
FMFCU's District Managers are (left to right): Marc Ernest, Jenn Strasinski, Frank Dougherty, Dawn Bressler, Dan Catamusto and Linda Hudyma.
Here's a quick look at the Credit Union's District Managers
They're the people responsible for
staffing, managing and growing
FMFCU's 31 branches … and giving
back to the community.
MARC
ERNEST
Base Branch: Market Street
Oversees: Chadds Ford, QVC Enterprise
Drive, QVC Studio Park and Market Street
Branches.
Community Service: Marc, FMFCU's
Commercial Lending Officer, is a Board
Member and Treasurer-Elect of Safe
Harbor in West Chester, an organization
that helps the homeless. He's also a
member of the Knights of Columbus.
In addition, he is a member of the Exton
Chamber's Business and Education
Committee and Chairman of its Young
Professionals Committee, a Board Member
of both the West Chester Chamber Future
Leaders of America and West Chester
Education Foundation.
JENN
STRASINSKI
Base Branch: Keystone Mercy Health Plan
Oversees: Delaware County Memorial
Hospital, Keystone Mercy Health Plan,
Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Mercy
Philadelphia Hospital and Ridley Branches.
Community Service: Jenn is a Board
Member of the Community YMCA of
Eastern Delaware County serving on the
Executive and Program Committees. She
recently received the Taylor Community
Foundation Volunteer Appreciation Award
for her work at the YMCA. She also serves
on the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce's Women in Business Committee.
Other: Jenn, who served in business
development for five years, continues
efforts to build business, promote FMFCU's
name throughout the area and connect
with community leaders. She also helps
potential partnering organizations seek
membership approval from the National
Credit Union Administration (NCUA).
FRANK
DOUGHERTY
Base Branch: Broomall
Oversees: Bryn Mawr, Lankenau and
Paoli Hospital Branches.
Community Service: Frank has been
Chairman of the Parish Finance Committee
at St. Joseph's Parish in Collingdale for
25 years.
Other: Serves as liaison between the
branch staff and CUSO Financial Services,
L.P., which offers one-stop financial
services to members at 31 branches.
DAN
CATAMUSTO
Base Branch: Springfield
Oversees: Broomall, Centocor, King of
Prussia, Mercy Suburban, SEI (a part-time
branch) and Springfield Branches.
Community Service: Dan is a member
of business organizations in Delaware
and Montgomery counties, including
the Montgomery County Chamber of
Commerce and the Marple Business and
Professional Association.
Other: Served as President of the
Delaware County Chapter of Credit
Unions for 15 years.
Other: Is in charge of "Welcome Home"
— a program designed to deliver the
most positive member experience at all
touchpoints, and increase member
satisfaction and retention. In that role,
he facilitates a class for all new hires.
DAWN
LINDA
BRESSLER
HUDYMA
Base Branch: Media
Base Branch: Swarthmore College
Oversees: Chester, Granite Run, Media,
Riddle Hospital and Taylor Hospital
Branches. Dawn also oversees the
Springfield and Upper Darby High School
student-operated branches.
Oversees: Crozer-Chester Medical Center,
MacDade, Swarthmore College and
Widener University Branches.
Community Service: Dawn works with
Riddle Hospital and Operation Warm to
help provide children in 26 states with
warm coats in the winter. She also is a
Commissioner on the Delaware County
Women's Commission and an active
participant in the Middletown Township
Business Persons Association.
Community Service: Linda and current
Media Branch Manager Bryan Messick
made community service a major goal
when both were at that office. Starting
with one small table at a street event in
Media, the branch now is involved in
25-35 events annually. FMFCU became
the go-to sponsor in a town that has 25
financial institutions within a three-block
radius.
9
PARTNER PROFILE
Main Line Health focuses
on longer and healthier lives
If you were trying to find two words to best
describe Main Line Health's approach to medicine
in today's world of health care, they would be
"Well ahead."
Not only is this now the organization's new
tagline, it's also Main Line Health's goal for
patients (to keep them well ahead) and for treatments (to be well ahead of others).
Promoting community health
Jack Lynch is President and
CEO, Main Line Health.
By emphasizing disease prevention, screenings,
healthy lifestyle choices and health literacy, Main
Line Health and its over 10,000 employees and
2,000 physicians are taking renewed steps to
empower patients throughout its ever-growing
system.
You'll see evidence of these changes at all
of Main Line Health's hospitals, outpatient centers
and on its redesigned interactive Web site,
www.mainlinehealth.org
Why the change? Jack Lynch, President and
CEO of Main Line Health, says, "We've come to
believe we have to do more to help people be
stewards of their own health and wellness."
As a community resource, "Main Line Health
should not only be here when people in our
community are sick," he says, "but also be here
as a resource to help them stay well and partner
with them when they must make decisions about
treatment."
Main Line Health's rebranding is also
designed to make people aware of the extensive
services offered throughout the system.
Once more people realize all that Main Line
Health offers, Jack hopes to see an increase in
wellness and prevention programs. And, in the
event where emergency services are needed, he
hopes that the community will turn to the system’s
emergency departments.
He notes that people may not realize Bryn
Mawr has specialized pediatric emergency
coverage in its Emergency Room, that Main Line
Health's hospitals focus on women's heart disease
(and the different symptoms that women experience), or that Paoli Hospital has been designated
a Level II Trauma Center, making it the only one
in Chester County.
Power to the patient
At press time, many of the new branding materials
were just rolling out. But here are some of the
steps being taken in Main Line Health's "Well
ahead"initiative:
10
Online risk assessment tools: The current
assessment offered online is for the heart, but
within a few months, full body risk assessments
will be available.
Electronic Medical Record: Main Line Health
is beginning to use a comprehensive Electronic
Medical Record that brings together every aspect
of a patient's medical care, including medications,
test results, documentation and images. Electronic
records help avoid errors, reduce duplicate tests
and minimize having patients re-input the same
information time and time again.
Screen Team: Always in high demand at
community events, Main Line Health's "Screen
Team" offers patients the opportunity to not only
get screened for risk factors, but also to learn
about proactive measures to prevent or better
manage disease. Prostate, breast, heart and skin
screenings are already scheduled throughout
Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties
for 2010-2011.
Accessible information: To help patients make
the best health care decisions, Main Line Health
offers comprehensive information about physicians, facilities, treatment options and outcomes
on its Web site.
Easier-to-understand billing process:
Probably nothing in health care is more confusing
than billing. Main Line Health's Web site explains
the billing process, shows a sample bill, details
billing terminology and includes Frequently Asked
Questions.
Emergency readiness form: Main Line Health
has developed an ICE (In Case of Emergency)
"tube" for families to easily store medical histories
in a freezer or refrigerator. A special appliance
sticker alerts Emergency Medical responders to
look for the tube, so they have important medical
information while en route to the hospital. To
request an ICE tube, visit www.mainlinehealth.org
Main Line Health sums up its rebranding in a
newspaper ad: "We will focus on 'health span'
rather than 'life span.' Life span is how long we
live. Health span is how long we live with the
best possible health."
(Note: For news on the recent merger vote by the
Main Line Health Employees Federal Credit Union,
see story on page 24.)
Fast Facts
MAIN LINE HEALTH SYSTEM
Established: 1985
as a not-for-profit charitable organization
Provides: Medical,
surgical, obstetric, pediatric, psychiatric
and emergency services
Bryn Mawr, Lankenau and Paoli
hospitals have earned "Magnet®"
designation from the American
Nurses Credentialing Center.
The designation recognizes the
nurses' skills, professionalism and
commitment to superior care,
and is the nation's highest award
for excellence in nursing care.
Acute Care Hospitals: Lankenau
Paoli and Riddle
Medical Center, Bryn Mawr,
Other Facilities: Bryn
Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital,
Mirmont Treatment Center and 6 others
Number of Employees: 10,260,
including 1,933 medical staff
Number of Volunteers: 2,099
Number of Licensed Beds: 1,168
Recent Recognition: Named
one of the 100 Most Wired
Hospitals and Health Systems; Best Places to Work in
Pennsylvania by the Central Penn Business Journal and
Philadelphia Business Journal; Best Places to Work in
Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine
2
1
3
4
5
Interviews
Successful Job-Hunting
Mix of new and old ways works best for today's students
ITH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
hitting nearly 14% in July 2010
for members of Generation Y
or "Milennials" — those ages 18 to 29 —
job-hunting for today's students and new
grads is definitely a challenge.
But, says Barbara Buckley, Director,
Career Advising and Planning Services at
Widener University, there are a number
of ways college students can be more
successful in their job search.
W
what jobs you might qualify for and
enjoy.
Join professional organizations and
associations on- and off-campus. Start
networking while you're still in school.
Get involved and get experience as an
undergrad with internships, Cooperative Education (Co-op) jobs and more.
If you’re a nurse, do clinical rotations.
An education major? Try to student
teach. Get a career-related summer job.
How to get jobs:
Meet early with a counselor at your
college's career center. Map out a career
plan to avoid a last-minute job search
scramble.
Do a career assessment. Learn your
strengths and weaknesses. Find out
12
Network in-person. Use a variety of
strategies — not just online sources —
and investigate different types of jobs.
Visit companies in-person and ask
about opportunities.
Be proactive and talk to people in your
field. Identify those who might be of
assistance and reach out to them.
Find out if a person you know works in
your area of interest. If not, chances
are they know someone who does.
If you are looking for jobs online,
consider these sites: indeed.com and
simplyhired.com
Be professional in your job search.
That goes for your e-mail address, your
voice mail message on your cell phone,
your Facebook and LinkedIn page,
cover letter and resume. "The whole
package of communications is important," Barbara says.
Sources:
www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/
07generation.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general
&src=me
www.careerspots.com/pdf/cs_center_4584712.pdf
SURVEY SURPRISE
Many new grads ignore
social media in job hunt
A 2010 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers indicates
graduating seniors are doing less jobsearch activity through social networking
than may be commonly thought.
63% don't use social media at all in
their job search.
27.4% use social media to network with
friends, alumni and colleagues about
job opportunities, but don't go much
beyond that.
15% use social media to research
employers.
91.3% of graduating seniors have a
profile on a social networking site;
less than 6% have been contacted by
an employer through their profile.
"Students using social networking as a
job-search resource preferred Facebook
(61.5%) over MySpace (33.9%), LinkedIn
(0.9%) and Twitter (3.6%)."
More than 31,470 students representing
some 400 colleges and universities took
part in NACE's 2010 Student Survey.
Over 13,000 respondents were graduating seniors.
NOTE: Barbara Guido, Vice President
of Human Resources at FMFCU, highly
recommends LinkedIn as a job-hunting
tool for college students.
She says: "LinkedIn has been used
successfully by 'baby boomers' for a
number of years. It is a networking tool
with a business connection focus. Once
you join LinkedIn you have the ability
to 'meet' thousands of people through
referrals in your network. College
students should start building their
network of friends and co-workers while
still in school."
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION:
VIDEOS JOIN THE JOB SEARCH
What's new in job-hunting?
Davinder Pal Singh, a Gen Y member (18
to 29 years of age) of FMFCU's Marketing
Department and a frequent contributor
to Choices, is surprised to see videos
becoming part of a job-hunt strategy.
For years companies wanted only
standard resumes, with no photos, so they
couldn't be accused of discrimination.
Recently though, several of Davinder's
friends and colleagues have gotten jobs or
internships by using videos and/or photos.
The videos communicate your enthusiasm and personality, he says, "and
separate you from the herd." Some
staffing agencies are now even making
videos of applicants answering questions
in work situations.
Before, he says, resumes looked
almost identical, because college students
followed common advice from their career
service offices in creating them.
But as Stephen Dubner, co-author of
Freakonomics, pointed out in a New York
Times opinion piece in 2007, "a resume
is a pretty unreliable set of clues."
He says, "When you’re hiring someone, their personal manner, attitude,
quickness, humor, curiosity, and a few
dozen other traits are really important.
And, you get almost none of that on a
paper resume."
Increasingly, video is starting to help
applicants stand out from the crowd.
"Maybe reality TV changed things,"
Davinder says. "It's really new thinking."
Sources:
freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/
why-isnt-the-video-resume-more-popular
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_resume
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703691804
575254313206656070.html
applicant.com/the-dont-do-it-guide-to-using-linkedin
www.sciencecareersite.com/articles/the-duelfacebook-vs-linkedin-3738-article.html
OFFICIAL FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION PARTNER
Why throw
away your money?
With the Sprint Credit Union Member Discount Plan
You’ll get:
• 10% off most regularly priced Sprint service plans
• 15% off most regularly priced Sprint business service plans
• Waived activation fee on new activations
• Waived upgrade fee
Available to new and existing Sprint members.
For information pinpointing the
differences between how to use LinkedIn
and Facebook, please see:
Click www.SprintSave4CU.com.
applicant.com/the-dont-do-it-guide-tousing-linkedin
Just tell them you’re a Credit Union Member
to get this exclusive discount.
www.sciencecareersite.com/articles/
the-duel-facebook-vs-linkedin-3738article.html
Ask them to be attached to the
NACUC_ZZM Corporate ID.
Call 877.SAVE.4.CU. (877.728.3428)
Visit your local Sprint retail location.
Survey Source:
www.naceweb.org/Publications/Spotlight_Online/
2010/0609/Social_Networking_Accounts_for_
Little_Job-Search_Activity.asp
All rights reserved. Sprint, the logo, and other trademarks are the trademarks of Sprint Nextel.
©2010 CUcorp, Inc. 800-11 01/10 551
13
Family Finances
Loan against Loan:
Conventional vs. FHA Mortgages
F E AT U R E
CONVENTIONAL LOAN
Minimum Down Payment Requirement 5%
Upfront Mortgage Insurance
Premium (MIP) Cost
FHA LOAN
3.5%
N/A
2.25%
3% of purchase price
Will soon be 3% of purchase
price
Tax Deductibility of Monthly Private
Mortgage Insurance (PMI)/
MIP Premiums
Monthly PMI premiums are reported
to borrower at year-end for
tax deductibility for loans closing
by 12/31/2010 where household
income does not exceed $100,000
MIP premiums are not taxdeductible
Minimum Credit Score Requirement
660
620, but moving toward 640
Beginning Equity in Property
5%
1.33%
PMI/MIP Monthly Premium Based
on a $100,000 Purchase Price
with Minimum Down Payment
$42.75 for scores 740+
$49.88 for scores 700-739
$63.33 for scores 660-699
$45.22 and is not
tax-deductible
Cancellation of PMI/MIP Premiums
Borrower can request PMI
removal after two years or
automatic termination once loan
reaches 78% of original value
Only automatic termination
once loan reaches 78%
of original value is available
FMFCU can offer two mortgages
to avoid PMI, known as an 80/15/5
All FHA loan requests must
have MIP, no alternatives
Maximum Sellers Assist
Alternatives to PMI/MIP
MORTGAGE MAGIC
Many prospective homeowners today are
being told they need at least 20% down
to buy a house, says Marty Burke, Assistant Vice President, Mortgage Development. And that's absolutely not true.
Some realtors are directing qualified
conventional borrowers to higher-cost
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
insured loans simply because their inhouse mortgage companies don't have
conventional loan offerings with as little
as 5% down. FMFCU does, and these
products are great for first-time homebuyers.
Avoiding both MIP and PMI
FMFCU offers conventional loans in
accordance with guidelines of the Federal
14
PROBLEM REPORTED WITH
TD BANK'S ATMs
Local newspapers reported a problem last
February with some Automated Teller
Machines (ATMs) operated by TD Bank in
Delaware County. Most ATMs close out
your transaction after you're finished.
But the TD Bank machines kept sessions
open for a brief time and asked users if
they wanted to do another transaction.
If a user did not notice this screen
and walked away, the next person in line
could withdraw money from the account.
The Delaware County Daily Times says
this happened on at least four occasions.
FMFCU's ATMs cancel out after each
transaction. But if you are using nonFMFCU ATMs, make sure the transaction
is complete before you walk away.
FIND CO-OP ATMs
ON YOUR iPHONE
Note: Information compiled July 22, 2010.
At FMFCU, you don't need
20% down to buy your home
In fact, Marty recently handled mortgages for some realtors' children with
these two loans (or subordinate financing).
"They were very happy we had this
available and that was the exact reason
I was able to earn their business."
To see how FMFCU loans stack up
against FHA loans, please see the chart
accompanying this story.
National Mortgage Association (Fannie
Mae), and the Federal Home Mortgage
Corporation (Freddie Mac), Marty
explains. But not only do FMFCU's loans
avoid the costly Mortgage Insurance
Premiums (MIP) required on FHA loans,
the Credit Union offers two loans (or
piggyback loans) that avoid Private
Mortgage Insurance (PMI), too — for
significant borrower savings.
The Credit Union can offer an 80/15/5
(5% down) or an 80/10/10 (10% down)
mortgage, Marty says. That means the
first mortgage amount is equal to 80%
of the purchase price with a second
mortgage equal to 15% or 10% of the
purchase price.
"Most realtors I speak with are very
surprised that we still have this product,"
Marty says. "It's not generally available in
the marketplace."
Here's an easy way to locate 28,000 surcharge-free Automated Teller Machines
(ATMs) on-the-go. Just download the
CO-OP Locator app for the Apple iPhone,
and search by address, city, state or ZIP
code. FMFCU is part of this credit uniononly ATM network.
Downloading the app is free, easy,
and there's no registration process. Using
your iPhone, search "CO-OP ATM" in
the App Store at www.itunes.com. Then
download, install and go.
Any questions? Go to: www.co-opfs.
org/public/locators/atmlocator
Note: The app is for locating CO-OP
Network ATMs only. There is no charge
for downloading the app at itunes.com.
However, web charges may occur on your
cell phone bill depending on your data
plan. Check with your service provider.
Source:
www.co-opfs.org/public/locators/atmlocator/
index.cfm#iphone
TREASURY GOING
ALL-ELECTRONIC
If you're among the 15% of recipients still
receiving paper benefit checks from the
federal government for Social Security,
Supplemental Security Income, Veterans,
Railroad Retirement and Office of Personnel Management benefits, get ready for
change.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury
says those payments are going all-electronic over the next few years.
Electronic payments for new enrollees
begin March 1, 2011; for existing check
recipients, the change takes place March
1, 2013.
Recipients will receive payments
electronically either through Direct
Deposit into a credit union or bank
account or the Treasury's Direct Express
debit card.
The move is expected to save $400
million and 12 million pounds of paper
in the first five years alone. FMFCU has
always encouraged Direct Deposit as a
convenient, safer way to receive funds.
Credit reporting agencies
don't make the job easy
But be aware, you'll get only your free
credit report, not your FICO score. FICO
scores are the scores most often used by
lending institutions today. You get the
opportunity to order your score (for a
price of about $9 or so) after you receive
your free credit report.
Also note that most of the credit
reporting agencies will try to sell you a
credit monitoring service for a monthly
charge. Ignore those promotions. Right
now, you want just your credit score and
your credit report.
If your score is low, consider talking
to someone at FMFCU about ways to
improve it through a credit rebuilder
program. You can also speak with the
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of
Delaware Valley (CCCSDV) about credit
counseling or budget management.
FMFCU absorbs the $50 fee, one time
per member.
General ways to improve your score:
Pay your bills on time.
(Continued on next page)
FMFCU Financial Services*
Source:
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg644.htm
HOW TO FIX YOUR
CREDIT SCORE
If your credit score isn't as high as you'd
like it to be, you can improve it. And you
should.
Because not only does your score
determine what you pay for an auto loan
or mortgage, it can affect everything from
your auto insurance premium to whether
you get an apartment or a job.
As of April 2010, more than 25% of
American consumers had FICO credit
scores of 599 or lower, which means they
are considered poor credit risks. With a
score this low, it can be very difficult to
get a loan.
So how do you find out
your credit score?
Under the new financial reform bill that
President Obama signed on July 21, 2010,
lenders will soon be required to provide
your credit score for free if you've been
turned down for a loan or are paying a
higher rate than those with excellent
credit. But that provision will not go into
effect for about a year.
For now, the best thing you can do is
request a free annual credit report from
any or all of the three reporting agencies
through annualcreditreport.com
Or, you can go through FMFCU's site:
www.fmfcu.org/credit
CFS Financial Advisors at FMFCU are here
to help you make the most of your assets.
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Learn more about how FMFCU’s Financial Services can help you.
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15
(Continued from previous page)
TAXTIME TIPS
Say no to a Refund
Anticipation Loan
If you're thinking of taking out a
Refund Anticipation Loan after
having your income taxes prepared,
don't.
These loans, Kiplinger says,
offered on the basis of your
expected refund, have effective
Annual Percentage Rates (APR)
ranging from about 50% for a
$10,000 loan to nearly 500% for
a $300 loan — when you include
interest charges and refund account
fees.
And you thought credit card
rates were high.
A better idea: file electronically
and get your refund by Direct
Deposit in about 10 days, without
paying the exorbitant interest rate.
Households with incomes under
$57,000 can file electronically free
of charge by going to: www.irs.gov
Sources:
www.investopedia.com/articles/taxes/09/
refund-anticipation-loans.asp
www.kiplinger.com/columns/ask/archive/
beware-refundanticipation-loans-.html
Have your tax refund
deposited electronically
Put your tax refund to good use:
have it directly deposited into up to
three accounts at FMFCU, such as
savings, checking and an IRA.
You're more likely to save it this
way, because it goes in without
passing through your hands. And
you're paying yourself first, always
a good idea.
Just arrange for the deposit (or
deposits) ahead of time. FMFCU's
routing and transit number is:
231382306.
For more information, see
www.fmfcu.org/directdeposit
Contribute to your IRA
until April 15, 2011
Remember, within limits that depend
on your age and plan type, you can
make a 2010 contribution to your
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
until April 15, 2011.
16
Keep balances low on credit cards and
other "revolving credit."
Check your credit report and correct
any errors.
Sources:
www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/block/
2010-07-19-lenders-credit-scores_N.htm
myfico.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/myfico.cfg/php/
enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3
you never touch it. And don’t let little
luxuries become overly important.
Cecily sees well-intentioned families
who start IRAs, but then keep taking
money from the account … and end up
paying taxes on it.
For them, establishing a regular
savings plan is most important. Once this
becomes a habit, an IRA is an excellent
secondary savings choice.
articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/
YourCreditRating/7FastFixesForYourCreditScore.aspx
BEWARE OF THESE
CHECK SCAMS
www.credit.com/answers/questions/11/
What-do-my-credit-score-numbers-mean%3F
SEE WHAT'S NEW
AT OUR WEB SITE
FMFCU's Web site provides you with a
wealth of information, financial guides and
discounts. Visit often to see the latest
news, announcements and special promotions.
Info: Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Access both from FMFCU's home page.
Discounts: Check out Invest in America,
and get special Credit Union discounts
from companies like GM, Direct TV, Sprint,
and more. Shop America offers you savings
and cash back from 1,200 online merchants, including Apple, Best Buy, L.L.
Bean and more. Access to Invest in America is available at www.fmfcu.org on the
home page.
News: View the latest issues of Wealth
News, plus get updated information on
coming events, Credit Union news, security
and fraud alerts, special promotions, new
services and more.
HOW TO SAVE SUCCESSFULLY
Cecily Venkatesh's face lights up when
she talks about Individual Retirement
Accounts (IRAs) and retirement savings.
But even Cecily, who is FMFCU's
Investment Coordinator, says a family's
first priority is to have an emergency fund
that covers at least three months' worth
of expenses.
After that come additional savings,
checking accounts and retirement
accounts or IRAs.
The people Cecily sees who save
successfully make it their top priority and
are really committed to a savings plan.
"You have to separate your emotions
from your money," she believes. "Don’t
spend your savings fund at Christmas.
Think beyond that month."
Other suggestions: have money
deposited automatically into savings, so
FMFCU wants to protect you and your
money from numerous check scams that
are out there today. Don't become a
check-scam victim! Keep the following
in mind:
Make sure you know the person or
entity that writes you a check. If you
don't, you may want to investigate the
check's origin before you deposit it.
Use caution if someone solicits you
in-person, online or via e-mail to
process checks for them through your
account.
When an online buyer asks you — the
seller — to wire the difference in funds
to them if they overpay for an item
after you have already agreed on a
price — BEWARE!
These are common scams today, warns
Andrew McKeon, Security Officer at
FMFCU. Educating yourself about them
can save you money, time and aggravation.
Some members may not realize it,
but they are responsible for checks they
deposit. This is outlined in FMFCU
account disclosures. Even if a check hold
is placed on the item, the check can be
returned after the hold period, and the
member’s account debited.
"It’s important to remember that the
Credit Union is not responsible for losses
on member accounts when checks are
returned," Andrew says. "Before making
any check deposit, you should know the
person or company that provided the
check and why you are receiving it.
"We see many cases where a member
will get a check in the mail saying they
won a sweepstakes or lottery. The first
question the member should ask is — Did
I enter this contest?"
More advice: Don't allow unauthorized
persons to access your account under any
circumstance, and protect your debit
card/ATM card Personal Identification
Number (PIN) and e-Banking passwords.
Fake Check Scams, a site run by the
National Consumer's League Internet
Fraud Watch, lists a number of today's
most common swindles. Its site,
FakeChecks.org, also provides a fraud
test and videos to help you know what
to look for.
If you feel that you are a scam victim,
the most important thing to do is report
it to FMFCU’s Member Service Center or
your branch immediately, Andrew says.
"If your account is compromised, it needs
to be closed right away so that you and
the Credit Union don't suffer further
losses." He also suggests contacting local
law enforcement.
For more information about check
fraud, identity theft and more, go to
www.fmfcu.org/securityinfo or see the
sources below.
$
$
$
chimney
windows
tree work
$
$
roofing
siding
$
Sources:
www.ftc.gov
$
security
www.fraud.org/tips/internet/fakecheck.htm
doors
www.fakechecks.org/fraudtest
www.snopes.com/fraud/topscams.asp
WHAT DOES IT REALLY COST
TO MAINTAIN YOUR HOME?
annual maintenance and deferred maintenance costs, which he says "usually come
in large, unpredictable chunks."
Source:
In the excitement of buying their first
house, many new homeowners dramatically underestimate the cost of maintenance. And those costs can be considerable.
The New York Times' Ron Lieber, in
a column titled "Seven New Rules for the
First-Time Home Buyer," discussed efforts
by Dennis G. Stearns, a financial planner
in Greensboro, North Carolina, to help
buyers be more realistic about maintenance costs.
Stearns maintains a home cost
spreadsheet that he updates periodically
with real-world data.
The bottom line:
"Mr. Stearns estimates that owners of a
newer home that do some work for
themselves but contract major work out
to others will pay 3.6% of the original purchase price annually for maintenance and
4.5% if it’s an older home. So if you own a
$400,000 home, your costs will probably
hit five figures each year — and may rise
with inflation. These expenses will be
another 20% or so higher if you live in a
severe weather area. He does note, however, that the tax benefits of home ownership can offset half or more of these costs
in some areas of the country."
Stearns' comparable estimates for
a house costing $250,000 are: $9,000
annually for a newer home and $11,250
for an older home. These numbers do not
include interior upgrades, but do include
www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/your-money/
mortgages/12money.html?_r=1&nl=
your-money&emc=your-moneyema2
Sources:
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/
articles/2009/11/22/20091122biz-Wiles1122.html
www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?article_
id=49943
anytime.cuna.org/18592/couples_money/PDF/
why_update.pdf
www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/
8-life-stages-for-estate-planning-1.aspx
BE SURE TO UPDATE
YOUR BENEFICIARIES
When was the last time you gave a
thought to the beneficiaries listed on your
IRA, pension plan, life insurance, savings
accounts and more?
It's probably been a long time. And
if you've gone through life-stage changes,
such as a marriage, divorce, death of a
family member or birth of a child, you
certainly want to update them.
Why? Because as national IRA expert
Ed Slott told a meeting of tax and investment advisors in November 2009, "The
beneficiary form trumps all else."
Even if your will says something
different, your funds will go to the person
listed as your beneficiary on those
accounts.
For divorced couples who have
remarried, this can be painful news to the
new spouse.
What's more, if you have not designated a beneficiary at all, there can be
major tax implications for your estate.
What to do: Update the primary and
secondary beneficiaries on all your
financial accounts, so the people you want
to receive your assets actually do.
And if you are working with an estate
planner, be sure to share this information.
HOW TO AVOID COMMON
RETIREMENT MISTAKES
A new book points out some major flaws
in the way Americans plan for retirement.
The biggest problem, says Gregory
Salisbury, Ph.D., in Retirementology:
Rethinking the American Dream in a New
Economy, is we treat retirement savings
as a 10-year project, rather than a 50-year
one.
Some scary statistics:
"70% of Gen Y workers don't participate
in employer-sponsored accounts," says
a review of the book in USA Today, "and
more than 20% of workers 45 and older
have stopped contributing to their
401(k)s."
Also, 46% of people cash out their
401(k)s when changing jobs, rather than
rolling it over into another tax-deferred
retirement plan.
The bottom line: we worry about not
having enough money to retire, yet fail
to take advantage of savings programs
available to us.
Source:
www.usatoday.com/money/books/reviews/
2010-06-28-retirementology28_ST_N.htm
17
Ayana Springfield (left), Manager of the Swarthmore College Branch, and Rosa Bernard, Assistant Director for Off-Campus Study at Swarthmore
College, display some of the foreign currency Rosa recently purchased through FMFCU. Rosa has been a member since 1992.
FOREIGN CURRENCY
Traveling abroad? Get your money through FMFCU before departing
B
EFORE YOU SHIP OUT or fly away,
easily convert the cash you'll need
into foreign currency at FMFCU.
FMFCU now offers a foreign currency
exchange service with great U.S. rates —
that are usually less than you'd pay abroad.
Plus, after your trip, you can sell back any
unused money. (Note: this service applies
only to paper currency.)
FMFCU is partnering with eZforex, a
foreign exchange company established
in 1991 that offers a simple, secure and
efficient way for Credit Union members to
buy foreign currency.
Check rates before you exchange and
have the currency delivered to your home,
18
business or select branch locations.
Other benefits: avoid long lines, unnecessary fees and inflated exchange rates in
airports, hotels and banks … as well as a
3% surcharge when using credit cards
overseas.
Evan Shelan, CEO of eZforex says,
"Always take foreign currency with you
when traveling overseas. Rates are more
attractive in the U.S. than overseas tourist
areas."
According to the company's Web site,
95% of clients surveyed after they return
to the U.S. say eZforex's rates are at least
3% better than rates overseas.
Shelan advises travelers to purchase
enough foreign currency to last for the
whole trip. Converting more currency overseas, pulling funds from an Automated
Teller Machine (ATM) or using a debit or
credit card will usually cost you more in
fees and exchange rates, he says.
ATMs generally charge 3% for each
pull, plus fees of $5 to $7 or more; local
banks also charge a foreign fee, and the
sponsoring ATM usually adds a fee, too.
Swarthmore Assistant Director
is "pleasantly surprised"
Rosa Bernard, Assistant Director for
Off-Campus Study at Swarthmore College
and a member since 1992, explored
currency vendors and exchange rates
earlier this year before a trip to the United
Kingdom and Ireland.
Because FMFCU's foreign currency
service was new at the time, Rosa wasn't
yet aware of it. But when she entered
"foreign currency" and "Delaware
County" into an Internet search engine,
she was "pleasantly surprised" to see
FMFCU's name pop up in the results.
"I thought this was great, but couldn't
help wondering if it was a mistake," Rosa
says. She immediately visited the Swarthmore College Branch for more information. Afterwards she went back to her
office, locked in the exchange rate, and
easily placed an order through e-Banking.
(She later learned that she was one of the
first members to use this new service.)
No limit on currency
Rosa was happy she was able to
purchase as many Euros and Pounds
as she needed. Some venues limit the
amount of foreign currency you can
purchase.
She was also delighted to learn that
this service is available to Swarthmore
faculty, staff and students who are Credit
Union members planning to study or
travel abroad, and to all Credit Union
members.
FA S T FA C T S
Over 100 currencies available,
including exotic currency
No minimum or maximum dollar
requirements
Secure delivery to home, office
or select branches
No escalated fees or inflated
exchange rates
Funds taken from your FMFCU
account
Unused foreign currency can be
exchanged at any branch (paper
currency only)
Great for students studying
abroad and for out-of-country
business travelers
Rosa Bernard stands near the Grianán of
Aileach, an Iron Age stone ringfort in County
Donegal.
Source:
time, waiting for the airports to reopen,"
she says chuckling. "But, I appreciated
the reminder."
www.nafcu.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NAFCU_
Services_Corp/Preferred_Partners_A-Z/eZforex.htm
www.ezforex.com/index.asp
Ordering is easy
Choose from over 100 foreign
currencies.
Check exchange rates before you buy.
Visit www.fmfcu.org/foreigncurrency
Order online via e-Banking, or in-person
at most branch locations. Funds are
pulled directly from your FMFCU
account.
Have the currency delivered to your
home, your business or nine branch
locations. Orders of $1,000 (U.S.) or
more will require a signature upon
delivery.
Note: A shipping and handling fee of
$14.95 is applied for both purchases and
exchanges.
"Welcome Home"
While Rosa traveled in Ireland, a volcano
erupted, leaving a large ash cloud behind
that disrupted air traffic and extended
her stay.
Checking e-mail messages, Rosa
received one from eZforex. It welcomed
her back to the United States, and
reminded her that she could sell back
any leftover or unused currency.
"I was still in Northern Ireland at the
19
MEMBERS' FORUM
data processor, so we can restore our
database if needed.
Q: Will the branches be opened or
closed if there is no power?
A: FMFCU is fortunate to have a large
branch network. While a power outage
may affect some of our locations, it
would be very rare for all our branches
to be closed. If a specific branch has
no power and no alarm system, for the
safety of staff and members alike, we
generally would close it. However, we
make every effort to keep our locations
open, especially our larger ones that
are spread throughout three counties.
Q: What about the Member Service
Center (MSC)?
A: The MSC is also tied to our back-up
generator. In addition, we have a
relationship with a third-party vendor
— a number of states away — that
"fills in" when our MSC is closed.
Calls are just rerouted to this alternate
location. We also use this location
when winter storms make driving
hazardous and result in the MSC
opening late.
Q: Will my checks or other transactions
"bounce" or be returned?
W
HAT DO SUMMER thunderstorms and winter snowstorms
have in common? They can
negatively impact FMFCU operating
systems, causing a delay or disruption in
services.
The following questions and answers
address some concerns we hear from
members when these events occur:
Q: If FMFCU loses power, do you have
a back-up system in place?
A: Yes. FMFCU has a back-up generator at
its Data Center location. This generator
"kicks-in" whenever power is lost, and
is tested once a week to ensure that
it is working properly. The generator
supplies power to the Data Center and
key work terminals in FMFCU’s Operations Center.
Q: What services will be lost if there
is a power outage?
A: This is not an easy question to answer,
since it depends on how widespread
20
the outage is, and if it is also affecting
other utilities. For example, this past
summer, our area experienced a severe
thunderstorm. It not only impacted
electrical power, but many communication lines were also down, disrupting
communications to our branches.
While back-up communication lines are
also in place, the main lines as well as
the back-up lines were both affected
due to the intensity of the storm.
Q: What if something happens to the
physical building that the Data
Center is housed in?
A: FMFCU maintains two "hot spots" if
our Data Center is no longer accessible.
One is at least 75 miles away, far
enough not to generally be impacted
by the same storm. A closer one can
be used if our building is damaged by
fire or there is a similar localized event.
Member information and transactions,
stored in our core data system, are
backed up and securely sent to our
A: Generally, all transaction postings
stop when we are without a system.
When the system is restored, we do
whatever we can to ensure that all
credits are posted first, before any
debits are processed. In other words,
we post payrolls and ACH credits,
then handle ACH debits, bill payers
and check drafts.
Q: What about branch transactions
that are handled manually or
"off-line"?
A: We try to post all branch transactions
before processing the items listed
above. This may mean staff from one
branch will transport work to another
branch or our main office for posting.
We also have the ability to "effectivedate" work. So, work received on the
10th, but due to a disruption isn’t
posted to the system until the 11th,
can still have an effective date of the
10th.
Q: How does a system disruption
affect things like PAT or e-Banking
transactions?
A: If PAT and/or e-Banking are working,
they are in a "store & forward" mode.
This means you can complete your
transaction, BUT you are not going to
see the transaction in your history or
the most current balance right away.
These two systems are not "talking"
to the main database, but are "storing"
your transaction.
When normal operations resume, they
automatically "forward" the transactions on to be posted. One of the
common mistakes members make is
to repeat the transaction because they
cannot see it, causing duplicate
transactions.
Q: What about ATM or Point-of-Sale
(POS) transactions?
A: If communication lines are down, a
partner vendor "stands in" for our
system, stores the transactions and
then forwards them on when normal
operations resume. For security
reasons, the vendor does not have
access to live information and doesn't
know balances — stand-in limits are in
place, which are less than a normal
transaction can be processed for.
Q: What if I am charged fees during
the disruption?
A: FMFCU will refund fees that are caused
by system outages and delays if they
should occur.
We hope you found this information helpful. While we work hard to minimize these
types of disruptions, sometimes Mother
Nature has her own agenda!
HOW TO CONTACT FMFCU
If you have a comment, compliment or
concern about FMFCU's operations, it's
easy to contact us and get a response.
You can:
• Call the Member Service Center at
610-325-5100 (Outside PA, call 1-800-220-3193)
• Send an e-mail via the Contact Us link
on our Web site at www.fmfcu.org, or
directly to President/CEO John D. Unangst
at johnunangst@fmfcu.org
• Send a letter. The mailing address is:
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union
Attn: Chief Operating Officer
P.O. Box 1907
Media, PA 19063-8907
No matter what delivery method you
choose, all correspondence is tracked and
forwarded to the proper department and
staff member for a timely response.
NOT A MEMBER YET?
IT'S EASY TO JOIN FMFCU IF:
• You or an immediate family member is
an employee of, attends or is a member of
any of our 1,200 partnering organizations.
Our partnering organizations include
companies, firms, associations, churches,
schools and more.
• You live, work, worship, volunteer, attend
school or regularly conduct business in
the following locales: Borough of West
Chester, City of Chester and selected
areas in Norristown and Southeastern
Delaware County.
For a membership application, go to:
www.fmfcu.org/membership
Or call our Member Service Center at
610-325-5100. (Outside PA, call 1-800-220-3193).
Important: Once a member, you're a
member for life!
21
Timeless Traditions
Christmas Eve, closes at 3 p.m.
Closed: Nov. 25, Dec. 25, 2010 and Jan.1, 2011.
Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic
Philadelphia, PA 19131
215-581-3181
www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
Note: Obtain GPS directions from Web site.
DICKENS' VILLAGE
This popular walk-through, 6,000-sq.-ft.
display on the third floor of Macy's Center
City store includes 26 animated scenes
from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
and attracts close to 200,000 visitors a
year. Plus it's free.
A beloved Philadelphia tradition for
over 20 years, "Dickens' Village" was a
mainstay at Strawbridge's before Macy's
bought and shut that store down.
Fortunately Macy's decided to keep the
exhibit and move it to its new location
in the former Wanamaker's Department
Store building.
So Philadelphians can continue to
take a trip back to London with Ebenezer
Scrooge in the 1840s … and experience
everything from flickering candles and
twinkling street lamps to sounds of church
bells and horses clattering on cobblestone
streets.
Photos with Santa Claus at
Dickens' Village are available through
December 24.
Some 100,000 lights create fantastic images on a display over four stories high at Macy's
spectacular Holiday Light Show in Center City. Both the holiday show and Dickens' Village display
on the store's third floor are free. Photo by J. Holder
3 Philly holiday attractions still delight kids of all ages
F
OR MANY PHILADELPHIANS in
the 1960s and 70s — when four
major department stores were
clustered in Center City — the
holiday season wasn't complete without
a visit to the Enchanted Colonial Village
at Lit Brothers, Dickens' Village at Strawbridge & Clothier or the Holiday Light
Show at Wanamaker's.
Fortunately, you can still enjoy these
traditions … and outstanding newer ones
… at the Please Touch Museum and
Macy's respectively.
Most are open from Black Friday,
the day after Thanksgiving, to January 1,
2011. See specific details that follow.
animated depiction of Colonial-era
Christmas was a holiday favorite at Lit
Brothers' Department Store from 1962
to 1975.
The original display, viewed by
millions, included 15 buildings, about
100 mechanized figures, and scenes of
everything from the bakery shop to the
toymaker.
Today, nine buildings from the
restored village, including the bustling
bakery, blacksmith shop, toymaker and
more, are on display in the vast new
quarters of the Please Touch Museum in
Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall.
Cost: For adults and children over 1 year of
age, $15 per person; children under 1 are free.
ENCHANTED COLONIAL VILLAGE
Open: Nov. 18, 2010 – Jan. 3, 2011.
Built at a cost of about $1 million, this
three-quarter life-size and very life-like
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.;
Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
22
MACY'S HOLIDAY LIGHT
SHOW AND ORGAN CONCERT
This holiday spectacle, which began in
1956 and seems to get better each year,
takes you on a marvelous, magical
journey.
From the floor of the Grand Court,
you watch snowflakes, ballerinas and
reindeer float beyond the four-story-high
velvet curtain above. During the light
show, more than 100,000 bright, energyefficient LED lights combine to create
fantastic holiday images. The show is
accompanied by festive music from the
world-renowned Wanamaker Grand
Organ, reportedly the world's largest
operational pipe organ with 28,482 pipes.
Cost: Free.
Open: Nov. 26 – Dec. 31, 2010.
Hours: Light shows begin on the hour. Store
hours vary by day during the holiday season.
For up-to-date information, call the store
directly.
Macy's
1300 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-241-9000
www.macys.com
3 County Classics
A BRANDYWINE CHRISTMAS
This yearly display at the beautiful Brandywine River Museum is fun for the whole
family. Stop in and see the enormous
O-gauge model train display with five
moving trains at a time chugging past a
village, stone quarry and more over 2,000
feet of track. The longest train, more than
70 feet long, is pulled by two locomotives.
A "rail cam," mounted on a snowplow,
even gives visitors a view from the perspective of a miniature locomotive driver.
Kids also love Thomas the Tank Engine.
Or, look for thousands of "critters"
created from natural materials by Members of the Brandywine Conservancy.
Also, new this year: "Golden Impressions
of Andrew Wyeth" by Donald Pywell, an
exhibit of exquisite jewelry inspired by
works of Andrew Wyeth.
Cost: Adults: $10; Seniors 65+, Students with
IDs and children 6-12: $6; Children under 6
and Members: Free. No baby strollers during
the holiday season.
Open: Nov. 26, 2010 – Jan. 9, 2011.
Closed: Christmas Day.
Hours: Daily, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
(Dec. 26 – 30, hours extended to 6 p.m.)
p.m. Most visitors spend about three hours at
Longwood Gardens.
Brandywine River Museum
U.S. Route 1, P.O. Box 141
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
610-388-2700
www.brandywinemuseum.org
Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-388-5200
www.longwoodgardens.org
Note: For directions using online mapping
services, please use this street address:
1 Hoffman's Mill Road.
LINVILLA ORCHARDS
LONGWOOD GARDENS
Spectacular all year long, Longwood
Gardens, built by the DuPont family 100
years ago, is even more breathtaking
during the holiday season.
Dazzling floral displays, stunning
trees, holiday music, 500,000 outdoor
lights, and dancing fountains under the
stars are just a few highlights of the
popular Longwood Gardens Christmas.
Cost: Adults: $16; Seniors 62+: $14;
Students, ages 5-18, with valid student ID:
$6; Children 4 and under: Free. Tickets are
available at tickets.longwoodgardens.org,
in person at central ticketing, or by calling
610-388-5200.
Hours: Admission is by timed tickets for
specific dates and times. Tickets allow entry in
half-hour intervals between 9 a.m. and 8:30
Experience Christmas around the farm.
Take a hayride to the fields and cut your
own tree (there are 30,000 here).
Or visit Christmasland, see the
animals in their winter coats, buy holiday
gifts, visit with Santa (weekends, 1- 2 p.m.)
go caroling, sip hot mulled cider and
simply enjoy this very special time of year.
Cost: Christmasland is free.
Open: Dec. 1 – 24, 2010.
Hours: Call for details or check their Web site.
Linvilla Orchards
137 West Knowlton Road
Media, PA 19063
610-876-7116
www.linvilla.com
Note: Get correct directions from Linvilla's
Web site. GPS directions are not always
accurate.
The model train display at the Brandywine River Museum mesmerizes kids of all ages. Inset Photo: Unique "critter" ornaments — made
by Members of the Brandywine Conservancy with ingredients from nearby woods, fields and roadsides — are always a popular item.
23
newsbriefs
MAIN LINE HEALTH EMPLOYEES
VOTE TO MERGE WITH FMFCU
At a special meeting held in August,
members of the Main Line Health
Employees Federal Credit Union
(MLHEFCU) voted to merge with FMFCU.
FMFCU will be the continuing
institution.
The membership vote followed
approval by the Boards of Directors from
both credit unions, as well as regulatory
approval from the National Credit Union
Administration (NCUA).
"We selected FMFCU as a merger
partner because our core philosophy of
people helping people matches their
philosophy," says Frank Dougherty,
former MLHEFCU President/CEO. "In
addition, FMFCU's current branch
locations aligned with where our 7,000
members live."
FMFCU inherits MLHEFCU's $52
million in assets, branches at Lankenau
Hospital, Bryn Mawr Hospital and Paoli
Hospital, and 16 employees.
FMFCU has been serving Main Line
Health's Riddle Hospital, having already
established a branch there in 1985. That
office recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.
All FMFCU members will now be able
to use these three new hospital branches.
2 APPOINTED TO
NEW VP POSTS
Mike Bunner and Drew Stanley, both
from FMFCU's Marketing Department,
have been named Vice Presidents.
Mike, a 15-year veteran of the
financial services industry, was named
Vice President of Electronic Marketing
and Communications. In his position,
Mike oversees FMFCU's award-winning
Web site, e-marketing, electronic media
and the Credit Union's overall online
presence. He also is responsible for public
relations, promotions, advertising, branding, branch merchandising and special
events.
Drew, who has been with FMFCU
since 2004, was named Vice President,
Market Development and Strategic Planning. In addition to being the Managing
Editor of Choices, Drew provides strategic
direction to FMFCU through research,
analysis and planning. He also co-chairs
FMFCU's Leadership Team, which is
responsible for strategic planning and
performance measurement.
DR. CASKEY OFFERS TIPS
IN BOTTOM LINE/PERSONAL
John P. Caskey, Ph.D., a member of
FMFCU's Board of Directors and former
Department Chair of Economics at
Swarthmore College, offers savings advice
in the May 15, 2010 issue of Bottom
Line/Personal.
Dr. Caskey, Professor of Economics
at Swarthmore, is one of five economists
quoted in an article titled, "The 5 Simple
Money Savers Even Nobel Prize-winning
Economists Use." Two of the tips come
from former Nobel Prize winners in
Economics.
Awards Galore: The annual Partners In
Learning Celebration recognizes educational
excellence. Among the 2010 honorees: Left:
The Upper Darby High School Student Branch
of the Year. Shown are (left to right): Nicholas
Beers, Latifah Reid (President), Maria Clark,
Maurice Daniels and Khizer Mirza. Above:
Husam Abdalla (right), a member of the 20092010 All-Delco Hi-Q Team from Chichester
High School, accepts congratulations from
John D. Unangst, FMFCU President/CEO.
For more details, go to: www.fmfcu.org/PILC
24
Dr. Caskey's advice: "Make it easy
to save and hard to spend. The easier it
is for us to spend our money, the more
likely it is that we will do so. I build up
almost all of my savings by having money
automatically withdrawn from my paycheck
and invested. That money never even
makes it to my bank account, so it is
difficult for me to spend it."
"And in the case of tax-advantaged
retirement accounts, there is a penalty for
taking out money early, so that is an additional deterrent to spending."
included: TNT, Discovery, ABC Family,
HGTV, Food Network, and FX. The
commercials were also shown during
Flyers' playoff games. To see the spot,
go to: www.fmfcu.org/100mil
In cooperation with PathWays PA,
FMFCU's Chester Branch set up 65
appointments at its new office to help
Chester residents prepare their 2009
tax returns. The Chester Branch also
celebrated its opening at The Wharf at
Rivertown with a Shred Event and a
meet-and-greet with former Philadelphia
Eagles' star Vince Papale, subject of the
movie Invincible. Some three tons of
paper were shredded at the event.
FMFCU has been recognized as a GO
Direct Community Ambassador for
actively encouraging senior citizens,
people with disabilities and others who
receive federal benefits by paper check
to switch to Direct Deposit.
Allan Stevens, Vice President/ Chief
Credit Officer at FMFCU, has been
elected to a new three-year term on the
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of
the Delaware Valley (CCCSDV) Board
of Directors. Allan has already served on
the board for the last two years.
Source:
For the third year in a row, FMFCU was
voted "Best Bank" in Delaware County
(Delco) by readers of the Delaware County
Daily Times. FMFCU's competition this
year was Citizens Bank, PNC Bank and
TD Bank.
FMFCU first won the award in 2008.
"Be sure to let your friends and family know
you bank at the 'Best Bank' in Delaware
County," John D. Unangst, President/CEO,
said in an e-mail to members on June 25,
2010.
FMFCU expands its
business lending efforts
www.bottomlinesecrets.com/article.html?
article_id=100001186
FMFCU AGAIN NAMED
BEST "BANK" IN DELCO
DOING DEALS
After months of preparation, the Credit
Union began offering business loans last
March, and is "growing the business at a
sensible rate," says Marc Ernest, FMFCU
Vice President and District Manager, who
also oversees the commercial lending
origination area.
"Our members need to understand
we want to offer these loans, but prudently.
We are dedicated to making sure we
exhibit sound underwriting on every
business loan. It is very important that a
business seeking a loan can show their
last three years as being strong," says
Marc. In addition to this, the Credit Union
also requires a personal guaranty on
almost all business loans.
Marc adds, "If business owners
don't have faith in their business, it’s
difficult for us to have faith in them.
We offer business loans to help our
members, not hurt them. Proper underwriting provides security for the Credit Union
and the borrower."
(Continued on next page)
OFFICIAL FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION PARTNER
SFN ANNOUNCES
KEY PROMOTIONS
Michael B. Magnavita, CPA, and Ruth E.
Kauffman have been named President/
Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Operating Officer respectively for State
Financial Network, Inc. (SFN).
Formed in 1986 as a wholly owned
subsidiary of FMFCU, SFN is a Credit Union
Service Organization (CUSO) providing
mortgage services to 17 credit unions and
their 200,000 members across the country.
Mike, Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer at FMFCU, has
been involved with SFN since 1987.
Ruth has been with SFN since 1988,
and as Vice President has helped develop
and grow the single-family residential
mortgage program.
John D. Unangst, President/CEO of
FMFCU, will serve as SFN Board Chairman.
He replaces Jack Sullivan, who is currently
the Secretary/Treasurer of SFN.
QUICKHITS
FMFCU ran a 30-second TV commercial
promoting its $100 million-to-lend campaign on select Comcast Cable stations
last May and June. The stations
Franklin
Fr
ranklin Mint Federal Credit
Credit Union
and Enterprise Car Sales
have
S
teamed up
p to offer a
$2
200
00
Gas
G
as C
Card!
ard!
1
Upon used vehicle purchase from E
Enterprise
nterprise Car Sales.
MUST
MUST BRING IN COUPON
COUPON TO
O REDEEM
REDEEM OFFER.
OFFER.
Haggle-Free Buy
Buying.
ying.
Worry-Free
W
orry-Free Ownership.
Owners
ship.
the price
The price you see is the
The
o
offered
ffered
f
pay.2 All vehicles are of
you pay.
at unbelievably low prices.
7-day repurchase agree
agreement
ement3
in case you change yourr mind,
limited powertrain war
rranty3
warranty
and roadside assist
tance.4
assistance.
AP
AP
RI
L
RI L
APR IL
5
Log onto www
www.cuautodeals.com
.cuautodeals.com or call 1 800 car sales
th
he Enterprise Car Sales location
n nearest you.
for the
1
$200.00 gas card will be issued 30 business days upon purchase (or financing) of vehicle. Offer valid only on Enterprise vehicles
v
purchased from 1/1/10 – 12/31/10 and
ffer void when 7-Day Repurchase Agreement is activated. No cashh advances. Cannot be combined with any other
financed through Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union. Of
Offer
c
and any finance charges (if applicable).
offers. Not valid on previous purchases. 2Price does not include tax, title, tags, governmental fees, any emissions testing charges,
Unless otherwise stated separately, price does not inclu
include
$149
de processing, administrative, closing or other similar fees of $1
49 or less. 3Restrictions apply. For details, see
the
he American Automobile Association (AAA) and
an Enterprise Car Sales Manager. 4Enterprise 12-Month Unlimited Mileage Roadside Assistance Package is provided by th
its affiliated clubs in the United States and Canada.
The
T
he “e” logo, Enterprise, and “Haggle-free buying. Worry-free
Worry--free ownership.” are trademarks of Enterprise R
Rent-A-Car.
ent-A-Car. All othe
other
er trademarks are the property of their respective
owners. © 2010 Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Rent-A-Car.
25
site will quickly educate you. For example,
PAW means Parents Are Watching. NSFW
means Not Safe For Work. The
site even includes the top 50 Internet
Acronyms Parents Need to Know.
www.netlingo.com
Find
out what happened on this day
Here's a treasure trove for trivia buffs.
All 12,000 entries have been personally
selected by Jeff Denson, a self-described
obsessive/compulsive trivia collector. It
includes key events, births, deaths, and
factoids on each.
www.thisdaytrivia.com
Discover
Four medical doctors from the Medical
Associates of Drexel Hill, who have a business
loan from FMFCU, gather in front of their
location in Havertown. They are (left to right):
Dr. Hye-Ran Park, Dr. Maria V. Largoza,
Dr. Sal A. Lofaro and Dr. Faahud A. Yafai.
RUN THE NUMBERS
1967
Year first Automated Teller Machine (ATM),
invented by Scotsman John ShepherdBarron, was installed in a suburb of
London, England. He came up with the
idea after being locked out of a bank,
and said he was inspired by a chocolate
bar vending machine.
4
Number of digits used for an ATM Personal
Identification Number (PIN). The inventor
originally planned for six-digit numbers.
But when his wife Caroline complained
that she could only remember four figures,
he reduced the number accordingly.
1.7
million
Estimated number of global ATMs in use
when Mr. Shepherd-Baron died in May 2010.
Source:
finance.yahoo.com/news/Inventor-of-cash-machinedies-apf-809193461.html?x=0&.v=1
26
(Continued from previous page)
FMFCU business loans are especially attractive to small businesses, who
have seen lending by large banks cut
by $40 billion in the last two years.
FMFCU can offer businesses term
loans, lines of credit and real estate
loans in amounts from $25,000 to $2
million. Unsecured loans cap at $50,000.
Marc believes FMFCU offers very
competitive rates and terms, "just like
our consumer loans." In addition, all
business loans benefit from "no prepayment penalty."
"We have what the local banking
competition lacks right now: money to
lend at great rates and terms with Speed,
Service and Convenience."
He's also very pleased with the
Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO)
FMFCU chose to handle the underwriting
for FMFCU.
Applicants get complete decisions,
usually within 24 to 48 hours. In addition,
the CUSO has over 30 years of underwriting experience, with less than 1% delinquency on over $1 billion in loans.
"It's a real advantage to us," Marc
says.
Source:
money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/smallbusiness/
bernanke_lending_credit_cards.fortune/index.htm
Web Wonders
Learn
the most popular texting terms
If you don't know what some of the common shorthand texting terms mean, this
the origin of company names
Ever wonder how Adidas, Amazon or
Apple got their names? Wikipedia has the
answers. Beginning with corporations that
include numbers — such as 20th Century
Fox and 3M — and then going from A to
Z, this site reveals the story behind the
identities of some of the worlds' bestknown brands.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_
company_name_etymologies
Read
fascinating celebrity letters
Remember when people wrote letters
and postcards that were more than 140
characters long? Well this site has interesting examples, showing both the original
and then the easy-to-read transcript.
You'll see letters from Walt Disney, Jack
Kerouac, General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
Ernest Hemingway and more — in 17
searchable categories.
www.lettersofnote.com
Calculate
how long you'll live
The Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator uses carefully researched medical and
scientific data to estimate how long you
will live. Answer 40 quick questions in
about 10 minutes and you get an estimate
of your longevity, plus suggestions on
how to add years to your life. Well worth
doing.
www.livingto100.com
Get
money tips for every life stage
From college to retirement, this site
provides timely financial information for
each and every stage of your life. Includes
sections on starting out, paying student
loans, buying a car and house, marriage
myths, parenthood, retirement, long-term
care insurance and more.
www.credit.com/learning_center.jsp
our many branches & ATMs are ready to serve you
Check below for branches with SATURDAY and SUNDAY hours!
BRANCHES
Broomall
1974 Sproul Road, Suite 100 OPEN SATURDAY
Bryn Mawr
Bryn Mawr Hospital 130 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue
Chester
Crozer-Chester Medical Center 3rd Floor
One Medical Center Boulevard
The Wharf at Rivertown 2501 Seaport Drive, Suite 10
Darby
Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Campus
Medical Office Building 1501 Lansdowne Avenue, Suite 109
OPEN SATURDAY
Drexel Hill
Delaware County Memorial Hospital 501 N. Lansdowne Avenue
King of Prussia
640 Freedom Business
Center Drive Suite 125
Granite Run Mall 1067 W. Baltimore Pike
Lower Level
OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
QVC Studio Park 1200 Wilson Drive
Restricted Access
Norristown
Mercy Suburban Hospital 2701 DeKalb Pike
Paoli
Paoli Hospital 255 W. Lancaster Avenue
Philadelphia
Mercy Philadelphia Hospital 501 S. 54th Street
Widener University University Center Building
One University Place
Horsham
Centocor 800 Ridgeview Road
Suite H-2 1058
Restricted Access
West Chester
106 W. Market Street
OPEN SATURDAY
Riddle Hospital Outpatient Pavilion, Suite 3108
1068 W. Baltimore Pike
Chadds Ford
Village at Painters Crossing Routes 1 & 202
OPEN SATURDAY
Haverford
551 W. Lancaster Avenue
Media
100 W. State Street OPEN SATURDAY
COMIN
G
SOON!
!
Ridley Park
Taylor Hospital 175 E. Chester Pike
Ridley Township 2211 MacDade Boulevard
OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
245 MacDade Boulevard OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Springfield Township
Stoney Creek Shopping
Center East 375 Baltimore Pike
OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Swarthmore
Swarthmore College Parrish Hall
500 College Avenue
Tinicum Township
Keystone Mercy Health Plan 200 Stevens Drive
Ground Floor Lobby
QVC Enterprise Building
1365 Enterprise Drive Restricted Access
Wynnewood
Lankenau Hospital 100 Lancaster Avenue
STUDENT-OPERATED BRANCHES
Lansdowne
Penn Wood High School
100 Green Avenue
Restricted Access
Prospect Park
Interboro High School
500 16th Avenue
Restricted Access
Springfield
Springfield High School
49 W. Leamy Avenue
Restricted Access
Upper Darby
Upper Darby High School
601 N. Lansdowne Avenue
Restricted Access
Wallingford
Strath Haven High School
205 S. Providence Road
Restricted Access
MEMBER SERVICE CENTER
P.O. Box 1907
Media, PA 19063
610-325-5100
(Outside PA, call 1-800-220-3193).
For more information, including branch hours, visit www.fmfcu.org/branches
ATM Location
Two ATMs at This Location
Night Depository Location (Night depositories
are for personal deposits, not business drop-offs.)
Don’t pay ATM surcharges!
The CO-OP Network has over 28,000 surcharge-free ATM locations
nationwide and overseas. These include 9,000 deposit-taking machines
and 5,500 at 7-Eleven locations.
To locate one, just go to: www.fmfcu.org/coop, or go to FMFCU's home page and
click on the CO-OP logo. To find CO-OP ATMs on your iPhone, see story on page 14.
SPEED • SERVICE • CONVENIENCE
27
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FRANKLIN MINT
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
The Credit Union of Choice! ®
610-325-5100 • www.fmfcu.org
PRSRT STD
U. S. Postage
PAID
PPCO
P.O. Box 1907 • Media, PA 19063
FRANKLIN MINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has
$100,000,000 TO LEND
Stop by or call us
to
to discuss:
discuss:
Lowering Your Monthly Payments
Cutting Your Interest Rates
Consolidating Your Balances
Open
7 Days!
Stop in any branch location and we will help evaluate
your debt and personal financial goals.
It’s time to get a new loan from FMFCU and save.
SPEED
SERVICE
CONVENIENCE