Friday, February 27, 2015

It pays to be a member of LA Financial – $77 a year (or more)!

  


The average LA Financial member earns a financial benefit of $77 per year (and the average household, $146) for doing business with LA Financial Credit Union – compared to doing business with a bank, according to a national economic study prepared by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
These numbers represent the total benefits we provided divided across all members – even those who conduct very little business with LA Financial.  
Loyal High-Users are saving substantially more with these products:
·         new and used car loans
·         fixed rate or adjustable rate first mortgages
·         home equity loans
·         VISA credit cards
·         checking accounts
And, LA Financial pays its members higher dividends on savings, Certificates and IRAs and an exceptionally higher rate of 2% APY on Kasasa Cash Checking Account*.



Datatrac is an independent, unbiased research firm that has monitored deposit and loan rates, fees and product features for over 25 years on more than 166,696 financial institutions locations in America.  Datatrac Great Rate Awards certify that deposit and loan rates outperform the market average for comparable products.  www.datatrac.net

1.       $912 is the difference between the amount paid in interest between LA Financial Federal Credit Union's rate at 1.90% APR compared to 3.28% APR for the Los Angeles Metro market average over the life of a $25,000 auto loan over 60 months. At 1.90% APR, your monthly payments are just $17.50 per $1,000 borrowed for 60 months. Discounted rate includes 0.50% reduction for checking account with Direct Deposit -OR- 0.25% reduction for automatic payment & 0.25% reduction for Direct Deposit/Payroll Deduction (maximum 0.50% total rate discount per loan). 100% Loan-to-Value on all cash-out refinances. Maximum mileage   All rates are quoted on approved credit as Annual Percentage Rates (APRs). Some restrictions may apply.  Loan approval subject to credit and income evaluation. Consumer loan rates may vary depending on credit profile, term, mileage, and the amount financed. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice.
Qualifying member may select to defer their first payment for up to 90 days from the loan funding date. Interest will accrue during deferral period. Minimum FICO score 650. Subject to credit approval.  Cannot be combined with other offers.

2.       Datatrac’s comprehensive, unbiased research and analysis is updated each business day and is conducted independent of any financial institution.  There is no guarantee that you will receive the rates or terms displayed herein. Actual rates and terms are in the full discretion of the financial institution and may be subject to your credit rating and other factors. Please contact LA Financial Federal Credit Union directly with any questions regarding their current rates and terms.

*Kasasa Cash  APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APY's accurate as of 06/02/2014. Rates may change after account is opened. Minimum to open is $25.00. If qualifications are met each monthly qualification cycle: (1) domestic ATM fees incurred during qualification cycle will be reimbursed up to $20.00 and credit to account on the last day of monthly statement cycle; (2) balances up to $10,000 receive APY of 2.00%; and (3) balances over $10,000 earn 0.05% dividend rate on portion of balance over $10,000, resulting in 2.00%-0.23% APY depending on the balance. If qualifications are not met, all balances earn 0.01% APY. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. Accounts closed mid-cycle before dividends are posted will not receive accrued dividends. Transactions may take one or more banking days from the date transaction was made to post to and settle an account. ATM-processed transactions do not count towards qualifying debit card transactions. "Monthly Qualification Cycle" means a period beginning one day prior to the first day of the current statement cycle through one day prior to the close of the current statement cycle. ATM receipt must be presented for reimbursement of an individual ATM fee of $5.00 or higher. Limit one account per SSN. Transfers between accounts do not count as qualifying transactions. 




Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Concerned About Debt? GreenPath Can Help

We offer free access to money management and financial education services through GreenPath, a financial management program. Through comprehensive education and exceptional service, GreenPath has been assisting individuals for more than 50 years. As a member, you can receive assistance with:
  • Personal and family budgeting
  • Understanding your personal credit report and how to improve your score
  • Personal money management
  • Debt repayment
  • Avoiding bankruptcy, foreclosure, and repossession

Free Financial Counseling. GreenPath's certified and degreed experts will work with you to develop a budget and action plan based on your personal financial situation and goals.
Looking for a Debt Management Plan? GreenPath can help. GreenPath can set up a payment plan with your creditors to potentially eliminate collection calls, reduce interest and eliminate fees. This isn't debt settlement. It is a plan where you pay your entire principal balance but would do so more quickly while paying less interest and eliminate fees.
Credit Report Review. GreenPath can help you evaluate your credit report, learn to dispute inaccurate information, and understand credit scoring.
Get Help with Housing Issues. GreenPath can help you explore options for avoiding foreclosure, including contacting your mortgage servicer if necessary. They also offer pre-purchase education and reverse mortgage counseling.
Call a Counselor Today. GreenPath counselors are available Monday through Thursday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. (PST), Friday 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. To use this new service, simply call (877) 337-3399 or click www.greenpathref.com www.greenpathref.com for numerous tools and resources or view pre-recorded webinars anytime.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Anthem Hack - Part 2 - Phishing Scams

Anthem Hack Attack, Part 2:   Phishing Scams

Last week we told you about health insurer Anthem’s data breach affecting more than 80 million customers. This week, we're telling you about scam artists who are sending phony “Anthem” emails that pretend to help customers, but actually phish for their personal information.


The phony email is designed to look as if it comes from Anthem and asks customers to click on a link for free credit monitoring or “credit card account protection.” Don’t let that fool you. Anthem says it will contact current and former customers by postal mail with specific information on how to enroll in credit monitoring. Anthem also says it’s not calling customers about the data breach or asking for credit card information or Social Security numbers over the phone.
So, if you get an email that says it’s from Anthem offering you services in response to the data breach, don’t reply, click on any links, or open any attachments. Instead, forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov, and delete the message from your inbox. 

Friday, February 6, 2015

FYI - Anthem Breach Affects 80 Million People

We wanted to share this information regarding Anthem with our members who may be affected.  We also want to remind you to never give out your personal information over the phone or online, unless you initiated the call.  Your Credit Union would never call you and ask you for this information.  If we identify suspicious activity on one of your debit or credit cards with us, we will call you to verify the transaction.  But we will not ask for any additional information - we already have it.


"Anthem was the target of a very sophisticated external cyber attack," Anthem president and CEO, Joseph Swedish announced in a statement on a website created to provide information on this breach, anthemfacts.com. Approximately 80 million former and current members had their personal information exposed including social security numbers, names, birthdays, medical IDs, street addresses, email addresses and employment information. Anthem is offering credit monitoring services, which is highly recommended that potential victims take full advantage of. 
Because so much information was lost, identity theft is not the only concern. It is very likely that elaborate phishing scams will start soon that will attempt to get people to click on a link or download a file. These scams will target everyone, not just breach victims. The more something is in the news, the more likely people are to fall for scams because they have some familiarity with the email subject. 
Steps people can take to protect themselves:
  • Accept credit monitoring services immediately
  • Call one of the credit bureaus and put a "Fraud Watch" on your SSN. You only need to call one, by law they are required to contact the other two to ensure they also set up a fraud watch on your behalf. It is free, but only lasts for 90 days, so set a reminder to have it refreshed
  • Get a free credit report every 4 months. Each credit bureau is required to provide a free credit report once a year. So stagger each of the three so you can spot any fraud. Visit annualcreditreport.com to get started
  • Watch for phishing scams; emails designed to look like they are from Anthem that attempt to get you to click on a link, download a file or enter login credentials. The criminals will attempt to deliver malware that can have a number of different effects. Online banking malware is growing faster than any other as this will help a criminal gain access to your financial accounts

  • Watch for a noticeable increase in credit card offers. If someone attempts to get a credit card in your name, that information is picked up by all the credit card companies and they will send you offers

Monday, February 2, 2015

Capture my Heart Promotion



Earn a chance to Win a Free $100 Gift Card.
1) Draw a picture of a heart on the front of a check that you intend to deposit with anytimeDeposit
2) Deposit your check via anytimeDeposit between February 7 - 14, 2015

The winner will be chosen from checks deposited via the Credit Union's mobile check deposit program (anytimeDeposit) that clearly includes a visible heart drawn on the front of the check. Mobile check deposits must be made between February 7 - 14. Winners will be announced by February 23, 2015. Heart design must be readable by the check capture system and should not conflict with the integrity of the information included on the front of the check itself.

Download the anytimeMobile App
iPhone - Download App or search for "LA Financial" in the iPhone App Store.
Android - Download App or search for "LA Financial" in the Android Market
If you have questions about using anytimeMobile, call us at (800) 894-1200 and we'll help you get started.