Its that time!

Wishing everyone a very safe and happy holiday!

Just remember the holidays are not all about trying to find the perfect gift or buying the most presents but a time to be with family and friends and to remember those who may not be as fortunate as you.

Be A Smart Shopper!

Last weekend I went Christmas shopping with a friend of mine. (Yes, I know it's early for that, but I prefer to get all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving.) As we were shopping, she found a pair of jeans that she liked that were a pretty good deal. Once we got to the register, the salesperson mentions that if my friend bought another item it would be 1/2 off, which sends my friend into a frenzy searching for something else she might want. In the end, she just bought the jeans because whether or not the extra item is 50% off, its still 50% that you are spending that you hadn't planned on before.
So the purpose of this story is to prepare everyone for the temptations of holiday shopping. There are a huge amount of sales right now with more popping up every day. Here is a list of shopping tips to help you avoid going overboard:

1. Make a list of things you need to buy before you go.
2. Stick to the list.
3. If you are about to buy something that is a "really good deal" ask yourself if you really need this right now.
4. Compare prices. There are great deals out there, make sure you get them!
5. Keep track of your expenses, what you think you "need" might not be so necessary once you realize how much you've already spent.
6. Don't be pressured by salespeople! If you need to be talked into it, you probably don't need it.
7. Keep your receipts, just in case you change your mind later.

The last thing you need is a smoothie maker with the awesome automatic pour spout that you bought on sale that still has the tags on it that could have been more money saved up for your much more awesome ski trip to Colorado. (See, I speak from experience.)

Happy (Smart) Shopping!

A New Bank VS Credit Union Video - "Money to Blow".

Check out this funny Banks vs Credit Unions video called "I Love You"!

Would you like to win an iPod?

A big thank you to all of our friends who have been adding blog and face book comments. Don't forget... we are giving away two iPods each month.

To become eligible you need to:

• be our "fan" on facebook


• comment on our go green blog or facebook blog


• takes our Vitamin G quiz

We start each month off with a clean slate so you need to enter every month.

So.... get some Vitamin Green. You may just learn something about money management - and - you may just win an iPod!! Green!!

Be A Fan. Visit LA Financial on Facebook!

Now you can visit us on Facebook. Check us out and don't forget to be our fan!!!

Text to Find an ATM!

As financially savvy LA Financial members, everyone already knows that you can go to any ATM with the CO-OP logo and withdraw cash from your LA Financial account fee-free, right? Why is this cool? Because there are over 25,000 CO-OP ATMs nationwide where you can get cash! I'm not sure if you think this a lot, but check the big banks, and they don't even come close to having that many.

So how do you find all of these fee-free ATMs? You can check the CO-OP website , call 888-SITE-CO-OP, or you can text your location to MYCOOP (692667) and in 30 seconds you'll have the nearest CO-OP ATM location texted to you. Obviously standard texting rates from your phone service provider apply.

I personally love it that I can text from my phone to find an ATM because usually if I need cash it is unexpected. I use my debit card for everything.

So, I'm just sharing the tip! Don't pay at a foreign ATM when you can text to find one for free.

Sharing Knowledge

Here are some pictures from some of the financial education classes I taught =) .

I have come to realize that after explaining all the free features that LA Financial offers, people, my friends, and even family are still using Pay Day lenders to cash their paychecks. WHY??? WHY would anyone pay for something when they can just as easily get it for free????

It is SO SO SO important to realize that even though you may only be spending $3.00 to cash your pay check, that is $3.00 more then you would ever have to pay if you belonged to a financial institution. Do people realize that if you did that every time you received a pay check you would've spent $72 in a year just to get YOUR money. That is $72 that should be in your pocket!!! Belonging to a credit union is FREE why would you pay for something you can get for FREE!

Also, it's important to build a relationship with a financial institution. You can't go through your whole life cashing checks at Pay Day lenders and expect to be able to buy all the things you want or even save for the things you want. You will need to establish credit and you will need loans! You can only get loans if you have established credit.

I know that it is incredibly intimidating to walk into a financial institution and feel like you don't know what your doing. This is why we have people there to answer your questions. They want to help you because they want you to become a member. You have the power... so even if you feel like you don't know anything that is completely OK... You can call, write or go online to find almost any question you have.

So... go out and become a member!!! Save yourself some money!!!

What did you do today to "Save Some Green"?

LA Financial Credit Union is YOUR eco-conscious credit union. We believe environmentally-friendly business practices are extremely important, and this is another way your local credit union is doing everything possible to support your community.

• We offer green accounts
• We encourage the use of e-statements
• We use email for marketing promotions - we send at least one email blast per month with new and exciting offers
• We encourage the use of free bill-pay
• We offer debit and credit cards
• We offer payroll deduction and direct deposit
• We print most of our marketing materials on recycled paper with soy or corn-based inks
• We reward employees who take alternative transportation methods to work

So... What did you do today to "Save Some Green?

Interesting Facts

Some interesting facts according to Ag Center Research and Extension.

College Students:
• Undergraduate students carry an average of three credit cards each and have an average credit card debt of $2,327 in 2002—a 15 percent decrease from the 2000 average! (Nellie Mae,2002)
• The average college freshman has 2.5 credit cards; by graduation they have almost tripled the number of cards they hold. (Nellie Mae ,2002)
• Graduating students have an average of $20,402 in combined education loan and credit card balances. (Nellie Mae, 2002)
• Graduate students have an average credit card debt of $4,776 and hold an average of four cards each. (Nellie Mae,,2000)
• Twenty-eight percent of students with a credit card roll over debt each month. (Nellie Mae, 2000)
• University administrators state that they lose more students to credit card debt, than to academic failure. (Utah Mentor, 2003; The Voice Digital News, 2003)

Bankruptcies:
• We have recently seen an over $50% increase in bankruptcies among people under age 25.
• 1.4 million families filed for personal bankruptcy in 2001 (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2003)

It's scary the amount of debt young people are getting into. I am no exception and have had to learn the hard way that paying money back is much much harder then NOT spending it the first place. It is so important to understand financial literacy.

How Safe Is Your Money?

With all the news about failed banks, many people are asking…. "How safe is my money? Members of LA Financial Federal Credit Union need not worry.

• LA Financial’s mortgage portfolio is only a small portion of total assets.
• LA Financial practices very conservative mortgage underwriting standards.
• Best of all, deposits at LA Financial are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), an arm of National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).
• Not one penny of insured savings has ever been lost by a member of a federally insured credit union.

Your share insurance is similar to the deposit insurance protection offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The NCUSIF is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. Most properly established savings accounts in federally insured credit unions are insured up to the Standard Maximum Share Insurance Amount (SMSIA), which is $100,000. The insurance coverage on certain retirement accounts, such as IRAs and Keoghs is up to $250,000. Generally, if a credit union member has more than one account in the same credit union, those accounts are added together and insured in the aggregate. There are exceptions, though. You may obtain additional separate coverage on multiple accounts, but only if you have different ownership interests or rights in different types of accounts and you properly complete account forms and applications.

For more information, view the NCUA Share Insurance Estimator (an educational resource about share insurance) for a detailed explanation of insurance coverage.

Do you know about EFT?

You've seen other people do it for years, they swipe a card or click a mouse and a purchase is made. But what is really happening is EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer). Whenever we swipe our cards and transfer money online, use an ATM, make an online purchase, inter-account transfer, direct deposit or online bill pay, we are using EFT.

EFT can be good for the environment. As many as 2.3 million tons of wood (about 16.5 million trees) would be saved every year if all U.S. households viewed and paid bills online instead of getting paper statements. The bad news, instead of someone stealing cash from your wallet, there’s the risk of identity theft. That’s why there are common safety features associated with EFT that help to authenticate the card and card holder:

• Signature verification
• Personal Identification Number (PIN)
• Magnetic strip information (on credit and debit cards)
• CVV code - printed into the signature panel on the back of your card
• Password protection (for online account access)

PIN and signature-based debit card use has topped $800 billion annually in recent years. Instead of carrying cash, we're using EFT by swiping our cards and clicking online, saving time and money.

To start using EFT, simply apply for a savings, checking, or credit card account. Soon you'll be able to access your funds quickly and efficiently. You should regularly monitor your scheduled bill withdrawals, direct deposits and online purchases to make sure that all transactions are legitimate.

Manage Your Green

You may be young, but with each passing moment, the opportunity to make more money is slipping away. By not effectively managing your money, you may be missing out on some serious long-term rewards.

So where do you turn for financial guidance? We suggest the MoneyMix™: Launch Your Life. Designed for adults 18-30, MoneyMix is loaded with articles, blogs and videos on money management. The topics cover the big decisions people your age make every day, and show you how to make the right financial call.

The site also provides insight on budgeting and saving for future goals. It’s a golden opportunity to learn how to manage your green, and it’s waiting for you by clicking here.
For younger members, we also have a link to Googolplex® The Credit Union Guide for Student Moneymakers.

Googolplex® is an online magazine written by youth for youth, and deals with money matters and life issues through colorful stories and interactive games. Googolplex reaches youth of all ages- C-Note for high schoolers, AJ’s for middle schoolers, and the Five-Spot for elementary schoolers.

How do you decide where to bank?

I was wondering how many people think that APY's are important? I mean most people know what they are but financial institutions try all sorts of promotions offering great APY's. Do those incentives really make people move their money from one financial institution to another. Or do you just bank with the financial institution your parents bank at?

Never Pay ATM Fees Again

I have two twenty something children who always run short on money before payday. When I look at their checking accounts, I see a lot of small ATM withdrawals and a lot of BIG ATM fees. Although the Credit Union belongs to the Co-Op Network with over 25,000 surcharge free ATMs, they can never seem to find one when they need one. So, they end up paying $2 - $3 to the bank owning the ATM and $1.50 to the Credit Union.

But... I have a solution. If they were to go to any grocery store and buy something (bottled water, gum, etc.) with their Debit card and get cash back ($10, $100, whatever), the $3.50+ in fees would be eliminated. So, be smart and avoid fees - if a Co-Op machine is not handy, I'm sure that you can easily find a grocery store.

Did you know, we now offer checking accounts and debit cards for members starting at age 13? So, get a checking account & debit card but use it wisely. Don't pay unnecessary foreign ATM fees.

Find a surcharge-free ATM – even when you’re on the go! Simply text an address (with city, state), a zip code or an intersection to 692667 (MYCOOP). In less than 30 seconds, you’ll receive a reply with an ATM near you. For additional ATMs, simply reply “More.” The service is free, standard text messaging rates apply.

Welcome to the Green Blog

It’s our job to supply you with sustenance. To feed you financial info and money tips you can use. But sometimes it helps to discuss money with your peers. That’s why we put the Go Green Blog together; so we can update you on important financial news and tips, and give you an interactive forum for discussing your financial life.

Check back often to see what we’re talking about on the Go Green Blog, brought to you by LA Financial Credit Union and Havasu Community Credit Union.

Green Accounts

Being successful with money has everything to do with how well you manage it. To help you better understand how to do that, we've put together specific financial products for young adults age 13 - 17 and a webpage filled with helpful tips and information. It's a great way to get in-touch with your greener self. And don't forget, if there's ever a thing you have a question about, just give us a call at 800-894-1200. We're here to help you master money. Green Accounts.

What we're talking about

Over the years, we have explored numerous ways to communicate with our members. We still use the mail, of course, but not nearly as much as we used to (just like everyone else we get frustrated with all the piles of mail we get too.) We have also used the typical advertising options (television, radio, newspaper) and while they are great for getting a quick message out to a lot of people, there are times when we want to share more detailed information.