The Credit Union will be closed on Monday, September 1 in observance Labor Day

LA Financial Credit Union and Havasu Community Credit Union will be closed on Monday, September 1 in observance of Labor Day. Accounts can still be accessed via ATM, anytimeBanking and anytimeMobile.

Free Checking that pays rewards!

Would you like to have a FREE checking account that pays rewards and gives you refunds on ATM fees nationwide?

Kasasa Cash Checking*

Earn 2% APY+on balances up to $10,000 if qualifications are met, or 0.01% APY* on all balances if qualifications aren't met.

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Kasasa Cash Back Checking**

Earn 3% Cash Back on everyday debit card purchases if qualifications are met.                                   

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Kasasa Tunes Checking*** Get $6 every  month in refunds on iTunes and Amazon.com purchases and a $5 sign-up bonus if qualifications are met.                                    Click Here To Open Online...

Earning Rewards is Easy. Simply do the following transactions and activities in your Kasasa checking account each monthly qualification cycle:                                   Have at least 15 debit card purchases post and settle Be enrolled and receive eStatement notices Have at least 1 automatic payment (ACH) post and settle or have at least one bill pay transaction post and settle If you don't meet all of the qualifications one month, don't worry. You still have a FREE checking account. Plus, you can get back to earning rewards and nationwide ATM rebates the very next month. Click here to compare all of our checking accounts including Kasasa. Get Kasasa Today! Open your Kasasa Account online with anytime eXpress! *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. **Kasasa Cash Back Minimum to open is $25.00. First two qualification cycles automatically qualify for rewards. When monthly qualifications are met, you receive 3.00% cash back on debit card purchases that post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle up to a total cash back of $6.00 per monthly qualification cycle. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. 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. 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. 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. ***Kasasa Tunes *Minimum to open is $25.00. First two qualification cycles automatically qualify for rewards. You will be refunded up to $5.00 for iTunes ® and/or Amazon.com® purchases that post to and settle account during the first 60 days after you open account. Refunds will be credited to account on the last day of statement cycle in which refundable purchases were made. In addition, each qualification cycle, earn up to $6.00 in refunds of iTunes® and/or Amazon.com® purchases if qualifications are met during previous monthly qualification cycle. Purchases must be made with debit card associated with your Kasasa Tunes account. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. 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. 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; ATM receipt must be presented for reimbursement of an individual ATM fee of $5.00 or higher.iTunes® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc® and Amazon, com® is a registered trademark of Amazon Inc.® Apple Inc® and Amazon Inc® are not participants in or sponsors of this program. Limit one account per SSN.  Transfers between accounts do not count as qualifying transactions.

LA Financial Federal Credit Union auto loans lower than California average by 43%!

Click on Seal to see how much you can save. 

For 85 weeks in a row as of August 2014, LA Financial Federal Credit Union auto loan rates have consistently been lower than the California average. Of the 690 lenders consisting of 9,538 branch locations in California that Datatrac researched, a 60-month new car loan at LA Financial Federal Credit Union was 2.40%, which is 43% lower than the state average rate of 3.37%. Based on the California market average, they have a total of eight auto loan rates that outperformed the market. Two of the top performing products are a 48-month new car loan that beat the average by 41% and a 36-month new car loan that outperformed the competition by 38%.

In addition to being the best rate at LA Financial Federal Credit Union, a 60-month new car loan will also save the most money. Over the life of a $25,000 loan, this rate would save $937 in interest payments compared to the California average for the same product. The longest term offered by LA Financial Federal Credit Union, per Datatrac's review, is a 72-month auto loan. This term saves $391 in interest when compared to the state average on a used car loan.

LA Financial FCU is a certified with a Datatrac Great Rate Award® based upon their exceptional rates for auto loans.  For more information about how Awards are determined and to learn more about certification, please visit http:/www.datatrac.net/GreatRateAwards.

About Datatrac

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 100,000 banking locations in America.  Datatrac Great Rate Awards® certify that deposit and loan rates outperform the market average for comparable products.www.datatraccorp.com

Save up to 50% on LA County Fair Tickets!

Buy online at lacountyfair.com/buytickets  and use promo code: creditunion

LA Financial Staff Raises $1,755 for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

Members of our staff are donating $25 to wear jeans EVERY Wednesday between now and September 10th. Our goal was to raise $1,000 for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and so far we have exceeded our goal and raised $1,755 and we're not done yet. Awesome job LA Financial Staff!!!

Check out our latest commercial featuring our FREE Kasasa Checking Accounts.

Kasasa Checking

We're now proud to offer Kasasa checking accounts.

With each FREE Kasasa checking account you'll get refunds on ATM fees nationwide,* and earn the rewards you want.

Kasasa Cash® *

Earn 2% APY+ on balances up to $10,000 if qualifications are met, or 0.01% APY* on all balances if qualifications aren't met.

Kasasa Cash Back® **

Earn 3% cash back* on everyday debit card purchases if qualifications are met.

Kasasa Tunes® ***

Get $6 every month in refunds on iTunes® and Amazon.com® purchases and a $5 sign up bonus* if qualifications are met.

Earning your rewards is easy.

Simply do the following transactions and activities in your Kasasa checking account each monthly qualification cycle:

• Have at least 15 debit card purchases post and settle.
• Be enrolled and receive e-statement notices.
• Have at least 1 automatic payment (ACH) post and settle or have at least 1 bill pay transaction post and settle.

If you don't meet the qualifications one month, don't worry. You still have a free checking account. Plus, you can get back to earning rewards and nationwide ATM rebates the very next month.

Get Kasasa Today!! Open your Kasasa Account online with anytime eXpress

Click here to compare all of our checking accounts.

*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.

**Kasasa Cash Back Minimum to open is $25.00. First two qualification cycles automatically qualify for rewards. When monthly qualifications are met, you receive 3.00% cash back on debit card purchases that post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle up to a total cash back of $6.00 per monthly qualification cycle. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. 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. 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. 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.

***Kasasa Tunes *Minimum to open is $25.00. First two qualification cycles automatically qualify for rewards. You will be refunded up to $5.00 for iTunes ® and/or Amazon.com® purchases that post to and settle account during the first 60 days after you open account. Refunds will be credited to account on the last day of statement cycle in which refundable purchases were made. In addition, each qualification cycle, earn up to $6.00 in refunds of iTunes® and/or Amazon.com® purchases if qualifications are met during previous monthly qualification cycle. Purchases must be made with debit card associated with your Kasasa Tunes account. Qualifying transactions must post to and settle account during monthly qualification cycle. 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. 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; ATM receipt must be presented for reimbursement of an individual ATM fee of $5.00 or higher.iTunes® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc® and Amazon, com® is a registered trademark of Amazon Inc.® Apple Inc® and Amazon Inc® are not participants in or sponsors of this program. Limit one account per SSN.  Transfers between accounts do not count as qualifying transactions.

How 10 Seconds Of Diligence Can Keep You Safe From Fraud

    We’re all bombarded with information. Nowhere is this more true than in our mailboxes, both real and virtual. After all, everyone who wants to get in touch with us has a phone number, social media account and a million other low-cost ways to get in touch. It seems like the only people who send mail anymore are the folks who want to sell us something.

    If you treat your mail like most people, you skim through it on your way from the mailbox to the door, stuff it in a mail sorter and promise to deal with it later. Your inbox gets treated the same way. If it’s something from someone you know, you read it, chuckle, and respond. If not, it’s probably safe to ignore.

    This is the kind of behavior that identity thieves are counting on. Petr Murmylyuk, a Russian immigrant living in New York, was convicted earlier this year of breaking into a number of online brokerage accounts like Scottrade, E*Trade Financial, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab, among others. His purpose was to initiate trades that moved the price of assets in a complicated combination of identity theft and security manipulation. He cost his victims more than a million dollars in losses, and he will likely only have to pay about $500,000 in restitution. He didn’t get away with his fraud, but his victims still lost a lot of money.

    Imagine if this happens to you. You keep your retirement fund in an online brokerage account. You regularly deposit a few hundred dollars a month and you don’t want to withdraw the money any time soon. So you just log in every so often to make sure your auto payments are being made and check the balance. One day, you check the balance and discover tens of thousands of dollars are just gone.

    If you’re counting on your brokerage to reimburse you, you might be waiting a while. Scottrade, for example, “does not cover situations in which … you failed to take reasonable precautions to protect your privacy.” Fidelity, too, specifies the need to ensure that transactions were not made by someone you “allowed” to access your account. Other online brokerage firms have similar policies to protect their own interests over yours.

    What can you do to stop it? You already know how to maintain security on your online accounts. Choose strong, complex passwords. Don’t access sensitive websites from public computers. Don’t click links in emails that look suspicious. This is all the same financial personal hygiene you probably already practice.

    However, when it comes to online financial accounts, like brokerages and draft accounts, there’s an extra step you need to take. You need to read your statements carefully. Here’s how the process works:

    Pick a day each month. Making it the same time each month will help you remember as well as help you establish a reliable control. You don’t need much time, just 20 or 30 minutes. Take care of it while you’re drinking your coffee in the morning.

    Go through monthly statements and confirmations for all your accounts. Make sure you or your spouse recognize every transaction that’s been made. Keep an eye out for the following kinds of transactions:

    – Transactions originating in foreign countries or other distant places. Identity thieves will often try to throw you off the trail and avoid prosecution by committing their crimes in distant places.

    – Small transactions. It’s tempting to write off a dollar here or there, but thieves are frequently counting on that tolerance. They’ll use a small transaction to test a stolen credit card or breached account. If they get away with that, they’ll try bigger amounts.

    – If you suspect something is wrong with your security, call the company and ask for a login history. This is a document that lists the dates, times, and locations of every access that’s been made to your account. This should let you know if someone else has gained access. Obviously, if that’s the case, you should change your passwords and let your financial institutions know immediately.

    – If you notice anything else that’s amiss, call the financial institution immediately. The longer you wait, the more likely it is they’ll conclude it was something you authorized. Even if it’s off business hours, call immediately and leave a message. Starting the process as soon as possible creates a trail that will be useful in the event of a dispute about responsibility.

SOURCES:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/check-brokerage-statements-and-online-accounts-for-signs-of-fraud-1406307043 

7 Ways To Stop Worrying And Love Your Mortgage

Every corner of the personal finance world seems to hammer home the same point: Debt is the wealth killer. Debt is the single greatest threat to your retirement planning, college savings and financial independence.

Except, as it turns out, there is one kind of debt that defies all of these rules: mortgages. Money you owe on real property can, in fact, be a boon to your financial independence in a lot of ways. While we've seen the recent financial trouble that occurs when people finance their lifestyles using the value of their home, there's no reason why you shouldn't see mortgages as a reasonable and realistic financial tool to build your wealth. Let's talk about 7 reasons why mortgages are different from other kinds of debt:

1.) Having a mortgage can improve your credit score. Mortgages are seen as "good debt" by creditors. Because it's secured by the value of your house, lenders see your ability to maintain mortgage payments as a sign of responsible credit use. They also see home ownership, even partial ownership, as a sign of financial stability. Since 2009, credit scoring agencies have added points for consumers who are able to manage different kinds of debt. Having a mortgage that you pay each month makes you look like a better, more responsible user of credit.

2.) It's the lowest interest rate loan you'll ever get. Mortgage loans are among the safest types of loans that lending institutions can issue. If there's a problem during the life of the loan, the real property is a guarantee that the loaned money can be recovered. As a result, mortgage rates generally track the "prime" rate - the interest rate the Federal Reserve charges institutions to borrow money from them.

3.) It's the cheapest way to build wealth. If you have an investment opportunity that you think will make more than 4%, you can finance it with a mortgage and make money on the deal. While this kind of transaction is not without risk, it's arguably less risky than cashing out a 401(k) or an IRA to use toward new investments.

4.) It gets preferential tax treatment. The interest you pay on your mortgage is generally tax-deductible, which puts it in a class of debt by itself. The government wants to encourage home ownership, and is therefore willing to offer you a tax break for the financing costs of your mortgage. This tax treatment makes mortgages potentially even less expensive.

5.) It's proof against volatility. If you've got a fixed-rate mortgage, you can make plans around the amount you pay each month. If inflation accelerates, your payment stays the same. If interest rates skyrocket, you're protected from that, too. If interest rates drop, you can usually refinance to save money. Whatever happens, your mortgage is locked in to protect you from uncertain economic times.

6.) It's a safe emergency fund. While you want to keep some money in a savings account to protect you from minor emergencies, you can use the equity in your home to protect you from major events. If you can get more than a 4% return on your investment, you'll make money by keeping a home equity line of credit as an emergency fund and pursuing returns with your savings.

7.) It can serve as a source of retirement income. So-called "reverse mortgages" are increasingly popular among retirees whose portfolios are struggling. Functionally, you take out a mortgage on your home, and the lending institution pays you a set amount every month. Usually, the loan doesn't come due until you pass on or vacate the home. That way, the proceeds from the sale of the home, along with life insurance and other death benefits, can be used to pay off the debt. Mortgages can help finance your retirement.

If you're interested in purchasing a new home or refinancing an existing one, LA Financial Credit Union can help. Call today to speak to one of our representatives and see if you qualify for a home loan - click here for rates. Our knowledgeable service personnel can answer any questions you might have about how to get the most financial power out of your dream home. Call LA Financial Credit Union at 800-894-1200 today and ask about our home loan options!

 See website  for details.

  

SOURCES:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nine-reasons-to-love-your-mortgage-1406420252?mod=Your_Money_newsreel_2 

   

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/business/reverse-mortgages-costing-some-seniors-their-homes.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 

   

http://blog.readyforzero.com/how-does-a-mortgage-affect-your-credit-score/ 

  

LA Financial CU Members Can Win Fantasy Shopping Spree

VISA Platinum Card Usage Enters Members in Sweepstakes for “Magic Minute” Dash for Merchandise

Pasadena, CA August 4, 2014 – LA Financial Credit Union announced today a special sweepstakes event in which its members can qualify to win the shopping experience of a lifetime. Simply by using their LA Financial Credit Union platinum rewards credit card to make purchases between August 4 through October 26, 2014, members will be automatically entered in a drawing for a chance to win a one-minute “dash and grab” with an oversized shopping cart in a warehouse packed with high-end merchandise, such as laptops, tablets, flat-screen TVs and appliances.

The event, called the Credit Union Magic Minute^TM, is open to nearly 700 credit unions across the country. Members of participating credit unions must first register with the credit union to participate and then use their Platinum Rewards VISA Card in three transactions per week to have their names entered into the sweepstakes drawings. Each of the 6 credit union members selected will win an all-expense-paid trip for two to Chicago and a place at the starting line of the Magic Minute Dash on December 4.

“We wanted to give our loyal members the opportunity to experience something so incredible and exhilarating, they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives,” said Renee Amato, Chief Marketing Officer of LA Financial Credit Union “We are hoping one of the 6 winners chosen will be a LA Financial Credit Union member.”

LA Financial Credit Union credit union members earn loyalty rewards points by simply using their VISA Platinum Rewards VISA card for everyday purchases. The points can be redeemed for merchandise and travel. The Magic Minute is a promotion that recognizes and celebrates the unique loyalty bond that exists between members and their credit unions. The warehouse hosting the Magic Minute merchandise grab is the same location that contains most of the items that credit union members can acquire by redeeming their rewards points.

Visit lafinancial.org for details on the Magic Minute and how you can become a member of the LA Financial Credit Union family.

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