Imagine if you belonged to a financial institution that had more ATMs than the world’s largest bank and consistently offered 30-40% better rates than the competition.

Imagine if you belonged to a financial institution that had more ATMs than the world’s largest bank and consistently offered 30-40% better rates than the competition. Oh wait. That’s LA Financial!


{10,000} The number of ATMs credit unions have over the world’s largest bank.

{34%} How much higher CU savings accounts are over banks.

{6800} The number of nationwide shared branching locations

{$7,200,000,000} The amount of money saved by members last year by simply using credit unions.

{$1,000} What the average person can expect to save on a 60 month auto loan by financing through a credit union.

{91,800,000} The number of lovable members in the US and counting.

Have you opted in to Overdraft Privilege yet?

Overdraft Privilege is a discretionary service designed to help prevent your insufficient funds items from being returned or declined. With Overdraft Privilege, we have the option to cover your overdrafts up to $600, if you inadvertently overdraw your account. This can save you the embarrassment and inconvenience of a returned or declined item and the fees normally charged by merchants for items returned to them.

Please be aware that the Overdraft Privilege amount is not shown in your available balance, is not a line of credit and does not replace existing overdraft options such as drawing funds from another account or line of credit, which may be less expensive alternatives than Overdraft Privilege.

What you need to know about overdrafts and Overdraft Fees

An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but we pay it anyway. We can cover your overdrafts in two different ways:
1. We have standard overdraft practices that come with your account.

2. We also offer overdraft protection plans, such as a link to another account or a line of credit, which may be less expensive than our standard overdraft practices.

To learn more, ask us about these plans.

This notice explains our standard overdraft practices.

What are the Standard Overdraft Practices that Come with My Account?

We do authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions:

• Checks and other transactions made using your checking account number

• Automatic bill payments

We will not authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions without your consent:

• ATM transactions

• Everyday debit card transactions

We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction.

If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined.


What Fees Will I Be Charged if LA Financial FCU Pays My Overdraft?

Under our standard overdraft practices:

• We will charge you a fee of $28.00 each time we pay an overdraft

• There is no limit per day on the total fees we can charge you for overdrawing your account

What if I Want LA Financial FCU to Authorize and Pay Overdrafts on My ATM and Everyday Debit Card Transactions?

If you want us to authorize and pay overdrafts on ATM and everyday debit card transactions, complete an “OPT IN” form and present it at a branch or mail it to: PO Box 6015, Pasadena, CA 91102 or visit the “Options” link on anytimeBanking. You can revoke your authorization for LA Financial FCU to pay these overdrafts at any time by any of the above methods. Your revocation must include both your name and your account number so that we can properly identify your account.

Important Information

Transactions may not be processed in the order in which they occurred and the order in which transactions are received and processed may impact the total amount of fees incurred on your account.

We will not charge your account an Overdraft fee if an ATM or everyday debit card transaction overdraws your account by $10 or less.

The Overdraft fee of $28 will be imposed for overdrafts created by checks, ACH, point-of-sale, ATM withdrawals, or by other electronic means. (If multiple items are presented against your account on the same day, each item will be assessed the appropriate fee.) This is the same fee that LA Financial Credit Union charges for items returned to the payee due to insufficient funds.


We may not pay items under your Overdraft Privilege unless you maintain your account in good standing, which includes at least:

• Bringing your account to a positive balance within every thirty (30) day period for a minimum period of 24 hours;

• Not being in default on any loan or other obligation to you;

• Not being subject to any legal or administrative order or levy;

• Not being dormant or inactive;

• Member is not a minor; and

• Account is not a Fresh Start Checking Account
Overdraft Privilege does not constitute either a written agreement of an obligation or a prearranged agreement to pay your overdraft. We may withdraw this privilege at any time.


For complete disclosure and additional information, click here. To OPT IN to Overdraft Privilege, click here for form.  Remember that you can also opt-in through the “Options” link on anytimeBanking.

You can revoke your authorization for LA Financial FCU to pay these overdrafts at any time by any of the above methods. Your revocation must include both your name and your account number so that we can properly identify your account.

Looking for a New or Used Car? With Auto Expert, car shopping is as easy as 1, 2, 3!!

1) Call our inhouse Auto Expert Auto loan broker at 714-783-8848. We’ll walk you through the process, answer any questions you have, and kick off the search for your new or used car. You tell us the exact vehicle you want, including make and model, color, options and accessories. We'll take it from there. We'll even make you an offer on your trade-in.

2) Get your loan pre-approved.

Financing? Estimate a car-buying budget and contact LA Financial Credit Union to pre-approve a loan.

3) We find it. You buy it. We deliver it.

Auto Expert locates the car you want through a vast network of dealerships. We’ll also secure a ‘volume discount’ price at an average savings of over $1,900. We can save you a ton of hassles on your paperwork, too. We’ll handle the dealer issues, DMV paperwork and loan documents. Then, Auto Expert delivers the car right to your credit union. And you drive home happy, knowing that you saved time, money and a whole lot of work.

For more information, check out the Auto Expert webpage.

LA Financial is here to help you lower your mortgage payment with no fees attached!!

Are you preparing to refinance your mortgage and take advantage of our great low rates? We have a special promotion right now... No Points, No Closing Costs, No Fees a great rate of 2.875%, 90% LTV and no PMI. It's a Win-Win for you. Check our Calcubot, our mortgage calculator to find out how low your payments can be.


LA Financial is here to help you lower your mortgage payment with no fees attached!!

Tax day is today!

HEADS UP: This next one's for you, procrastinators! Tax day is today!



If you owe this year, the IRS has several options for you:


1. You can pay online with credit or debit cards.

2. You may request an installment plan where you're able to choose your monthly payment as long as it's paid off in 3 years.

3. And if payments are troubling for you this year, the IRS has a website where you can assess your tax scenario, payments and penalties beforehand.
But remember to save your 2012 tax forms so you can use your payment as a write off next year.

To get started today, visit our TurboTax link .

You still have a few days left to do your taxes!!

Prepare, Print and E-file FREE with TurboTax Federal Free Edition. Whether you prefer to self-prepare online or work with a tax professional, we have a solution for you. To get started today, visit TurboTax or visit Jackson Hewitt to locate an office near you.  Click here for Turbo Tax.   Click here for more information about Jackson Hewitt

Looking for an easy way to get cash and avoid foreign ATM fees?

Looking for an easy way to get cash and avoid foreign ATM fees? Did you know you can ask for cash back when making a purchase at your local grocery store or convenience store? By paying for your purchase with a PIN based (Debit) transaction with your LA Financial VISA debit card, you can receive cash back, just like using an ATM. You can request your cash back in different denominations other than the standard $20 bill that you get at most ATMs. Best of all, there are no foreign ATM fees for that transaction. Try it next time that you're out of cash.

April is Youth Month!!

It’s never too early to start talking to your kids about money management. There’s no better time than now because April is Youth Month at LA Financial! Check out our Green Accounts – we have Happy Saver Accounts for kids under 13, Apple Accounts for 13 – 17 year olds and Lime Accounts for 18 – 27 year olds.


Talk to kids about money early and they’ll become responsible adults!

Refi your Home with Us. It's a Win-Win for you!

Refi with Us. It's a Win-Win for you! With our 5 year ARM, we will lower your mortgage payments and pay ALL of your closing costs. Check our Mortgage Calculator to see how low your payment will be.  https://apps.facebook.com/calcubotapp/mortgage?fb_page_id=22898962123

71% of Americans Want to Break Up with Their Banks for Valentine’s Day

71% of Americans Want to Break Up with Their Banks for Valentine’s Day



By Jennifer Calonia • Posted in Banking , Financial News • February 14, 2013 - reprinted from www.gobankingrates.com

Love is not in the air for a majority of banking customers this Valentine’s Day week. A recent survey released Monday by McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union reported that most customers carry ill sentiments toward their banks, so much so that should a better offer from a competing institution happen to come by, 71 percent of respondents said they’d be “likely” to “extremely likely” to call it quits with their current bank.
Hidden Fees a Turn Off in Banking RelationshipsIn an online survey of 1,050 Americans ages 18 and over, McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union found that in addition to the 71 percent of respondents who said they’d dump their bank, 40 percent said the cost of “high hidden fees” was the primary reason for their dissatisfaction; followed by insufficient products and services; and the feeling that their financial institution doesn’t listen to their concerns, find appropriate solutions to issues or “provide clarity.”
The results of the survey were so sour that 36 percent of respondents compared interactions with their banks to being as unpleasant as engaging with their in-laws, while 30 percent said the exchange is more akin to “dealing with the cable guy.” Still worse is that 25 percent of Americans found dealing with their banking representatives as bad as dealing with the IRS, and a significant 23 percent claim their relationship with their bank is as painful as a visit to the dentist.
With so many banking relationships on the outs this year, customers can take this greater sense of awareness as an opportunity to locate the best bank in their area for an emotionally and financially balanced relationship moving forward.


How to Find the Best Bank for You

Determining which financial institutions will give you the most positive banking experience can be difficult, especially with the slew of banks out there vying for your business. Here are a few tips to find the best bank in your city, if a break up is imminent in your future:

•Know what you want. Without knowing exactly what kinds of products and services you can’t live without, you’ll never find a bank that the perfect fit. Is online banking a hands-down requirement, or are you searching for a genuine, neighborly customer service experience? Write down the products and services you won’t compromise on, so you can focus on finding the best bank that can offer them.

•Give the underdogs a chance. While big banks are known nationwide, local banks and credit unions have stepped up their appeal as full-service financial institutions. As a bonus, these institutions often provide competitive interest rates on deposit and loan services that can help you reach your financial goals faster.

•Always ask questions. Before signing on the dotted line, it’s important to review an account or service’s contract line by line to avoid the headache of hidden fees. If something is unclear to you, or may present a concern later on, resolve the matter with a bank representative before jumping into a new banking relationship


Cited from: http://www.gobankingrates.com/banking/71-percent-americans-break-up-banks-valentines-day/#ixzz2L07a6GmW