Kids’ Summer Fun on a Budget

Keeping the kids entertained while on summer break can be an expensive endeavor. Registrations for summer camps, day care and recreation programs are only the tip of the iceberg. You also need to consider transportation costs to and from these programs that you don’t normally attend during the school year.

But summer break doesn’t have to break your budget. You can still afford to take some quality family time-and you can do it all on a dime. Here are some great ideas to keep your children entertained while you are at work, and some fun family activities, all of which we consider cheap or free!

1.       Have a camp out in your yard. If you can’t take time off work this summer, take advantage of the great weather and go camping in your own backyard. Put away the electronics and enjoy nature with the convenience of your own bathroom being just a few feet away.

2.       Enjoy free movies. Many movie theaters today host free movies on weekday mornings. Ask your local theater for a schedule and get there early. Seats fill quickly!

3.       Go to a movie or concert in the park. Local resorts, ballparks, and recreation departments offer movies and concerts featuring local musicians. Check the local or neighborhood sections of your newspaper for more information.

4.       Be a tourist in your hometown. Get to know your town a little bit more by visiting the local (free!) museums and other attractions. You might be surprised by what you find.

5.       Have a family boot camp. Exercise isn’t just good for your body, it’s good for your soul too. Agree on an exercise as a family-whether it’s karate, yoga, or strength training-and find instructional videos on YouTube. Participating as a family can help build self-esteem and make your family closer.

6.       Send the kids to church camp. Many churches offer free or cheap day camps for working parents. Even if you don’t attend the church, this is a great opportunity to broaden your children’s horizons and introduce them to different ways of thinking in addition to giving them an opportunity to meet new friends.

7.       Trade kids for a craft day. Work out an arrangement with another parent or two. Each household sponsors a craft day once a week for a month. One week, all the children visit your house and complete a craft you developed. The next week, it’s another parent’s turn.

8.       Visit the library. Free to residents, the library offers numerous programs to help keep kids busy. And even if you don’t find a program that interests your child or your family, you just might find a few books you’ll like!

9.       Redeem report card rewards. Bowling alleys, pizza joints, movie theaters and more offer free or discounted admissions for students who earned a high grade point average on their report card. Do some research and then redeem those rewards!

10.   Make your own water park. If you have grass available to you, set up sprinklers, fill up some squirt bottles and water balloons, lay out the camping tarp, and get the hose ready. Let your kids of all ages loose on a homemade water day.

Summer doesn’t have to take a lot out of your pocketbook. It just takes a little bit of creativity and a little effort to find activities that the whole family can enjoy, while mom and dad enjoy a little budget relief. Have a great summer! 

LA Financial Federal Credit Union auto loans beat California average by 42%.

For 77 consecutive weeks as of June 2014, LA Financial Federal Credit Union auto loan rates have consistently been lower than the California average. Of the 690 lenders representing 9,516 branch locations in California that Datatrac researched, a 60-month new car loan at LA Financial Federal Credit Union was 1.90%, which is 42% lower than the state average rate of 3.28%. LA Financial Federal Credit Union has eight total products that outperform the California average, including a 48-month new car loan and a 36-month new car loan which beat the market by 40% and 38%, respectively.

Not only is LA Financial Federal Credit Union's 60-month new car loan their best rate, it will also save the most money. This rate would save $915 in interest payments over the life of a $25,000 loan when compared to the California average for the same product. The longest term included in Datatrac's analysis for LA Financial Federal Credit Union is a 72-month auto loan. This term saves $361 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.

Click here for to see how much you can save.

We will be closed on July 4th.

LA Financial will be closed on July 4th in observance of Independence Day. Accounts can be accessed via anytimeMobile, anytimeBanking or ATMs.

CURewards - Reward Yourself, You've Earned It!

Wouldn't it be great to earn something when you are spending money? Well, you can! With LA Financial FCU's Platinum Rewards VISA credit card, you can earn valuable points toward premium merchandise and exciting travel opportunities through our new rewards program…CURewards.

How the Program Works
When you enroll in CURewards with LA Financial FCU's Platinum Rewards VISA credit card, you begin to earn points every time you use your credit card. These valuable points are good toward name brand electronics, housewares, fitness equipment and jewelry. You can also choose to redeem them for great travel options like airline tickets, cruises, rental cars, hotels and overseas tours.

How to Earn the Points You Need
You earn one point for every dollar you charge on your LA Financial FCU credit card. There is no limit to the amount of points you can earn. You can double your points when you redeem them for travel by using your credit card for any additional travel needs such as extra tickets, car rentals, hotel accommodations and more.

How to Redeem the Points You Earn
CURewards provides a web site for you to select the merchandise or travel you have earned. Just visit www.curewards.com to learn more about the program. You can view all the exciting awards available and print out order forms. So, get your LA Financial Platinum Rewards Card and start earning points toward quality merchandise or that dream vacation you've always wanted. It's easy. Just use your card and reward yourself. You've earned it!

Important Information About Mobile Banking Security

Dear Member,
Recent news reports have raised concerns about the Trojan “Svpeng” putting U.S. mobile banking users at risk. After reviewing the available information about the Svpeng Trojan’s spread in the USA, we do not believe that our members are being targeted. However, we felt that it was important to share this information about mobile banking security. The U.S. version of this trojan has acted as ransomware, locking devices it infects under the pretext of supposed criminal activity by the user (see http://www.securelist.com/en/images/vlweblog/unuchek_svpeng_us_04.png for an example) and demanding money via Green Dot MoneyPak cards in exchange for unlocking the device (note: we do not recommend users send money to anyone in an attempt to unlock an infected device). Once infected, removing the virus can be accomplished only by fully erasing the device, but users can minimize the risk of data loss by backing up their device regularly.
Kaspersky Lab reports that the Russian version of this Trojan is able to phish for online/mobile banking credentials by mimicking the login screen of certain Russian mobile banking apps, as well as phishing for credit card information by mimicking screens from the Google Play store. However, in US variations, “for now, this piece of malware, allegedly of Russian origin, does not steal credentials.” (Source: http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2014/Kaspersky-Lab-detects-mobile-Trojan-Svpeng-Financial-malware-with-ransomware-capabilities-now-targeting-US-users, see also http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/8227/Latest_version_of_Svpeng_targets_users_in_US)

Security analysts also have found that the virus is potentially targeting customers of large banks in the US for its future phishing attacks. No credit unions are reported as targets by security analysts at this time. This virus can infect Android devices only, so members using iOS devices or other systems (Blackberry, Windows Phone, etc.) are not currently at risk for this attack. However, all mobile phone users should be security conscious and make sure to protect their devices.

Tips to prevent infection:

• Users should never install an app unless they specifically tried to install it themselves directly from the Google Play store, and should be especially cautious about installing apps based on links in emails, SMS messages, etc. Even if an app looks like a commonly used program, it could be a digital wolf-in-sheep's-clothing. If a user is prompted to install an app, it is generally recommended that they don’t immediately install, but instead look up the app on Google Play, download it there, and then continue.
• The Google Play store (while not perfectly secure) is the safest place to download Android apps from and the only place where our clients’ mobile banking apps are officially offered to Android users (Note: in some cases we have worked with clients to offer a Kindle Fire app with Amazon, which is the only exception to this rule). Alternative app stores do not necessarily have the security standards used by Google and there have been incidents in other countries where an malware-infected version of a mobile app was put on alternative app stores and downloaded by unsuspecting users.
• It is especially important that the average Android user should never allow an app to activate "device administrator" (see http://www.securelist.com/en/images/vlweblog/mobile_phishing_7.png) - this can allow almost free reign to any app that requests it. Note how this screenshot shows the admin-requesting Trojan pretending to be the Adobe Flash Player, an example of how any app from an unknown source can potentially be a threat.
• Users should back up their devices regularly so that in the event of infection, they will not lose all of their data.
• Mobile security software is available for mobile devices and may help protect users. Access Softek does not have a specific recommendation regarding these products.

Further information on the Svpeng Trojan can be found on the following pages:

http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/8227/Latest_version_of_Svpeng_targets_users_in_US

http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/8138/The_Android_Trojan_Svpeng_now_capable_of_mobile_phishing

http://threatpost.com/android-banking-trojan-svpeng-goes-phishing

http://www.kaspersky.com/about/news/virus/2014/Kaspersky-Lab-detects-mobile-Trojan-Svpeng-Financial-malware-with-ransomware-capabilities-now-targeting-US-users

Download the PiggyBot App!

PiggyBot is an easy way to track allowance spending and saving! No more forgetting IOUs – they are right here! Kids learn to plan – and pay for – their own toys, special activities, and other goals. Click here to download.

Description

Meet PiggyBot™

The only parent-designed, kid-tested allowance app that helps kids spend, share, and save smart. PiggyBot is a fun, easy way to track allowance spending and saving. No missed allowance, no forgetting IOUs, just money smarts turned fun!

Instead of cash, your kids have a virtual balance with you. Think of it as an IOU. Each child will have separate Spend-It, Share-It, and Save-It accounts. You decide how to allocate their allowance.

Kids can set goals, take pictures of things they want, share money, and more. When they save enough, we call them a "Goal Getter!" And there’s a fun screen to show off the items they purchased, reinforcing principles of saving for wants, needs, and nice-to-haves. It’s a virtual piggy bank that pays off in real life
This free app is just one way we give families the tools you need to talk about smart spending, smart sharing, and smart saving. PiggyBot is brought to you by Kasasa® – free checking accounts that reward you. Not available at big banks. For good reason.

It’s never too early for smart money management. Download PiggyBot today!

Note: We recommend setting up PiggyBot on your device to encourage spending, sharing and saving discussions between you and your child(ren). Plus, then you'll always have PiggyBot close at hand!

Would You Like To Receive Cash Back On Debit Card Purchases?

We are proud to offer Kasasa Cash Back** Checking accounts.

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

Kasasa Cash Back®

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

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, dont worry. You still have a free checking account. Plus, you can get back to earning rewards and nationwide ATM rebates the very next month.

Open your free Kasasa checking account today!

**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.

Earn 2% on your checking account!!!

We are proud to offer Kasasa Cash Checking accounts.

With each FREE 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.
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, dont worry. You still have a free checking account. Plus, you can get back to earning rewards and nationwide ATM rebates the very next month.

Open your free Kasasa checking account today!

+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.

Love Your Car, But Hate The Payments?

We’re sure that we can lower the payment on your vehicle loan - plus, we'll even give you $50 when you refinance with us. This offer lasts until June 30, 2014.

New Fees Effective May 15, 2014

Please be advised that our new fee schedule will be effective May 15, 2014. Click here to view fee schedule.