14 Fall Connect With Us A Quarterly Update on News and Events for Members of MassMutual Federal Credit Union College Financial Preparation Seminar Do you have a junior or senior in high school who is preparing to apply to colleges? Are you trying to figure out the financial aspect of college life? How much will it cost and how will you pay for it? MMFCU has invited Tracy McGetrick, Education Manager from Credit Union Student Choice, to speak about admissions, college selection, scholarship searches and more! Holiday Closings Thanksgiving Day November 27, 2014 Christmas Day December 25, 2014 New Year’s Day January 1, 2015 You won’t want to miss this seminar! Register for the seminar on MMFCU’s website, www.massmutualfcu.org. The details are listed below: Wednesday, November 12 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm State & Main Room 1295 State Street Springfield, MA 01111 ‘Tis the Season to Spend! It seems like the stores push holiday shopping earlier every year. This year, holiday decorations came out before Halloween costumes did. Even with the earlier warnings, we somehow still find it hard to get that savings in place to buy those special gifts for everyone on our list. That’s why this year MMFCU created something to fix that —The Black Friday Loan! Apply for the Black Friday Loan (maximum $2,000) by November 24 and the money will be dispersed into your account on November 26 – just in time for the crazy season of holiday shopping to begin. There’s Still Time! Don’t sleep on this deal. You won’t want to miss this month’s auto loan special at MMFCU. From October 13 until November 14, everyone is eligible to receive our super low rate of 1.99% (up to five years)...and also receive a gift from the leaf bag. This is a very limited deal since we only have $1 million to lend at this rate! So don’t miss out – whether you are looking at a new or used car, or just want a lower rate (and lower payment) on a car payment you have with another institution, don’t hesitate. Apply today! Seven Ways to Avoid Stress this Thanksgiving Are you getting stressed just thinking about Thanksgiving approaching? There are several reasons why it can give us the jitters – especially if you’re planning a giant feast for a house full of people. Fortunately, according to www.about.com, there are lots of ways to ease your turkey-day tension! Make a plan. From getting an early head count to deciding your menu well in advance, you’ll feel better knowing that your plan is under control. Let your list include everything from the guest list and menu to when you’ll decorate, shop for supplies, cook and clean. Do a potluck meal. Ask each guest to bring a dish to help ease your burden. Be sure to keep track of everyone’s intended contributions to avoid serving four green bean casseroles. And get them to help clean up afterward. Give recipes a test run. Want to cook a new recipe? Give it a trial run before Thanksgiving so you have time to plan an alternative if it doesn’t work out. Prioritize your cleaning. Tidy up the clutter before anything else, and clean your kids’ rooms last, or not at all. The goal is to clear and clean the areas that will be used by your guests, not every last corner of your home. Better yet, hire a cleaning service – it may be well worth the extra cost! Use disposable pans. Use disposable pans when possible, especially for the turkey. Turkey drippings make for very greasy, hard-to-scrub pans. But be sure to avoid accidents by placing a large pan or cookie sheet under your fully filled disposable pan for safe carrying. Set your table the day before. Better yet, have your spouse or kids do it for you! Cook as far ahead as possible. Don’t save the entire meal for Thanksgiving Day. About a week before the event, look at all your recipes and decide which ones can be prepared in advance and reheated without sacrificing flavor or texture. Desserts work especially well – there are plenty of pies, cakes and puddings that can be made days in advance, saving you time on Thanksgiving for all of your other work. Locations and Hours Main Office 1295 State Street Springfield, MA 01111-0001 MIP F235 Phone: 413.744.3431 (ext. 43431) Fax: 413.226.4359 Toll Free: 800.940.9466 Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm Express Teller Branch Clarence Street Entrance 1295 State Street Springfield, MA 01111-0001 MIP F235 Phone: 413.744.1168 (ext. 41168) Fax: 413.226.4359 Toll Free: 800.940.9466 Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm Bright Meadows Branch 100 Bright Meadow Boulevard Enfield, CT 06082-1981 MIP M241 Phone: 860.562.1947 (ext. 21947) Fax: 860.562.6066 Toll Free: 800.940.9466 Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am-4:00 pm 24-Hour Services Web site/CUOnline Banking www.massmutualfcu.org Call 24 (Transaction by Phone) 800.788.6628 Inter-Office: ext. 46628 This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration