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2. personal finance
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4. credit cards

eNewsletter
October - December 2014
In This Issue
• Annual Meeting
Notice
• Balcones Centre
branch now open
• Coming Soon: Redesigned Website and
New Online Banking
• Life Insurance.. is it
time?
• Privacy Notice
• Skip-A- Pay
• Behind the Numbers:
What Does (and
Doesn’t) affect your
credit score.
Mark Your
Calendars
All ATFCU branches will
be closed in observance of:
Columbus Day
Monday, October 13th
Veterans Day
Tuesday, November 11th
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 27th
Day after Thanksgiving
Friday, November 28th
Drive thru hours:
7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lobby Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve
Wednesday, December 24th
Drive thru hours:
7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Lobby Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Christmas Day
Thursday, December 25th
New Year’s Day
Thursday, January 1st
Annual Meeting Notice
Board of Directors Nomination Process
In accordance with our Bylaws and Election Rules, two members will be elected to serve a
three-year term on the Board of Directors at our Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 5,
2015.
A Nominating Committee, appointed by the Chairman of the Board, will select and
present nominees to the membership. Members seeking consideration for nomination by
the Nominating Committee must submit an “Application for Nomination to the Board of
Directors” form along with a resume and current photo by Thursday, November 6th, 2014.
If the number of nominees equals the number of positions to be filled, other members may
seeknomination by petition. Nominations from the floor will not be accepted at the Annual
Meeting.
Any member seeking nomination by petition must submit a completed “Nomination by
Petition Packet” along with a resume and current photo by Thursday, January 22nd, 2015.
Applications and Petition Packets will be available for pickup or submission during lobby
hours Monday thru Friday in the Administrative offices at 8929 Shoal Creek Blvd.,
Austin, TX, 78757.
To vote in an election of the Credit Union, an individual: 1) must be a member having
qualified within the Credit Union’s defined field of membership as set forth in the Credit
Union’s Bylaws; 2) must own a regular share account as a primary member with a balance
equal to or in excess of the minimum balance requirements of the account classification; and
3) must be 18 years of age or older. Joint owners of accounts are not eligible to vote unless
they qualify as a member and have an account in their own right.
The names of members placed into nomination will be posted in all branch lobbies by
Thursday, January 29th, 2015.
Please note – ATFCU’s Annual Meeting will be held at a new location to be determined at a
later date.
Balcones Centre Branch
Now Open
Visit our new Balcones Centre Branch at 11149
Research Blvd. Located at the corner of Research
Blvd and Balcones Woods Dr, the staff at our 23rd
full service location is ready to assist you with all
your financial needs. The Balcones Centre Branch
lobby hours are from 9:00AM - 6:00PM Monday and
Friday; 9:00AM - 4:00PM Tuesday through Thursday
and 9:00AM - 1:00PM Saturday. The Drive Thru is
open 7:30AM - 6:00PM Monday through Friday and
9:00AM - 1:00PM Saturday.
New
OnlineSoon...
Banking
Coming
Coming soon
New Website & Online Banking
Austin Telco will soon debut a newly redesigned website followed by an all new home banking platform in January. The
new website will feature a clean, more contemporary look, additional security features, intuitive navigation and a better
organization of content. Our new site will also have a responsive design to work across a wide range of devices;
including smartphones, tablets and desktops. The new site has undergone an extensive development process and has
been designed with our members’ user experience in mind.
In addition to the new website, we will roll out an entirely new home banking platform in January 2015. Incorporating
all of the best features of our current MemberConnect home banking, the new platform will add a wide range of
improved and expanded services including:
• Login History – review the login history to help identify any unauthorized activity and receive optional
notifications each time your account is accessed
• Expanded Transfer Capabilities – transfer funds to other Austin Telco members as well as to and from your
accounts at other institutions
• Online Password Resets – it will no longer be necessary to contact our IT support staff or come into a branch to
reset your home banking password
• Online account opening and funding – new accounts can be opened and funded from your accounts at Austin
Telco or other financial institutions
• Expanded Account Alerts – additional alert types will be available to allow you to better monitor your account
activity including balance changes, check clearing, card purchase alerts, and many others
• Enhanced Account Details – view additional account details including dividend rates, Year‐To‐Date dividends
paid, and overdraft sources
• Stop Payments – initiate stop payment requests at your convenience
• eStatements – your Austin Telco eStatement will open in a new browser window without interrupting your
home banking session
• Quicken / QuickBooks Download – tighter
integration and import capabilities into these
popular accounting
software programs
In addition to the new user features, our new home
banking will have upgraded security features such
as:
• Challenge questions – based on your account
history and the transaction type, you may be asked a
challenge
question. Security settings and challenge questions/
responses can be updated from within the online
banking
platform
• Authentication codes – members who don’t wish
to use the challenge questions can elect to receive an
authentication code via the email address or text
number currently on file
Life Insurance … is it time?
A March 2011 survey from Genworth Financial and
the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business
found that almost 70% of single parents and 45% of
married parents were living without any coverage.
Why don’t more young adults buy life insurance? Shopping for life insurance may seem confusing, boring, or
unnecessary. Yet when you have kids, get married, buy a
house or live a lifestyle funded by significant salaries, the
need arises.
Finding the right policy may be simpler than you think.
There are two basic types of life insurance: term and
cash value. Cash value (or “permanent”) life insurance
policies offer death benefits and some of the characteristics of an investment – a percentage of the money you
spend to fund the policy goes into a savings program. Cash value policies have correspondingly higher premiums than term
policies, which give you death benefits only and have terms of 10 years or longer. Term may be a good choice for young
adults because it is relatively inexpensive. But there is an economic downside to term life coverage: if you outlive the term
of the policy, you and/or your loved ones get nothing back. Term life policies can be renewed (though many are not) and
some can be converted to permanent coverage.
The key question is: how long do you plan to keep the policy? If you don’t want to pay premiums on an insurance policy for
more than 10 years, then term life stands out as the most attractive option. If you are just looking for a short-term hedge
against calamity, that’s the whole reason behind term life insurance. If you’re getting into estate planning, then permanent
life insurance may prove a better choice.
Confer, compare and contrast. Talk with a financial or insurance professional you trust before plunking down money for a
policy. That professional can perform a term-versus-permanent analysis for you and help you weigh per-policy variables.
Eric Lindner
Financial Advisor
512-407-3114
[email protected]
Doug Mitchell
Financial Advisor
512-407-3115
[email protected]
Privacy Notice
At Austin Telco Federal Credit Union, we respect the privacy of our members. We recognize the importance of maintaining the
confidentiality of your personal financial information. The privacy notice describes the privacy policy and practices followed by Austin
Telco Federal Credit Union and explains what types of member information we collect and under what circumstances we may share it.
The privacy notice is included with your September statement. You can also view our privacy notice online at www.atfcu.org.
Statistically Speaking
As of August 31st, 2014
Number of Members
Number of Checking Accounts
Loans
Deposits
73,901
$483,555,212
42,612
$1,157,916,409
Capital
$138,768,068
Assets
$1,296,264,616
Skip-A-Pay
Need Some Extra Cash for the Holidays?
Austin Telco’s Skip-A-Pay can add some room to your holiday budget by
allowing you to skip your loan payment(s) in the month of November or
December.
There are several ways to set up Skip-A-Pay for your loan:
1. Online- Log on to MemberConnect, select Loans, then select Skip-A-Pay
2. Mail or Fax- Print and complete the coupon, mail/fax to:
Austin Telco Federal Credit Union
8928 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX 78757
Fax: 512.302.3333
3. Local- Submit the coupon in person at any of our branch locations
You will be able to sign up for Skip-A-Pay starting October 17th. The Skip-A-Pay coupon must be received before your payment
is due. The following loans are excluded from this offer: Real Estate, Home Improvement, Home Equity, Term Loans and
Business Loans. Please note that interest is still accrued when payments are skipped and the term is extended. Normal qualifying
is required. Skip-A-Payment is only available for current loans made before July 1, 2014, with no extensions within the past 12
months. One payment that is due between November 15, 2014 and December 31, 2014 may be skipped. Maximum extension is
30 days.
Behind the Numbers: What Does (and Doesn’t) Affect Your Credit Score
You’ve heard of credit scores. You’ve probably even been told not to apply for too many loans or to run your credit report
too often because it can ‘bring down the score.’ But the truth about what does—and doesn’t—affect your credit score often
remains a mystery.
When you apply for a loan, your credit score can have a major impact on whether or not you’ll qualify for a loan. Because
automated underwriting is so prevalent today, your credit score really effects whether or not you’ll qualify for a loan.
There are 5 major factors that affect your credit score:
1. Whether or not you pay your bills on time. This includes mortgage loans, car loans, credit cards, and loans that show up on
your credit report.
2. Loan balances. The total amount you owe in relation to your available credit limit is a factor in the overall score.
3. Amount of time you have had credit. Someone who just got their first credit card and has no other credit history will have
lower points for this factor than someone who’s been paying on time for several years.
4. New credit. Too much recent credit, even if you have a long credit history, is a warning sign to lenders.
5. Account mix. Is it completely credit card debt, or do you also have a mortgage loan, a car loan and a department store
account? The more variety, the better.
To a lesser degree, your score also takes into account the following:
The amount of time you’ve lived at one address;
The amount of time you’ve worked at one place; and
Homeownership. Homeowners get more points because they are considered a better credit risk (another reason to consider
homeownership if you rent!).
As you can see, the best way to get a high credit score is to earn it! By paying all bills on time and using credit responsibly, you
demonstrate the fact that you’re a good credit risk . . . and in return you’ll get the lowest rate possible on your loans.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
Austin Telco Federal Credit Union
8929 Shoal Creek Blvd
Austin, TX 78757
Phone Numbers
Austin Metro Area: (512) 302-5555
Toll Free: (800) 252-1310
Regular Hours
Email Contacts
General Mailbox: [email protected]
Questions, Comments, concerns:
[email protected]
MemberConnect Help: [email protected]
Bill Pay Help: [email protected]
Department Extensions
Bookkeeping: 7190
Loan Department/Member Services: 7194
Administrative Office: 7000
Monday & Friday
All Lobbies
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
All Drive-Thru's
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
All Lobbies
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
All Drive-Thru's 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
Select Lobbies* 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
All Drive-Thru’s 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
*La Frontera, Taos, Leander, Bastrop, Pecan Park, Brodie Lane, Georgetown, Lakeway, Cedar Park, Buda, San
Marcos, Stone Hill, Tech Ridge, Taylor, Lockhart,University Oaks and Balcones Centre
Management
James D. Poplin, President/CEO
Robert Hernandez, SVP, Finance/CFO
Tony Rawls, SVP, Lending/CLO
Karen Smith, SVP, HR & Branch Operations
Christopher Mraz, VP, Information Technology/CIO
Raye Anne Cawthon, VP, Accounting
Jim Howey, VP, Lending
Pamela W. Cotton, VP, Member Services
Kathleen Miller, AVP, Administrative Services
Sandie Peña, AVP, Branch Operations
Georgia Hayes, AVP, Information Technology
eNewsletter Editor
Katrina Levenick, Director of Marketing
Board of Directors
Paul Paulsen, Chairman
Charlene Spillmann, Vice Chairman
R.B. Smith, Treasurer
Larry Lantrip, Secretary
Joyce Howell, Security/Safety Officer
Steve Read, Membership Officer
Liz Heiling, Member
Supervisory Committee
Fran Berns, Chairman
David Westlund, Secretary
Joe Bain, Member
Paul Tidrick, Member
Larry Lantrip, Board Liaison
Federally Insured by NCUA