Experience It: August 2013 eNewsletter

Achieve BALANCE.   Pen Air FCU is dedicated to helping you realize your financial goals – reducing your debt, saving for higher education, buying your first home, or planning for retirement. One of the benefits of being a Pen Air FCU member is free access to our new BALANCE Financial Fitness Program. Through BALANCE, you now have access to free, unbiased money management information and assistance to help you reach your financial goals.  If your bills have gotten out of hand, your counselor can arrange an individual Debt Management Plan to help you get back on the road to financial freedom. For more information on BALANCE, CLICK HERE. As our newest member benefit, we encourage you will take a tour and see what BALANCE has to offer.

What’s Square, Totally Cool and Gives Your Teen Independence? A Pen Air FCU Student Cash Card provides the financial freedom your teen wants, while giving you the control you need. With the Pen Air FCU Student Cash Card, your teen only has access to the funds you load onto the card. The Student Cash Card also provides you with the ability to monitor the account activity. Reloading the card is simple, and the money on the card is always protected if it becomes lost or stolen. The Student Cash Card is an excellent way to begin teaching your teen money management skills, especially with so many students heading off to college. CLICK HERE to order your Student Cash Card today.    Safe and secure. Cash Card will be replaced if lost or stolen, and full monetary value will be restored less applicable fees. For a complete list of fees, Terms and Conditions, visit penair.org.

Do You Need Flood Insurance? Pen Air FCU’s Got You “Covered”   Has your mortgage company required you to carry flood insurance in order to qualify for a home loan? If so, we’ve got you covered. If you aren’t currently in need of a home loan, you’re off the hook, right? Maybe not…remember the last time a sudden summer thunderstorm flooded the streets in your neighborhood? What if the sewers backed up – all the way to your house? Approximately 25% of all flood claims come from homeowners that don’t live in designated flood zones. Your homeowner’s policy alone doesn’t cover flood damage. Comprehensive flood insurance protects your home from rising water, overflow of inland or tidal waters, and local drainage problems. We have good news – our affiliate insurance agency, Quorum Insurance, LLC, offers an affordable Preferred Risk Policy for homeowners residing in low-risk flood zone areas. So, do you need flood insurance? Yes. Can you afford it? Yes. Can you afford to be without it? No. Call Quorum for your free flood insurance quote today at 800.714.1447, or CLICK HERE for more information.

Wills and Probate Seminar. Register Today! The loss of a loved one, either suddenly or after an extended illness, is never easy for a family. When a will is not properly executed, it becomes both emotionally and financially difficult. Even with the proper planning in place, understanding the will and probate process can be a daunting process. Join us for a Wills and Probate Seminar on Thursday, August 29 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at our Pen Air FCU Corporate Office, 1495 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola, FL. Guest speakers from our legal partners at Staples, Ellis + Associates, P.A., will discuss the “nuts and bolts” of wills and probates, what you can do to plan ahead and more. CLICK HERE to register today. Reservations are required in advance. Seating is limited.

Manage Your Money and be Entered to Win a $250 Starbucks Gift Card With Money Manager, we introduced an easy to use tool for tracking all of your online banking accounts in one place – including the ones you have with us AND those you have with other financial institutions. More than that, Money Manager can help you track your household income, expenses and financial goals…whether saving for a new vehicle or a fantastic vacation, or working to pay down debts. We want you to see how easy it is to gain more control of your money and reduce money-related stress. In fact, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $250.00 Starbucks gift card* if you use Money Manager during the months of August and September to: 1. Create a spending target 2. Set up a Goal 3. OR add an external account CLICK HERE for complete contest rules and to access our free Money Manager!   *NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) and Puerto Rico, 18 years and older. Ends 9/30/13. For Official Rules, including odds, alternate method of entry, and prize description, click below. Void where prohibited.

Recognize Telemarketing Fraud! Prevent It. While there are many legitimate companies that use the telephone for marketing, individuals and businesses lose millions of dollars to telemarketing fraud each year. It's sometimes hard to tell the difference between reputable telemarketers and those with criminal intention to obtain your personal information. Each sales call you receive is an opportunity for a gut check: Ask yourself a few simple questions — and if the answers give you any doubt about the caller’s intentions or methods, immediately end the phone call. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognize these signs of a fraudulent call. If you are a victim or an attempted victim of a telemarketing fraud, immediately report the scam to law enforcement.   Who’s calling — and why? Telemarketers must tell you it’s a sales call, the name of the seller and what they’re selling before they make their pitch. If they don’t, say “no thanks,” and get off the phone. What’s their hurry? Fast talkers who use high pressure tactics could be hiding something. Take your time. Most legitimate businesses will give you time and written information about an offer before asking you to commit to a purchase.   If it’s free, why are they asking me to pay? Question charges you need to pay to redeem a prize or gift. Free is free. If you have to pay, it’s a purchase — not a prize or a gift. Why am I “confirming” my account information — or giving it out at all? Some callers have your billing information before they call you. They’re trying to get you to say “okay” so they can claim you approved a charge. What time is it? The law allows telemarketers to call only between 8 am and 9 pm. A seller calling earlier or later is flouting the law. Do I want more calls like this one? If you don’t want a business to call you again, say so. If they call back, they’re breaking the law. Remember when in doubt; you are not obligated to answer any questions over the phone or via email. Always err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting your identity.