Don't Have an Identity Crisis--Protect Your Information!

Image courtesy of  wgpd.com 

Identity theft is terrifying. An identity thief can do a lot of damage to your pocketbook and your credit, and   the cost of getting everything back on track can be pretty expensive. No one wants to be a victim, and many believe they're doing a good job to protect their identity. It’s not like their giving out their credit information-or are they? Consider the following scenario:
You get a call on your cell phone. “Hi Jane! This is Terry from Horizon and we got a fraud alert on your credit card. We need to verify your credit information to be sure this is a legitimate charge. Can you tell me your credit card number?” How many people would respond “Oh! Let me get my card!” and then give out their credit card number, or maybe even their debit card number? It might seem perfectly legitimate, but it's not. Please know that when we call you about your account we NEVER ask you to verify this kind of information.

Here are some suggestions to follow to help you protect your identity:

• Be sure you don’t give out any more information than you should. A financial institution doesn’t need your entire credit or debit card number to verify the card. If you have more than one card, they may ask for the last 4 digits to ensure they've located the correct card. That's all. 
• If you're shopping online, be sure the web address you use is secure. A secure web address begins with "https." The "s" indicates that the website is secure, and that your information is protected. A website that begins with only "http" is not secure, and should not be trusted with personal and identifying information. 
• If you're going on vacation, be sure that your mail is secured while you're gone. Identity thieves can take personal information, and even account numbers, from your mail. In order to keep your mail secure, you can have it held at the post office, or you can have a reliable friend/relative pick it up everyday. 
• Those annoying credit card offers can be a gold mine for identity thieves. Many just throw them in the trash, but you should  shred them! Shredders these days are relatively inexpensive and are well worth the price. 
• If you have any expired credit or debit cards,  cut them into 3 to 4 pieces and don’t throw them in the same trash bag. You can also go to your financial institution and ask them to dispose of your cards.
• Check your various bills/statements every month. Be sure to check out all the purchases/charges that are listed and be sure you remember authorizing them. If you do not recall authorizing a transaction on your account, report it to the card vendor immediately. It's important you call right away, as some credit cards may not reimburse you for fraudulent charges that are more than 3 months old.

Follow this link to the Federal Trade Commission website for lots of great tips and ideas about keeping your personal information secure!

Written By: Mary D. 

What Will You Do With Your Watermelon?

Alright, time to fire up the grill, we’ve got some watermelon to cook! Wait.... Did I just say Watermelon? YOU BET!

Most often times when we buy a watermelon, the rinds take up half the garbage can space, and the good juicy inside pieces end up going to waste because you can’t eat it fast enough. Did you know that there are actually plenty of ways to use up the ENTIRE watermelon versus just the inside? AND there are tons of other ways to eat watermelon besides just slicing and dicing? Oh my goodness, you’ve got so much to learn.

Let’s go back to the grilling piece: Yes I’m still not kidding, you can grill watermelon. The beyond simple recipe is so delicious! Taking a normal triangle piece of watermelon, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it, and glaze the wedges with some olive oil. Now we’re ready to grill it. It only needs to be grilled for a short amount of time. The only other step necessary before consumption is sprinkling a little lime juice and honey on it, and you’re ready! Sounds like a crazy idea, but honestly, it’s delicious!

Or let’s say we want to use some bits of the watermelon for some drinks because we are having a great backyard bash with the girls... Watermelon Mojito time!! Like a typical Mojito, crush up a few mint leaves with a dash of sugar and lime juice. This creates the normal Mojito base. Then mix in the desired amount of pureed watermelon, and add liquor if you’d like, and BAM! You have a great, unique Mojito!

Check out this great flow chart of ideas, which was featured on RealSimple.com as one of their Favorite Summer Recipes! There are so many out-of-the-box ways to use watermelon that you’ve probably never thought of! Don’t miss out!

Written By: Emily P.

Don't Be Fooled-Scams Are On The Rise!

Have you ever sold anything online? If you have, then you know the feelings of excitement that you get when someone offers to purchase your item. Everything seems to be going great! Then, you receive a check in the mail for MORE than what you asked for. You are instructed to send a portion of the money back to them via a specific money sending service. Sounds fishy, right? Well, trust your gut, because you almost got scammed! This is currently the most common scam there is and it is on the rise, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

I know you don't want to be scammed! Here are some tips to keep in mind:

•  If they send you a check for more than the amount you asked and instruct you to send any of that money back, there's a very good chance it’s a scam. You should also never send money through money sending services that you cannot track, especially to someone you don’t know personally!
  
• Just because you deposit a check doesn’t mean it’s a good check. Checks go through a series of steps BEFORE the funds are actually pulled from the third party's account. A financial institution must make funds available to you within a certain time period. Therefore, by the time the financial institution is informed that the check is fraudulent, the funds may have already been spent.
  
• If the check is fraudulent and you have spent the funds, YOU are responsible for the amount withdrawn against that check.

• Don’t accept sad stories from strangers asking for money. Many scammers will tell you they have a sick family member and need money immediately. This is still a scam and unacceptable!

If you ever question the authenticity of a check you receive, bring into your financial institution to verify the check.

The point here is: don’t “cash” any check from someone you are not familiar with, regardless of how nice the person sounds. Follow this link for more information from the Federal Trade Commission on Check Scams.

Written By: Kelly V.

Summer Fun--Don't Miss Out!

Boy, can you believe summer is half over already?  Have you been able to get out and do some fun and exciting activities this summer?  If not, look no further that your own back yard.   Downtown Green Bay has a lot to offer. 

Start your Saturday morning off with a walk down Washington Street and enjoy all the vendors at the Saturday morning Farmers Market, which is running through Oct 31^st.  If a Saturday will not work for you, try Wednesday nights on Broadway. Their Farmers Market runs through Oct. 7^th. There is an abundance of fresh produce, but that's not all! There are also live music, arts and craft vendors, and food vendors, and their Battle of the Bands runs from 8-10 pm. With all that this Farmer's Market has to offer, you can make a night of it with the whole family.  

Artstreet will be August 28^th -30^th.  It's free to attend, though donations are appreciated.  There will be over 200 artists from throughout the country, as well as live music and performing arts shows.  They also offer gourmet foods and creative hands-on activities for your children.  This is another great event for the whole family to enjoy. 

Downtown also has the Waterboard Warriors Ski Show on Wednesday nights until August 26^th.  These are 30 minutes shows at 6 and 7 p.m. The shows are free and open to the public. If you stop by, you might see something like this: 

Image Courtesy of the Waterboard Warriors website

There is also two days during the week where you can get lunch with a show.  On Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m-1:30 p.m., lunch is served on the CityDeck by Cherry St Landing. This event goes until August 26th.  There is also a Summer in the Park at Whitney Park (800 Main St.). You can enjoy food from local food trucks while you enjoy the musical entertainment. These concerts are held on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. until August 27^th.  

So there are a lot of great activities still going on in your back yard.  To view a full listing of dates and times check out downtowngreenbay.com. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I'll see you all downtown!

Written By: Karen S.

Stop Saying and Start Doing!

If you’re one of the many people who struggle with procrastination, then this post is for you. It’s so easy to say you’re going to do something, it’s the actual doing it part that’s challenging. So how can we stop saying and start doing?

Stop Assuming. When we procrastinate, we assume something can get done at a later time. We assume the timing will be better. We assume we’ll have more motivation. We assume we’ll have another opportunity to get it done. But do you really want to bet on your assumptions? Stuff comes up and just because you have a good plan doesn’t guarantee a thing. What is guaranteed is that right now you have the opportunity. If we stop assuming we’ll have another chance to get something done, we’re more likely to do it now.

List Your Excuses. You have some really valid reasons for procrastinating, right? Well, write them down then. Listing why you’re not going to do something can force you to evaluate whether or not your reasons are just excuses or legitimate justifications. If your reason for not doing something is that you’re just generally busy or tired, that’s an excuse. If your reason is that you have to leave for work in ten minutes, that’s a legitimate justification.

Make a Date. This might seem counter-intuitive to stop procrastinating because it means planning to do something at a later time. But sometimes you really do have a legitimate justification for not doing something right away. In that case, you need to choose a specific day and time that you are going to do it. Write it in your calendar, program a reminder in your phone, and don’t make any other commitments for that time. It’s harder to procrastinate when you’ve given yourself a set time to complete that task.

Written by: Noelle C.

Segway tours in Green Bay! Glide N.E.W. L

We’ve seen them in the movie Mall Cop, the big cities of New York & Chicago, and now we can see them in Green Bay?! What on earth could I be talking about that can be in all three of those places?? 

SEGWAYS! Yes, Segways have now hit the tourist “Must Do” list while visiting Green Bay and Door County! Glide N.E.W. LLC is an up and coming company in Green Bay and Door County that offers Segway tours in a variety of styles! From short trips, to long, from additional training, to Lambeau! Or you’re even able to combine a Segway tour with kayaking and zip-lining! They have many tour guides who are very experienced & knowledgeable in the area and its history. Not to mention they are committed to showing you a great time! Tours range from $45-84 dollars depending on how long and where you’d like to visit.

Definitely check out there website that has all the details pertaining to times available, location to tour, and all the different packages available!

Post by: Emily P. 

Delicious Sesame Chicken and Crab Meat Rangoon Recipes

I absolutely LOVE Chinese food and most of the time I find myself wishing I had a good, simple recipe that’ll be able to compare to my favorite Chinese places! Here are two of my favorite Chinese food items with recipes that seem simple enough to make at home!

Photo Courtesy of budgetbytes.com

Sesame Chicken

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/08/easy-sesame-chicken/

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:
- Chicken
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 pinch each salt & pepper
- 1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (for frying)
- Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. water
- ½ Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

For Serving:
- 4 cups cooked rice (depending on what kind of rice you like)
- 2 whole green onions

Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture. 

Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot (it should look wavy on the surface), add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring only occasionally, until it is golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes). Drain off the excess oil, if desired. 

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds. (ginger can be grated with a small-holed cheese grater) 

Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce. The sauce will begin to thicken as soon as it hits the hot skillet. Once the chicken is coated and the sauce thickened, turn off the heat. 

Serve the chicken over a bed of rice and sprinkle the sliced green onions over the top.

Crab Meat Rangoon

http://www.spendwithpennies.com/crab-rangoon-crab-cream-cheese-filled-crispy-wontons/


Photo Courtesy of spendwithpennies.com

Ingredients:
- 1 5oz. can of crab meat, drained (can use fresh or packaged crab as well)
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 green onion, finely sliced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 18 won ton wrappers
- Oil for frying

Instructions:
1. Preheat 1 inch of oil to 325 degrees over medium heat.
In a small bowl, gently combine crab meat, cream cheese, green onion, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.
Lay out 3 wonton wrappers at a time. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each. Dab the edges with water and fold the two opposite corners together to form a triangle. Wet the tips of the triangle and fold inward. Continue until all of your filling is used up.

To Fry
Drop the wontons into the hot oil for 2-3 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Drain on paper towels.

To Bake
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Assemble wontons and spray each with cooking spray. Bake 12-14 minutes

Summer Driving Tips

Its summer time and people are traveling more than normal! Here are some driving safety tips to avoid an accident when behind the wheel:

- Don’t allow children to fight or climb around in the car (they should be buckled in their seats at all times).

- Cell phones can also take your focus away from the task at hand. Learn more in the Nationwide Blog about the under-reporting of cell phone involvement in fatal car crashes.

- Avoid driving when you’re tired. Be aware that some medications can cause drowsiness and make operating a vehicle very dangerous.

- Always use caution when changing lanes. Changing lanes too fast or not using your signals or cutting in front of someone may cause an accident or upset other drivers.

Horizon Community Credit Union wishes you a safe and happy summer!

Post by: Alice E.