Holiday Shopping Tips!

Holiday shopping is just around the corner, and HCCU has a few tips for you this holiday season:

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Tip #1—Use the Right Card.

Before you start shopping check your credit cards and see which card has the best rewards program so that you get the most back.
If you spend more than you saved, check which card has the lowest interest rate before you start charging.
HCCU offers VISA® Credit Cards with lots of great benefits! If you don’t have one yet. get the details or apply today: visit our website at www.horizonccu.com or call (920) 433-0122.

Tip #2—Check out the EXTRA perks your HCCU VISA® Credit Card get you.

Yes, there are all the regular benefits our card offers; low rates, no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, and Scorecard Rewards Points, where you earn 1 Scorecard Point for every $1 you spend with your HCCU VISA Credit Card on purchases.
In addition, VISA® is giving away a Grand Prize trip to Super Bowl 50 and a 1st Place Prize of $5,000 to throw a Super Bowl bash to be remembered. All you have to do is use your VISA® card between now and 11/30/2015.
If that isn’t enough, HCCU is also giving you a gift this season! Use your HCCU Credit Card between 11/1/15 and 12/31/15 and earn DOUBLE REWARD POINTS! That means 2 Scorecard Reward Points for every $1 you spend! When you’re done with your shopping you can redeem your points and get yourself a little something at www.scorecardrewards.com.

Tip #3—Use It’sMe247!

Our online banking is a fast and easy way to get current account balances, transfer money between accounts, reconcile your checkbook, and more, plus it’s available 24/7. Did we mention it’s FREE? Try it today—contact us to activate your online account.

Tip #4—Ditch Checks.

We have a MUCH better solution for you than writing out paper checks at the store—a VISA® Debit Card from HCCU. You can use it at merchants and if you select credit the money still comes right out of your checking account. By selecting credit and signing instead of entering your PIN, it VISA offers you more fraud protection. If you have direct deposit, are a student, or you’ve celebrated your 50th birthday already, your 1st debit card is FREE. Apply today!

Post by: Cari J.

Step into the 21st Century with online and phone banking!

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Now more than ever, banking is high tech. Go back twenty years and we didn’t have nearly as many convenient ways to control our finances. It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the opportunities, and so it’s possible you’re not taking full advantage of them. To break it down a little bit, there are three main ways you can use technology to make your financial life easier.

1) Online Banking. This is a huge one because of how many things you can do with it and how easy it is to access. Most banks and credit unions offer some type of online banking. Here at HCCU, you can get to your online banking from any mobile device or computer at any time. From there, you can check your balances, transfer money, view and print copies of cleared checks, make a loan payment, balance your check book, and a lot more. You are automatically enrolled in online banking when you set up an account with us, and you’re free to check it as little or as much as you want.

2) Phone Banking. If you have your phone handy, but don’t have access to Internet, don’t fret. There’s still plenty of ways to have peace of mind about your finances. One of those ways is through CU Talk, an automated number that can be used to check balances, verify amounts and dates of transactions and cleared checks, transfer money, make loan payments and check interest rates. The second way is through text banking. This is especially great for doing a quick balance check while you’re in line to purchase something.

3) Online Statements/ Bill Pay. If you’re using online banking, why not get online statements? They’re more secure than paper statements, and you can access current and past statements anytime. Online Bill Pay is another free service that allows you to pay bills just one time or monthly. It saves you a few stamps, and it’s one less thing to worry about each month.

Overall, there are some tech options out there that are free, convenient, and will probably save you some time. So figure out which ones are best for you, ask an MSR how to get set up for any of these services and step into the 21st century!  

Post by: Noelle C.

Tips for Managing your Accounts

Image courtesy of adamr at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No one likes the embarrassment of over drafting, having a transaction declined or returned, or throwing money away in fees. But let’s be honest, are you REALLY doing what you should to manage your accounts and prevent that from happening? Most of us just check the balance in our accounts online a couple times a week, pay a few bills, and just call it good. For a lot of people, the days of diligently keeping a checkbook register and balancing to the penny are long gone. Don’t worry, though, there are other alternatives you can use to keep track of your accounts in a fast and convenient way.

• Use online or mobile banking. Keep copies of your receipts from purchases and match them up as they clear in online banking. Verify that the amounts match up, and view transactions that are pending so that you know what your true remaining balance is. Don’t forget to also subtract out any checks or automatic payments that you have written or authorized.

• Use electronic bill pay. If remembering what checks haven’t cleared yet or what automatic payments haven’t posted is giving you headaches, try online bill pay. Bill pay allows you to schedule transactions in advance or pay them one-time, and the funds are deducted out of your account right away instead of later when the check posts. This can help prevent overspending and prevents you from using the funds that should be set aside for your bills.

• Try e-Alerts. You can sign up through It’sMe247 Online Banking to get alerts sent to your email or phone if a deposit or withdrawal posts, if you balance falls below a certain level, or if a payment is due. This can provide a quick heads-up so that you can transfer funds or think twice before making that next purchase. 

• Set up overdraft protection. Overdraft protection options include another account at the credit union, or a line of credit. If you have funds in separate account, you can link that to your checking account to cover in the event that you forget about an outstanding transaction or if you need gas but didn’t check your balance first. The funds will transfer over for a smaller fee than if you had just plain drawn your account negative. You can do the same with a line of credit, but with a line of credit you avoid paying a transfer fee.

• Sign up for direct deposit. Enrolling in direct deposit for your payroll or retirement funds gets them posted to your account faster than if you received them as a paper check. They will be posted prior to the opening of business on the day you get paid. You don’t have to worry about finding time to get to the credit union to make a deposit. 

• Understand debit card overdraft services. If you opt-in and select the coverage, we will allow your everyday, one-time ATM or debit card transactions to be approved, at our discretion, even if the funds are not available in your account. However, there is a fee for posting transactions to your account when the funds are not available. If you do not choose this coverage, in other words opt-out, your transaction will be declined at the merchant if the funds are not available in your account. This choice only applies to one-time transactions such as buying a coffee, getting gas, or buying groceries. If you have recurring payments set up through your debit card for things such as a monthly subscription, you cell phone bill, or your gym membership, those transactions will still be allowed to bring your account negative. A credit union employee can tell you how your account is currently set up, and you can change coverage at any time in online banking or by speaking to a team member.

These are just some of a long list of options for keeping better track of your finances. If it is something that you have struggled with, or if you just know you should be doing more, stop in and sit down with a member of our staff to review your accounts and find the solutions that will work best for you.

Post by: Erin S.

Six Steps to Your Own Pot of Gold

During the month of March, you can hardly escape the Irish jokes and the little leprechaun figurines. You may think to yourself "That lucky little leprechaun, always finding a pot of gold. I wish I could find a pot of gold!" Don’t deny it, it’s true. You've thought it at least once in your lifetime.

What if I told you that you could find a pot of gold? Or that you might already have it? You might think I've gone crazy. Nope! You have the power to create that pot of gold, simply by saving!

I've encountered many people that balk at saving, and have excuses like "It’s too hard" or "I don't make enough to save" or "I just can’t." There’s no such word as "can’t," and it’s not hard at all. Trust me, I know, I've been an anti-saver. Working at HCCU and other personal experiences have shown me how important saving can be as of late, and I want to spread the message on to you! If you’re able to save, you can give yourself peace of mind by putting away enough to cover unforeseen expenses or save up for a future purchase. Let me give you a few tools/ideas to help you save.

Transfer money: Put a given amount into your savings account at a given interval. For example, you could set aside $50 from each paycheck. You can do this manually or schedule it through ItsMe247 Online Banking (also known as OLB). You can also come into any branch and ask a Member Representative to transfer that money or help you set up an Automatic Funds Transfer.

Open a Club Account: Heck, open as many club accounts as you need. I suggest this because having a savings account allotted for a specific goal helps make that goal real. I have a club account that’s titled "Rent," and that’s where I place a portion of my paycheck. Doing this helps keep it separate from my other money and keeps me from accidentally spending it during the month. The account can be opened with a Member Service Representative, and you can nickname the account anything you want through your OLB.

Debit Card Round-up: This is a fantastic tool we've just rolled out this year. As it sounds, this service rounds up your debit card purchases. Here’s an example: You bought a coffee with your debit card for $2.50. The system rounds that total up to $3.00. The $2.50 goes to the vendor, but that extra $0.50 goes into a savings account of your choice at the end of each day. If you make multiple debit card purchases in a day, the sum of all that rounded changed is placed in your account. If you have any more questions about this, or to enroll, call or go see a Member Service Representative.

Avoid Fees: Avoiding fees will help keep those pennies in your pockets. There are three ways to avoid fees. The first is managing your money well. If you don’t manage your money well, you are likely to encounter fees from overdraft transfers, NSF fees or Regulation D fees. The second way to avoid fees is to make your payments on time. Late fees are just extra money out of your pocket! The last way to avoid fees is to use all your resources. For example, avoid incurring a $2 fee for a phone transfer done by a Member Service Representative by using OLB or the CU*Talk automated phone banking instead.

Budget: I don’t care who you are, you need a budget in order to maintain a good financial position. Allot a certain amount to various costs and stick to it. I aim to be a bit under budget if possible, because that allows me to save a little more.

Track Your Expenses: Truthfully, this has been the most helpful thing for me. You can use a little notebook, or one of the many apps available in the Google Play Store or the App Store. I am usually attached to my phone, so I use an app. I have to manually update each transaction in the app, so I reconcile it daily with ItsMe247 Online Banking, to make sure I haven’t missed something.

Even if you only try a couple of these, I’m sure you’ll be able to find your own pot of gold—it’s been there all along!

Post by: Breanna B.

Promise Deposits - It's MY money and I want it NOW!

When I was away at college, living at the university and I received a paper check, I had mixed feelings. I was very grateful that I received the check; however, getting to the financial institution was difficult without a car. I’ve also been in the situation where I was unable to get to a financial institution, no thanks to conflicting work hours. If you’ve ever faced a similar situation, take heart—you will no longer have to struggle with such conflicts. Horizon Community Credit Union is rolling out Promise Deposit!

Promise Deposit is a new product that allows you to promise a deposit of a check, but receive the funds immediately. In order to use this product, you’ll need to enroll and be approved. This can be done through your online baking portal. Hover over the heading in the upper left-hand side that says “My Accounts.” A large menu will pop up, and you will see “Promise Deposits” under the “Manage” heading. You will see the stipulations for promise deposit, which are also outlined below. It is then as simple as clicking the “Enroll Me” button. You will have to wait to be approved. You can also call HCCU or request enrollment when you’re at the teller window. No matter how you enroll, you will still have to be approved. It is also possible to have your Promise Deposit privileges revoked if you no longer meet the eligibility requirements.

As is to be expected, there are stipulations involved in using Promise Deposit. There can only be a maximum of 10 outstanding checks at any given time. The sum of all outstanding checks cannot exceed $1,000, and there is a $500 daily deposit limit. Once you promise a deposit, you have 4 calendar days to get the check to HCCU, whether that is in person, by mail, or by night deposit. There is a $2.50 fee for each check submitted via promise deposit. The fee is waived for Platinum level SunDrops members.

I've told you how to enroll and the stipulations, but I haven’t even gotten to the best part: actually using Promise Deposit! There are three steps when creating a new deposit. The first step requires you to fill out a form with all of the information on the check. To make it easier, the online form looks just like a check. For example, the box for the check number is in the same place as a check number on a normal check. Below the check form is a drop down menu that allows you to select the account you wish to deposit the check in. Once you have completed all of that information and selected your account, you must press the button that says “Add this check to my deposit” to continue. A window will pop up with the check number, amount, who the check is from, and where it will be deposited to. If you see any errors, this is your opportunity to fix them. Otherwise, you can continue. You will then be taken to the second step. You can review your deposits and remove them if you wish. You are also given the option to start over completely. The third step simply involves pushing the button that says “Complete this Deposit.” Once you have completed those steps, you are halfway done!

Halfway done, you say? Yep-Don’t forget that you have to get the checks to us. If you fail to send the check, the amount that you promised will be removed from your account and you put yourself at risk to lose Promise Deposit privileges or incur overdraft fees. After you have completed the steps listed in the previous paragraph and created a deposit, you will be taken to a page that will guide you on the mailing requirements. You must sign the back of all of your checks with your signature and the tracking number you are given. You will also need to print the Promise Deposit Certificate and mail it with your checks. At the bottom of the web page, you will be provided with our P.O. Box and your due date.

Even though we love to see your smiling face at our branches, we understand that some people have difficulty getting there. The frustration of check depositing can be a thing of the past for you. Enroll in Promise Deposit today!

Post by: Breanna B

Happy Holidays from HCCU!

We know the end of the year is a busy time for many of you.  Traveling, decorating, shopping for gifts, returning gifts, celebrating...  All that fun can get expensive, and we would never want you to be without access to your cash!  In order to help you plan ahead, our holiday hours will be:

Wednesday, December 24th    8:30 am -  12:00 pm
Thursday, December 25th       CLOSED
Friday, December 26th            8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, December 27th        9:00 am - 12:00 pm   Voyager Dr. location only
Monday, December 29th         8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday, December 30th         8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday, December 31st    8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Thursday, January 1st             CLOSED
Friday, January 2nd                 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, January 3rd              9:00 am - 12:00 pm   Voyager Dr. location only

To access your account information, It'sMe247 Online Banking and CU*Talk Phone Banking are available anytime of the day or night - even on holidays!  For cash, our ATM at Voyager Dr. is available 24/7 every day, but if that's not convenient for you, you can also use any ATM Alliance Network terminal without incurring a surcharge!  For a map of fee-free ATMs near you, visit the  ATM Alliance Network page on our website.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM HCCU!