Wisconsin, Home of the…

• Ice cream sundae: Two Rivers is recognized by the Wisconsin State Historical Society as the REAL birthplace of the ice cream sundae. In 1881, George Hallauer asked Ed Berner, owner of a soda fountain, to top his dish of ice cream with chocolate sauce. The five-cent concoction became very popular.
• Hamburger: In 1885, Charlie Nagreen traveled to the fair in Seymour, Wisconsin with plans to sell meatballs. But when the meatballs collapsed, he invented a new plan by smashing the meat between two pieces of bread so people could eat on the go. Therefore, the hamburger made its first appearance.
• Nation's largest water-themed park: In 1979, the Waterman family purchased property on U.S. Highway 12 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and created a bumper boat ride and built a go-kart track. Today Noah's Ark is the largest water park in the United States. It features 51 water slides, and dozens of various attractions.
• Green Bay Packers: On August 11, 1919, the Green Bay Packers were founded by former high-school football rivals Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeau asked for funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company and he was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. The Green Bay Packers have played in their original city longer than any other team in the NFL.
• Toilet Paper Capital of the World: Green Bay has long been known as the "toilet paper capital of the world" because the first splinter-free toilet paper was produced here. The paper industry is still one of the area's largest employers.
• Horizon Community Credit Union: Horizon Community Credit Union opened in 1932 as a credit union for Procter & Gamble employees. The membership has expanded due to continued growth and success. Success is on YOUR horizon...

Post by: Alice E.

Your CU does a lot more than you might think!

Did you know that, in partnership with TruStage, HCCU now offers Children’s Whole Life Insurance,  providing parents or grandparents with an opportunity to protect the children they love for coverage amounts of up to $50,000?  Children's Whole Life coverage provides lifelong protection options for children at childhood rates, and features a guaranteed insurability rider which gives the child the opportunity to add additional coverage once they reach adulthood.  Or maybe you don't have any kiddos in your life, but you want to purchase insurance for yourself.  TruStage also recently launched an Essential Whole Life product, with affordable coverage options up to $250,000.  TruStage Essential Whole Life helps our members better protect their families’ financial security.  

And we know you've been hearing about health insurance a lot lately!  If you're currently without insurance, HCCU & TruStage have options for that as well!  With less than two months left in the open enrollment period, there’s still time to enroll in TruStage Health Insurance. There is a really easy-to-use online application and it is backed by TruStage's expert guidance via phone.

TruStage is an insurance partner that brings valuable services to our HCCU members.  TruStage offers investment services, home, auto and life insurance, as well as many other great products!    Take full advantage of your credit union membership and all the added perks that come along with it!  For full details or to apply for coverage, visit http://horizonccu.com/general.php and click on the TruStage banner.  

Debit or Credit-Which should you choose at the checkout?

So many people carry a debit card (aka check card) these days. They’re so convenient, they’re safer than cash, and the card allows the vendor to take the money right from your checking account. But at the checkout you are often asked Debit or Credit. Which should you choose & what’s the difference?

You might think that since it’s a debit card you have to say debit, but that’s not true. The best option for you is to choose Credit! (Yes, choose credit even though you are using your debit card) The result might seem the same either way, since the money will still be deducted from your checking account, however there is a BIG difference.

Choose Credit and you will be asked to sign for your purchase. Signature transactions are routed through the VISA network, which comes with the additional security offered by credit card companies, fraudulent use protection, and VISA’s Zero Liability Policy.

Just so you know, because we want you to have all the facts before deciding what to do. The credit union does get paid a small amount for each transaction that is routed through as credit, but remember we are a credit union! We don’t give the money we earn to a couple people on our board. Any money we earn is returned to ALL our members by bringing you new products and services, keeping our fees low, our loan & credit card rates low and our deposit rates high.

Choose Debit however, and you will be asked for a 4-digit PIN number. These purchases are processed through an EFT system like STAR or NYCE which don’t provide the additional liability protection offered by VISA.

While it’s great for us to get that little bit of extra income, the real bonus is the added protection choosing Credit offers you. So unless you are going to use the cash back option on your transaction to avoid an ATM fee, choose Credit, and be assured that if sticky fingers get a hold of your card or card number, you will be protected!

Post by: Cari J.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at HCCU! Here are some fun tidbits about Thanksgiving that you may not know....

• The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621.
• Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November.
•  Turkey was not on the menu at the first Thanksgiving.
• The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds. Seventy percent white meat and thirty percent dark meat.
• According to the National Turkey Federation, 88% of Americans surveyed eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
• The heaviest turkey on record weighs 86 pounds.
• Female turkeys (called hens) do not gobble. Only male turkeys goggle.
• Wild turkeys can run 20 miles per hour when they are scared.
• A turkey under sixteen weeks of age is called a fryer, while a young roaster is five to seven months old.
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle.
• Each year, the president of  the U.S. pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The first one started in 1947 with President Truman.
• The NFL started the Thanksgiving Classic games in 1920 and since then the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted games on Turkey Day.  In 2006, a third game was added with different teams hosting.
• The first Turkey Trot was run in 1896 in Buffalo, New York.
• The Dallas Turkey Trot is the largest Thanksgiving race in the United States.
• Turkey Bowling is an event that takes place annually in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square ice skating rink. Contestants use a frozen turkey to knock down pins by sliding it across the ice.
• Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners. In 1953 Swanson had so much extra turkey (260 tons) that a salesman told them they should package it onto aluminum trays with other sides like sweet potatoes - - and the first TV dinner was born!
• The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924. No large balloons were at this parade, only live animals from Central Park Zoo.
• Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

So on the fourth Thursday in November, families across the U.S. gather to feast on turkey, watch football and gear up for Christmas by looking for Santa at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and looking at  the store ads for Black Friday Shopping  in the local newspaper.