Let us cover your car repairs!

Car trouble is more than hassle. It's expensive. Did you know here at Horizon we offer a product that will help limit the cost of those repairs???  It is called Mechanical Repair Coverage or MRC.  MRC will pay for the cost of covered repairs less any deductible.  Yes, pay for auto repairs!!!  We offer levels of coverage where you choose the term, mileage limit and deductible that meet your needs and fit your budget. You pay only the deductible amount you select – $0, $100 or $250.

Plus the plan includes:
-Rental Reimbursement up to $35 per day for 5 days.
-24-hour, toll-free roadside assistance, which covers towing, jump starts, flat tire changing, fuel, oil or other fluid delivery, and entry when keys are locked in your car.
-Emergency travel expenses up to $500 for lodging, meals and transportation if your car breaks down more than 100 miles from home.

You are able to add MRC to a new or existing auto loan.  Even if your loan is with another financial institution or if you own your car free and clear, as long as the vehicle is eligible for coverage, you can get MRC through Horizon Community Credit Union. Contact Horizon to see how you can benefit by having Mechanical Repair Coverage.

Post by: Kelly B

Consider this with your next auto loan...

Insurance is one of those things – you kind of have to buy it, and you hope you never need to use it. But the right coverage is important! Are you protected?

Here are a few tidbits for you to consider:

• Automobiles are expensive.
• It’s easy to end up owing more than the vehicle’s value if you can’t put money down on a car; if you choose finance tax, title and license; if you get less than you owe on a trade-in; or if you buy a new car (due to the immediate depreciation). 
• You are “upside down” on your vehicle if you owe more than what the vehicle is actually worth. 
• Accidents happen – over 5 million car accidents occur each year. A
• One in seven car accidents (about 14%) will result the total loss of the vehicle. B
• In a total loss situation, the insurance company will reimburse you for the estimated value of the vehicle at the time of the loss.
• If your insurance payout doesn’t cover your full loan balance because you owe more than your car is worth, YOU are responsible for the difference, even though you don’t have the car anymore. 
• Horizon Community Credit Union’s Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) can keep you out of this predicament by covering the “gap” between what you owe and what the car is worth. 
• GAP is very affordable, and the premium is fully refundable within 90 days if you change your mind and decide to cancel coverage.
• You can enroll in coverage when you apply for your vehicle loan and the cost can be rolled into your loan amount and monthly payment. 
• A loan officer can give you more information with just a quick phone call! (920) 433-0122

Your primary insurance will protect the vehicle itself, but what it protecting you? If something happens to your car and it ends up being totaled, that alone is a traumatic experience. Having a loan balance left to pay makes things even worse. We can minimize the angst by making sure your loan balance will be completely taken care of. It’s a small investment that will be a HUGE benefit if something ever happened.

A Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. U. S. Auto Theft Statistics & Cost of Auto Crashes and Statistics. Copyright 2014. http://www.rmiia.org/index.asp

B AutoTrader.com. Crash Course for Coping With a Totaled Car. Copyright 2014. http://www.autotrader.com/research/article/car-news/168401/crash-course-for-coping-with-a-totaled-car.jsp

Post by: Erin S

What is 3" x 2", flat, and made of plastic?

Going grocery shopping, out for supper, or on a well-deserved vacation and don’t want to carry a bunch of cash? Boy do we have the solution for you! Instead of carrying a bundle of paper, carry a 3”x2” piece of plastic! It’s our VISA® debit card. It fits nicely in your wallet without all the bulkiness. It’s convenient and easy to use. When you make your purchase, you can sign as credit or use a PIN for debit. The money comes out of your checking account either way!  And  then, when you’re on that vacation and you are running low on gas, do not fear, that little 3”x2” debit card is here! You can get gas 24/7 with the plastic pump attendant!

Post by: Alice E

Stay safe from identity theft!

There are many things in life that are very dear to us and that we keep a close eye on. With society today, one of these things should be our identity. Although it’s hard to believe, the sad truth is that our identity is one of the most wanted items by others. Did you know that within the first 6 months of last year, 1.6 million taxpayers were affected by identity theft? Sometimes even with every effort made to prevent this from happening, it still does.

Here at HCCU, protecting your personal information is just as important to us as it is you. We want to make sure it’s really you calling us before we give out information, or that it’s really you standing in front of us before we give you money, so don’t be alarmed or offended if we ask you to verify your information or ask to see your ID. It’s for your protection. With people out there trying to get their hands on your money, identity, and good credit, we want to take extra precautions.

Not only is it important for us to protect your accounts, but we are also committed to helping you protect your identity. To do so, check out these links for lots of helpful tips on preventing identity theft and recovering from it if it happens:

Federal Trade Commission - http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity
Transunion - http://www.transunion.com/personal-credit/identity-theft-and-fraud/how-to-prevent-identity-theft.page
Annual Credit Report.com - http://www.annualcreditreport.com/

Post by: Emily P

Month Challenge: Ways to Save – Change and Costs at Home

At the start of May I decided that I was going to do a challenge all month long on saving. Not just money but ways to save at home. I am huge debit card user, so instead of carrying cash around I decided that whenever I make a purchase with my card I will round up on the balance. So if I spent $36.34 on gas, I was going to round up to $37 and put the $.66 in my saving account. From just our normal spending throughout May, we were able to put $28.44 in our savings. That’s just from rounding up on change!

As for saving at home, I saved some milk containers and cleaned them out. Every time I’d run the sink water, waiting for it to warm up, I’d have the water run into the milk container. The water that we would have wasted, I used to put into the dog’s water dish. We've been able to save over 10 gallons of water that we would have other wise wasted.

The small things can add up. Those were just things you would do on a normal day. Now, if I were to save the change each month on our normal purchases, averaging the $28/month, I’d have $336 in my savings from just change. That doesn't include if you take out cash and save that change as well! Also with the water, just saving from the sink is the start. It opens my eyes to what other water we waste. From taking a shower, brushing our teeth, to doing laundry. I plan on challenging myself more to save! Every penny counts!

Why don't you see what you can save for the month of July?

Post by: Sara D

How do you know if you're getting a good price on a car?

You’re at a car dealership and you find a vehicle that you like, but you’re not sure if it’s worth what they are asking for. What do you do? Call your credit union! Horizon Community Credit Union has a client log-in with NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association). Just supply us with the VIN# for the vehicle, year, make and model and we can bring up the value in a couple of minutes. Why NADA? NADA delivers monthly trade-in, loan and retail values to give us an idea what the vehicle is really worth. Wonder what value to use? At HCCU we will determine your vehicles value by looking at the clean loan value because it figures in the depreciation (decrease in value over time) of the vehicle. We can also give you values if you’re looking to sell your vehicle or use it as a trade-in. Call us today to get your value!

Post by: Katie B

Snapshots from Green Bay Kids' Day 2014

Yesterday Horizon Community Credit Union participated in Kids Day at Leicht Park! Even though the weather was a little chilly, it was a successful event.  Alice and Katie worked our HCCU booth and had a blast seeing all the kids who stopped by! Kids drew pictures of what they would save their money for, and in turn they received a freeze pop. We also handed out goody bags and coloring books. It was great to see many of the kids from the community and to hear about their saving goals! Thank you to everyone who came out to visit us!