Brewer Newsletter Summer 2015

BREWER FCU Quarterly News

School Supply Drive Please check our website for collection dates for our School Supply Drive. In years past, this has been a successful event in which we have been able to bring supplies to 6 schools in our membership area. Please help us make this year as successful as the previous years.

Thank you in advance for your help and generosity!

SUMMER 2015

President’s Corner It’s summer time here in Maine again, and you know what that means?! Not only are we having our annual yard sale, sponsoring the 4th of July Fireworks & American Folk Festival, we are also celebrating our big screen debut at the Bangor Mall Cinemas! That’s right! If you attend any movie showing at any time at Bangor Mall Cinemas, you’ll get to witness one of the first big screen commercials we’ll be airing! Our goal is to make you smile every time you hear or see Brewer FCU’s name or logo afterwards!

We also wanted to let our members know that we are the proud recipients of the Dora Maxwell Award for Maine State Credit Unions! We placed 2nd in our asset size for our sponsorship and dedication to helping the schools of Stearns and Schenck High School raise $1,420! And you better believe that won’t be the last time we organize a large sporting event! We are hoping this year’s will be bigger by far, even adding more school’s to the tournament if possible!

Oh but wait, that’s not all…if you haven’t heard, Brewer FCU was tired of wearing black pants, ties, and pencil skirts…so we decided to go dress down all the time!! No longer will you feel pressured to talk to a suit, feel relaxed with someone in jeans. We are here for YOU and for YOUR needs!

Sincerely,

Rick Kaul President/CEO

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Employee Anniversaries

Full-Time

Lucille Knox.............................10 years Amanda Hill...............................3 years

Upcoming Events Annual Ending Hunger in Maine Yard Sale July 31,2015 School Supply Drive Check our web site for date

Digital Magazine and Newsletters Be sure to check out our digital magazines covering all of the fun events we are sponsoring and featuring in the Penobscot Area along with our digital version of the newsletter! http://issuu.com/brewerfcu

Financial lessons your kids didn’t learn in college Four or more years of higher education may have given your child a great career start, but your graduate might still need some real-life skills on how to responsibly handle money. Now, it falls to you to fill in the gaps in your child’s financial education. Here are some important lessons you’ll want to cover before you find yourself with an empty nest and an emptier wallet.

As young adults, your children will need to know how to: 1. Budget and pay bills on time. Chances are your children have not really had to create and follow a budget before. You’ll need to explain how to budget for utilities, food, gas, insurance, rent and cellphone service before spending on discretionary items. In addition, reinforce the idea of paying bills on time so your children will know what’s left to spend on other expenses and savings.

2. Manage debt. Many college students graduate with credit card debt and student loans. Show your children how quickly credit card debt, fees and interest can accumulate and get out of hand. Help them be smart about using credit wisely.

While you’re at it, discuss fees involved with some credit cards and banking accounts.

3. Build credit. A debit card won’t help build credit. So talk to your kids about using a credit card that can be paid off each month. Building a good credit history could help increase their chances of borrowing at lower rates later on, say for a mortgage.

4. Save for a rainy day or a large purchase. Help your children establish good saving habits and set them up for a successful future. Encourage them to set aside a percentage of each paycheck toward retirement goals – maybe in a plan offered by their employers – and save three months of expenses in an emergency fund.

Compounding will help both accounts grow over time.

5. Manage money. Explain the basics of investing, including the benefits, risks, costs and tax implications. A strong foundation here can help your children make smarter financial decisions later. For more guidance, visit moneyasyougrow.org and consult your financial and tax professionals.

Take some time and make sure your children understand these important financial responsibilities. The sooner they start, likely the easier their financial lives will be.

Thomas Duff Joel M. West Branch Manager, Duff & Associates Financial Advisor, Duff & Associates Duff & Associates, an independent firm, 470 N Main St, Brewer Me.207-989-6082 Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/dealer, and are not insured by credit union insurance, the NCUA or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the credit union, are not guaranteed by the credit union, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal.

Our goal is to make you smile every time you hear or see Brewer FCU’s name or logo afterwards!

Holiday Closings Independence Day Saturday, July 4 Labor Day Monday, September 7 Columbus Day Monday, October 12

Introducing Our Student Loan Partner, LendKey! We’ve partnered with LendKey to provide our members with access to lowcost student loans and student loan refinancing products online anytime.

LendKey shares our mission of prioritizing people over profit and all student loan products available on the LendKey platform are funded by community lenders across America.

Student Loan Refinancing (Consolidation) for College Grads If you’re having a tough time repaying your student loans, or are just hoping to lower your interest rate and monthly payments, you’re not alone. In just 5 minutes you can see what new rate you qualify for and how much you can save by refinancing your student loans.

Enjoy the following benefits when you refinance your student loans with LendKey: • Lower payments with interest rates as low as 1.90% (with auto-pay) • Refinance federal and private student loans for undergraduate and graduate debt • Simplified finances with one simple monthly payment • No origination fees or prepayment penalties • Various repayment options, including interest-only payments for the first four years • Co-signer release option available • 0.25% interest rate reduction for using ACH automatic payments

Summer Travel Means Shared Branching is “In”

As your summer adventures take you away from home, you can still have complete access to your accounts through Shared Branching. Simply look for the CO-OP logo and bring your member number and a valid government issues ID. The best way to find a branch out of state is to go to CO-OP’s website at www. co-opsharedbranch.org. For a credit union in the state of Maine, simple use Maine’s Credit Unions Shared branch locator at www.mainecreditunions.org/find-ashared-branch.

Private Student Loans (In-School) for College Students Private student loans from LendKey can be used to cover education costs including tuition, room and board, books, and other school related expenses.

Private student loans serve as a way for students and families to fill the funding gap between the cost of attending school and the amount of federal loans, grants, and scholarships available to them.

It is important to note that co-signers can play a critical role in helping student borrowers to secure private student loans and qualify for a lower rate.

Enjoy the following benefits with a private student loan from LendKey: • Competitive rates from community lenders • 1% interest rate reduction available in repayment period • Tax deductible interest payments • Co-signer release option available • No origination fees or prepayment penalties • 0.25% interest rate reduction for using ACH automatic payments

Brewer FCU Offers ATM Convenience with SURF As our member, you know that there are some convenient benefits from low rates, free checking, and Shared Branching. Did you also know that you can use ATMs for free? All you need to do is SURF! It’s easy and free! The SURF Network is a surcharge-free ATM network spanning across the state. From Caribou to York you can find an ATM that won’t charge you a fee to use. Simply look for the SURF Dude!

Is Your Password a Pushover?

Is the financial data on your computer blocked by a steel door—or by a marshmallow? According to SplashData, a maker of password-management data, hacked accounts most often have been using one of these passwords*: 1.

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123456 password 12345 12345678 qwerty 123456789 1234 baseball

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dragon football 1234567 monkey letmein abc123 11111

Experts advise creating a complex password that’s unique for each online account, so hackers who gain entrée to one of your accounts won’t have access to others. For help devising and keeping track of these passwords, see “The best password managers of 2015” on PC Magazine’s website (www.pcmag.com). *Punam A. Keller, “I Should Worry. But I Don’t,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/20/15

Office Hours and Locations

Annual Yard Sale to Help End Hunger in Maine

Mailing Address

Brewer FCU will be holding its annual yard sale at 77 North Main St. in Brewer on July 31, 2015 during hours of operation. We are very much looking forward to raising money to help with the Maine Credit Union’s Campaign for Ending Hunger to give back to the community.

77 North Main Street · Brewer 229 Dirigo Drive · Brewer

PO Box 189 · Brewer, ME 04412

Lobby & Drive-Through

Mon.–Wed. 8:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m Thur.–Fri. 8:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m.

Email Address

info@brewerfcu.org

Phone & Fax Numbers Phone (207) 989-7240 77 No. Main Street · Fax: 989-3440 229 Dirigo Drive · Fax: 989-5985

iTalk Audio Response System

Phone 1-855-835-5281, 207-989-4947 or 207-385-2734

Our Services ACH Originations Bill Payer Business Loans Club Accounts Consumer Loans CO-OP Shared Branch Copy of Share Draft Corporate Drafts Direct Deposit (ACH) E-Statements and E-Alerts free4ME Checking GAP Coverage Gift Cards Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) Instant Issue Member Privilege Merchant Card Processing Mobile Banking Mobile BillPay Money Markets Money Orders Mortgage Loans Night Deposit Online Banking Payroll Deduction Person-to-Person (P2P) Remote Capture Route 66 Extended Warranty Roth IRA SBA Loans Share (Savings) Accounts Share Certificates Share Draft (Checking) Accounts Shared Branching Statement Copy Stop Payments Sweep Accounts Traveler’s Cards U.S. Savings Bonds – Redeem only Visa® Check Card (Debit) Visa® Credit Cards Wire Transfers Youth Accounts For rates on our Shares, Money Manager, Share Certificates and IRA Share Certificates, please give us a call or go to our website brewerfcu.org.

Federally Insured by NCUA

end hunger

We look forward to seeing you there!