Newsletter January 2010

CREDIT UNION TURNS 50 YEARS OLD  

     The Credit Union is celebrating our 50th Anniversary.  In December of 1959 the credit union was created and chartered as the “Continental Can Company Employees Credit Union. 

     We still have some of the original members of the credit union with us, but many have passed away in the last few years.  Surviving family members are always welcome to continue the accounts. 

     The one and only name change the credit union has experienced came in 1976 when the CCC Employees Credit Union changed to a community charter and became the St  Joseph  Valley Community Federal Credit Union.  I was hired by the credit union in 1979.  I just celebrated 30 years with the credit union.  We have come a long way.  When I started, I did not have one machine that was electrical.  My typewriter and adding machine ( it was not a calculator) were huge, heavy things, from WWII. All of the accounts and paper work was done by hand on ledger cards. Everything was manual computations and ciphering.  

     Now-a-days we have just about all the “whistles and bells” that are possible.  I am proud of what we have accomplished.  The Board of Directors are great and my small staff is very hard working.  We have tightened our belts and cut costs everywhere we could.  This last year was very difficult.  No thanks to the government regulations and our mandated share of the Bank bailout we  were forced to contribute our money into, for others failures and poor management.  It was not fair at all.  Our share of the bill was very large for us to handle.  I don’t want to look back at the books for 2009.  We can only look ahead for 2010.  We will do the best we can. We need to get our people back to work and borrowing money again.  Check out our loan rates and see what we have to offer.   Thank you all for being members and keeping your credit union strong.    Sincerely,  Kris Taft.

 HOME BANKING 24 / 7 FREE ACCESS TO YOUR MONEY

     One of the best things to come along is free for the asking.  If you have a computer and want to be able to see your money any time of the day, 7 days a week, just ask us about signing up.  Home Banking allows you to look at and transfer your money around in your accounts anytime you want.  If you sign up for paperless statements, you will receive an e-mail when your electronic statement is ready for you to see or print any time you want. 

     If you already have Home Banking please make sure we have an accurate e-mail address for you.  The e-mail notice of statement ready is new and will only work if we have a good e-mail address.  You can send us information or ask us questions at:  justaskus2@verizon.net.     If you want to go paperless let us know and we will switch your account to electronic statements.

 CO-OP NETWORK FINANCIAL SERVICES 

     On October 1, 2009, the credit union became a member of the Co-op Network (the nation’s largest credit union ATM network.) Look for the Co-op Network symbol on the ATM machines that you use.  This will cut the cost of using an ATM machine in half for you.  You will only pay $2 instead of $4.  When you are traveling and out of town, most credit unions will belong to this network and will have this symbol on their machines.  In some areas you will find these machines in grocery stores and gas stations also.  You can go online to access a download for finding an ATM machine ,  www.co-opnetwork.org.  Text your location to 692667 (MYCOOP).