Important News
Governor’s Board of Credit Union Advisors appointed
Invest in America's Member Rewards: More ways to help members save
Enhance/start financial education efforts with FoolProof; Webinar scheduled
LSC/CUNA Mutual continue teaming up for Card Act update webinars
ICUF Perpetual Awards now on League Web site
Credit Union 1 hosts Junior Achievement session
Governor’s Board of Credit Union Advisors appointed
Leaders from several ICUL affiliates were recently appointed by Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn to the Board of Credit Union Advisors.
They included: Peggy Cummins, CEO, Three Rivers Community Credit Union (Mount Carmel) who will serve as Chair; Alice Clements, Director, Consumers Cooperative Credit Union (Waukegan); Brian McDaniel, Director, Argonne Credit Union (Romeoville); and Karen Woods, Marketing Manager, Decatur Earthmover Credit Union (Decatur).
The Board of Credit Union Advisors makes recommendations on rules and policies related to credit unions, and on appointments of state’s supervisory personnel; consults with, advises, and makes recommendations to the Governor and director on matters pertaining to credit unions and advises upon appointments and employment of personnel.
Invest in America's Member Rewards: More Ways to Help Members Save
Invest in America, the credit union member enhancement program, has already helped over 880,000 members save on new cars, wireless service and more.
The program now also offers Member Rewards, which includes exclusive discounts from national partners like Allied Van Lines, Equity Lifestyle Vacation Destinations, Complete Tax, FTD and CUBenefits (medical and lifestyle plans), as well the program’s newest partners, Costco and DIRECTV. A credit union-only online shopping mall will soon be added which will provide members with cash rebates from over 1200 merchants including Apple, Target and Best Buy.
By becoming a part of Member Rewards, you credit union will be offering its members more than just the traditional financial products and services, it'll be increasing value of membership by providing them incredible savings on the products and services they use most. Plus, your credit union can earn annual marketing incentives when you endorse Member Rewards.
Sign up now so your members don't miss out on these excellent benefits. If you have questions feel free to contact Vicki Ponzo or William Wille at the League office.
Enhance/start financial education efforts with FoolProof; Webinar scheduled
FoolProof can take your credit union from zero to sixty overnight with very little effort from your staff.
Marketing is the key to the success of this program and can significantly enhance your community exposure and attract young members. It includes four modular programs:
- FoolProof for High Schools - The on-line modules feature young people, self-grading tests, and include support materials for nine 45-minute classroom sessions.
- FoolProof Solo – A complete financial education program for college-aged people and young adults.
- FoolProof for Parents and Grandparents – A web driven financial education program for parents (or grandparents) to bring financial education into the home.
- FoolProof Workplace Financial Skills Modules - A set of financial modules focused on young people coming out of high school, going directly into the workforce.
The program also includes two Web sites: Information Edge – geared for adult members and CUHQ – geared for young members. Fresh content is updated at least monthly and written by consumer advocates specifically for credit unions.
A full marketing package co-branded to your credit union is available with pricing based on credit union asset size.
Learn more by joining our next FoolProof webinar on March 19 at 10:00 a.m. To register, click here.
For details about the program or the webinar, please contact Vicki Ponzo or Melanie Murphy.
LSC/CUNA Mutual continue teaming up for Card Act update webinars
To help credit unions learn more about the next round of compliance requirements relative to the Credit Card Act of 2009, the Illinois Credit Union League Service Corporation (LSC) and CUNA Mutual have been partnering to host a series of free webinars on the subject.
To date, six webinars hosted as part of this series have seen more than 1,350 individuals attend from credit unions in Illinois and those across the country that use ICUL Service Corp. card programs. Among other products, the Service Corporation services card programs in 45 states for more than 3,100 credit unions, and has a portfolio of over a half million cards.
Facilitating the sessions have been Wade Whitmus, CUNA Mutual product manager and Cathy Pettis, ICUL Service Corporation senior vice president of operations.
“Meeting the rolling compliance deadlines of the Credit Card Act is one of the biggest concerns shared by our credit unions,” said Pettis. “We are committed to helping credit unions meet all the requirements through this series of webinars.”
The latest webinar in this series was held February 19 and covered more about the February 22, 2010 compliance deadline. The next compliance deadline for the Act is July 1, 2010.
Watch for details about another webinar in anticipation of this next date. For your reference, all of these webinars have been archived on the League’s Web site.
ICUF Perpetual Awards now on League Web site
Those who have been memorialized or honored in the past with an ICU Foundation Perpetual scholarship are now receiving additional recognition via the League’s Web site.
On the site, a separate page has been established for each recipient of a Perpetual Memorial or Tribute Award, which includes a photo and their story, as told when the award was presented. Perpetual awards are bestowed at ICUL’s Annual Convention in which the award is established and are recognized each year thereafter for eternity.
To see the page for a particular Perpetual Award recipient, click here.
Memorial and tribute awards are established in the name of the honored person for contributions totaling $500 or more. A Perpetual Scholarship is established when a memorial or tribute fund reaches at least $2,500.
Commemorative gifts to the Foundation express the credit union spirit of "people helping people." If you or your credit union is interested in establishing a memorial or tribute award, please contact Vicki Ponzo, ICU Foundation Executive Director, at (630) 983-3413. For questions regarding the Web site, please contact William Wille, ICUL PR Coordinator, at (630) 983-3216.
Credit Union 1 hosts Junior Achievement session
Editor's Note: The following is an account of a Junior Achievement session by Damien Torres, Branch Manager, Credit Union 1, that its staff members held at the Air Force Academy High School in Chicago.
On Thursday, January 21, 2010, the UIC Morgan office of Credit Union 1, paired with Junior Achievement in conducting a financial literacy class at the Air Force Academy located at 1301 W. 14th Street in Chicago.
The attendees included the Branch Manager, Damien Torres, as well as the Senior Teller, Adilia Colon. The session focused primarily on promoting responsible financial planning. The evening began with Damien speaking about his current position within Credit Union 1 and also touched on some aspects of the company.
The class was then questioned about their current monthly expenses, their current means of income and to also speculate on potential future expenses. Upon completion, the class participated in a board game titled “A Month in the Life” which reinforces the importance of maintaining a monthly budget. The game forced students to choose different monthly expenses that ultimately had to fall within their budget.
The session was attended by approximately 35 students, ranging from grades 10-12, parents and three different faculty members. They found the session to be informative, fun and engaging. In the end, Credit Union 1 was recognized for its participation and was requested to hold future sessions.