Source
the
❱〉〉 Winter 2016
Inside: Use Your Home’s Equity 〉 Building Your Nest Egg 〉 Scholarship Time 〉 And More
❱〉〉 Resolve To Save By Transferring
Your High-Rate Balances
If you built up a balance on your high-rate credit cards from other lenders over
the holidays, the new year is a great time to resolve to save by transferring those
balances to a low rate TCAFCU Visa® Platinum credit card. With no balance transfer
fees and no annual fee, you’ll save plenty.
Apply Today
Apply online at tcafcu.org, call 610-326-3705
or visit a Tri County Area FCU branch office.
*APR = Annual Percentage Rate of 4.90%, which is a monthly periodic rate of 0.4083%, and is for
12 months from the issuance of the balance transfer. When the discounted rate expires, the APR on
existing balances will increase to the new non-discount rate on the first day of the billing cycle. These
rates are subject to change without notice. Existing balances, new purchases and cash advances will
accrue interest at the regular APR. Internal balance transfers are not eligible for the promotional rate.
Low Balance
Transfer Rate
4.90%
APR*
For 12 Months
With A TCAFCU Visa®
Platinum Card
❱〉〉 Make Your Financial Life
More Convenient In 2017
Resolve to do away with paper statements and add more convenience to your banking
this year with all the services offered by TCAFCU.
• Using our Mobile App, TCAFCU Mobile, you can deposit checks, pay bills and more with
your mobile device
• PCXpress online banking lets you perform many transactions from your computer
anytime, anywhere
• Bill Pay allows you to pay bills automatically online
• PhoneXpress gives you instant access to your accounts 24/7 by phone
• With eStatements you can eliminate paper statements and see your statements safely
online – enroll through PCXpress
• CO-OP Shared Branching lets you bank at thousands of Credit Unions around the
country like they were your own branch
Learn more at www.tcafcu.org, call 610-326-3705 or come by the Credit Union.
❱〉〉 Digging Out Of Holiday Debt
Use Your
Home’s Equity
For Renovations
And More
If this is the year you tackle that home
improvement project, a Home Equity
Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit from
TCAFCU can give you the money you
need at an affordable rate that will save
you plenty. Use the funds for ongoing
renovations, big projects, additions or
repairs, or take a vacation, pay bills or
debts, or anything else you need.
Apply Today!
Apply online at tcafcu.org,
call 610-326-3705 or visit
a TCAFCU branch office.
Your credit cards are maxed out and you have sticker shock about how much you spent over the holidays. Now it’s
time to make a plan to get back on track and make sure this doesn’t happen again next year.
• Put Your Budget On A Diet – Strip your budget to the bare bones by foregoing trips to the mall, cutting back
on your cable bill and giving up your daily trip to the coffee shop to avoid extra charges.
• Use Your Tax Refund – If you get money back on taxes, use it to pay off high-interest debt.
• Sell Your Stuff – Turn unused and unwanted items, including gift cards, into cash! Look to Craigslist or eBay,
or have a sale of your own.
• Set Up A Holiday Club Account – A Holiday Club Account from TCAFCU helps you save for the holidays.
Determine how much you need and what you can afford to save each month. Then set up direct deposit to save
time and commit to that savings plan. Contact us to set up a club account.
By following these tips and being smart about your money you can save rather than owe next season.
❱〉〉 All Members Invited
To The Annual Meeting
March 22, 2017 • 8 a.m. • Pottstown Office
Please join us for TCAFCU’s annual meeting, open to all members. The
Nominating Committee is currently accepting nominations to fill available
positions of Credit Union officers. Nominations for vacancies may be
made by filing a petition signed by one percent of the membership, or 140
members in good standing. Nominees must also submit their qualifications and
biographical data on forms approved by the Board of Directors. All petitions and related
information must be received by the Credit Union no later than February 10, 2017.
Tickets Available Now For “Dancing 4 Hope”
The 5th Annual “Dancing 4 Hope” fundraiser for Designing 4 Hope is coming soon. Tickets are available, so
make sure to get them now to enjoy an evening of food, fun, music, dancing and basket raffles to benefit this
great charity that does bedroom makeovers for critically ill children.
Tickets are available at our Pottstown
Tickets are $50 per person and are available at our Pottstown and Pennsburg offices or online at
Office or online at Designing4Hope.org.
Designing4Hope.org.
❱〉〉 Unforgettable Birthdays
Birthdays may seem less important as you grow older. They may not offer the impact of
watershed moments such as getting a driver’s license at 16 and voting at 18. But beginning at age 59, there
are several key birthdays that can affect your tax situation, health-care eligibility and retirement benefits.
59½ – You can start taking penalty-free withdrawals from IRAs and qualified retirement plans as long as
certain conditions are met. Ordinary income taxes generally apply to these distributions. (Withdrawals taken
prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty.)
62 – You are eligible to start collecting Social Security benefits, although your benefit will be reduced by
up to 30%. To receive full benefits, you must wait until “full retirement age,” which ranges from 65 to 67
depending on the year you were born.
65 – You are eligible to enroll in Medicare. Medicare Part A Hospital Insurance benefits are automatic
for those eligible for Social Security. Part B Medical Insurance benefits are voluntary and have a monthly
premium. To obtain coverage at the earliest possible date, you should generally enroll about two to three
months before turning 65.1
70½ – You must start taking minimum distributions from most tax-deferred retirement plans or face a
50% penalty on the amount that should have been withdrawn. Annual required minimum distributions are
calculated according to life expectancies determined by the federal government.
Source: 1) Medicare & You 2016, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The information in this article is not intended to be tax or legal advice, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any
federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice from an independent professional advisor. The content is derived
from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the
purchase or sale of any security. This material was written and prepared by Emerald. © 2016 Emerald Connect, LLC
Time To Review
The new year is a great time to
review your old Insurance policies,
401(k)s, IRAs and annuities. Make
sure they are performing to help
meet your present and future
financial needs. You will also want
to make sure that your beneficiaries
are up to date as well.
Building Your Nest
Egg With IRAs
IRAs can be a great way to build
your retirement nest egg. Make sure
you are effectively taking advantage
of the one you have.
The deadline to make your IRA
contribution is April 17, 2017.
❱〉〉 Save Now Or Save Later
Most people have good intentions about saving for retirement – but few know when
they should start and how much they should save.
You might think that you should begin to save for retirement when you reach a more comfortable
income level, but the longer you put it off, the harder it will be to accumulate the amount you need.
The rewards of starting to save early for retirement far outweigh the cost of waiting. By contributing
even small amounts each month, you may be able to amass a great deal over the long term. One helpful
method is to allocate a specific dollar amount or percentage of your salary every month and to pay
yourself as though saving for retirement were a required expense.
If you have trouble saving money on a regular basis, you might try savings strategies that take money
directly from your paycheck on a pre-tax or after-tax basis, such as employer-sponsored retirement plans
and other direct-payroll deductions.
Regardless of the method you choose, it’s extremely important to start saving now, rather than later.
Even small amounts can help you greatly in the future. You could also try to increase your contribution
level by 1% or more each year as your salary grows.
INVEST Financial Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC, and its affiliated insurance agencies offer securities, advisory services and insurance products. Products offered are: •Not insured by
the NCUA• not a deposit or other obligation or guaranteed by any credit union • subject to risks including the possible loss of principal amount invested. 12-17/143383
Bulletin Board
Holiday Closings
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, January 16, 2017
Presidents’ Day – Monday, February 20, 2017
❱〉〉 Scholarship Time!
Income Tax
Assistance And
Direct Deposit
If you’re looking for funds to pay for college, Tri County Area Federal
Credit Union has an opportunity for you. The Credit Union awards a $1,500
academic scholarship every year to the most qualified applicant. Applicants will be
judged based on their community involvement and academic achievement. The funds
are to be used for higher education at an accredited college or trade school.
To get quick access to your tax refund, have it directly
deposited into your TCAFCU account. To do so you will
need your account number and our ABA routing number:
231385183.
If you need the help of a tax professional this year, we
suggest you contact United Tax Services. They have
worked with Credit Union members since 1992, offering
tax preparation, electronic filing services and more. For
more information, please call Ron at 610-369-5923.
If you would rather file your taxes yourself, visit our
website to take advantage of the TurboTax Discount
for Credit Union members.
Get Started Today!
For more information and to apply for the scholarship,
please visit our website at www.tcafcu.org, call
610-326-3705 or stop by the Credit Union.
The deadline to apply is March 15, 2017.
Reminder: Tri County Area FCU has student branches
at Pottstown and Pottsgrove high schools.
❱〉〉 Private Student Loans
And Refinancing Available
Paying for college can get pricey, but Tri County Area FCU is there for parents and students with Private
Student Loans at low rates to help defray the costs. They help cover the costs that federal loans and grants
don’t cover, so you can study without worry.
Tri County Area FCU has teamed up with TurboTax® to
save you up to $15 on TurboTax federal products, and a
chance to win $25,000! Just try TurboTax Online for FREE
(and provide your email address) by February 16th to be
automatically entered in the TurboTax $25,000 Payday
Sweepstakes.1 Start TurboTax now!
More Savings With
Love My Credit Union Rewards!
The TurboTax Credit Union member discount is just one of
many member discounts available with the Love My Credit
Union Rewards program. Members have saved nearly $2
billion with exclusive offers from Sprint, ADT, TruStage,
and cash back shopping with Love to Shop. Visit tcafcu.org
to get started.
Visit http://turbotax.intuit.com/lp/yoy/guarantees.jsp for TurboTax product guarantees and
other important information. 1 TurboTax $25,000 Payday Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE OR
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States
or the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older at time of entry, who are customers of
participating Financial Institutions or employees of participating businesses. Void in Puerto Rico
and where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes ends 2/16/17. Subject to complete Official Rules and
all applicable federal, state and local laws. For Official rules including odds of winning, alternate
method of entry and prize descriptions, visit the Official Rules. PRIZES: 1 Grand Prize: A check
for $25,000. Retail value, $25,000. 12 First Prizes: A check for $1,000. Retail value, $1,000
each. Maximum retail value of all prizes is $37,000. The odds of winning a prize depend upon
the total number of eligible entries received by the end of the Promotion Period. SPONSOR:
Intuit Inc., 7535 Torrey Santa Fe Rd, SDG-2A-03-22E, San Diego, CA, 92129. State filing charges
apply. Limited time offer for TurboTax 2016. Terms, conditions, features, availability, pricing,
fees, service and support options subject to change without notice. Intuit, TurboTax and TurboTax
Online, among others, are registered trademarks and/or service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United
States and other countries. Other parties’ trademarks or service marks are the property of their
respective owners.
For those who have graduated and have existing multiple loans, TCAFCU is now offering Student Loan
Refinancing to potentially lower your monthly payments and reduce interest rates. With refinancing,
powered by LendKey, you could get these benefits:
• Simplifies your financial life by providing a single payment
• Eliminates multiple payments with different due dates every month
• Consolidates the loan to one easy interest rate and term
• Can potentially save you money over the life of the loan
• By lowering payments, members can increase monthly cash flow
• For parents: refinancing student loans can free up co-signers
Visit the Student Loan page at www.tcafcu.org to learn more or apply.
1550 Medical Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464
110 Pottstown Ave., Pennsburg, PA 18073
www.tcafcu.org | 610-326-3705