Official Publication of North Georgia Credit Union.
January 2013
From The President
Dear credit union member,
Happy New Year from all of us at North Georgia Credit Union! As you begin a new year, we want you to know
that we are committed to helping you reach your financial goals and improve your financial well-being. We will
continue to work hard in 2013 to provide you with excellent service and real value that will make a difference to
you and your family.
We want this year to be both prosperous and safe for our members. That’s why we are concerned about helping
you protect your identity. Identity theft continues to be a colossal problem in the modern age. With each new
form of technology comes new ways for thieves to steal personal information.
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Save the Date!
Quick. Easy. Affordable.
Every year, our credit union membership gathers for our
Annual Meeting. It is part of what makes us different
as a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution.
Our annual meeting provides you the opportunity to
stay informed about all the exciting things that are
happening and the progress we have made over the
last year and to vote in our annual board of directors
election.
When you are shopping for a new or used vehicle, you have a choice
of where to finance your loan. At North Georgia Credit Union, we work
hard to be your best choice!
Annual Meeting on February 9th
Join us for breakfast before the meeting, and register
to win great door prizes. Each member will receive a
special gift. We hope to see you there!
North Georgia Credit Union
Annual Meeting
Saturday, February 9th
Breakfast: 8:30 a.m.
Meeting: 9:00 a.m.
Stephens County Middle School
Cafeteria
1315 Rose Lane
Toccoa, GA
Note: The Toccoa and Hartwell offices will be closed on
Saturday, February 9th to prepare for the Annual Meeting.
Auto Loan Rates as low as 3.9% APR*
Quick. When you are ready to buy, you don’t want to wait. So we offer
quick approvals, and you can even be preapproved before you shop.
Easy. Our application process is simple and you can count on personal
service.
Affordable. We offer great rates that often provide our members with
substantial savings.
Discover why your credit union should be your first choice! For more
information, call (706) 886-1441 (Main Office), (706) 356-7001 (Lavonia
Branch), or (706) 376-6961 (Hartwell Branch). You can also visit our
website: www.ngcu.org.
*Annual Percentage Rate. All loans subject to credit approval.
How to Protect Your Personal Information
Keeping Your Good Credit Good
To reduce your risk of becoming a victim
as you utilize technology, follow these
tips:
n Install security software on your
computer and be disciplined about
downloading updates
n Use a password on your wireless
router
n Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks
to conduct financial transactions
n Use password protection on your
smart phone
n Monitor your accounts often with
home banking
In an effort to help you keep your
information safe and secure, we have
provided additional security tips in this
newsletter. See the article “Keeping
Your Good Credit Good” on this page.
We look forward to serving you in this
new year and for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Brian Akin
President
Has Your Contact
Information Changed?
It is vital that we have correct contact
information to reach you with statements and other important account
information. Please help us keep your
records at North Georgia Credit Union
current. If you have had a change
to any of your contact information,
please let us know. You can pick up
a change of information form at the
credit union, or we will mail or fax the
form to you. Thank you for helping us
keep our records up to date.
Your credit record follows you wherever you go. It will determine many things in your life — whether or not you can buy a
house, the interest rate on your next car loan, and sometimes
even if you’ll be considered for a job. If you have taken care to
build a good one, it is worth protecting. Consider these tips to
keep your personal information to yourself:
n The number one rule is to protect your Social Security
number. Your Social Security number is a free pass to
ripping off your identity. Use it only when you have to
and never carry your Social Security card in your wallet.
Whenever possible, use other forms of ID.
n Don’t raise a red flag to thieves. Keep your information
out of your mailbox. Mail anything containing personal
or account information (especially your Social Security
number) from a locked public mailbox, or take it directly
to the post office. Also, put a stop to receiving sensitive
information in the mail. Receive and pay your bills online,
and remove your name from unsolicited credit card mailing lists and national marketing lists. Call 888-5OPTOUT
or log on to www.optoutprescreen.com to stop receiving
credit card offers in the mail.
n Shred all documents containing personal information
such as your account numbers, Social Security number,
credit card numbers, etc.
n Ask how your financial information will be used. Request
that your information not be shared with third parties.
n Use your computer wisely. Paying your bills online is safe
and secure. But be wise. Never respond to e-mails that
ask for your personal information (a form of fraud called
“phishing”).
n Withhold unnecessary information (such as income) when
filling out surveys or sweepstakes.
n Monitor your credit. Examine your statements carefully. If
anything looks suspicious, call the authorities, your credit
card issuer and/or your financial institution immediately.
Check your credit report often. By requesting your credit
report from one credit bureau at a time every four months,
you can get a free report three times a year. Go to www.
AnnualCreditReport.com to make your request. It is usually unnecessary to pay for credit monitoring services
unless you’ve already had your identity stolen and are
worried about a recurrence.
Holiday Closings
New Year’s Day
Tuesday, January 1
Congratulations to Brooke
Stowe who recently
received a 10-Year
Service Award.
Main Office
1067 Mize Road
P.O. Box 280
Toccoa, GA 30577
(706) 886-1441
Fax: (706) 886-3757
Lavonia Branch Office
11823 Augusta Rd., Suite 1
Lavonia, GA 30553
(706) 356-7001
Fax: (706) 356-7008
Hartwell Branch Office
249 East Franklin Street
Hartwell, GA 30643
(706) 376-6961
Fax: (706) 376-3184
www.ngcu.org
Lobby Hours
(Toccoa, Lavonia & Hartwell)
Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri.
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Drive-Thru Hours
(Toccoa & Hartwell)
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Management Team
Brian K. Akin,
President/CEO
Laura J. Williams,
Vice President
Brooke C. Stowe,
Toccoa Branch Manager
Sharon J. Parten,
Hartwell Branch Manager
Bridget Ginn,
Lavonia Branch Manager
Robin W. Bridges,
Data Processing & Operations Manager
Sonya C. Long,
Lending and Collections
Manager
Ephemia D. Smith,
Member Service Officer
Directors
Tony Thomas,
Chairman
Juanita Worley,
Vice-Chairman
Michael Herron,
Secretary
Keith Cheek,
Treasurer
James Norris,
Supervisory Committee Chairman
Deborah Gibby
Marvin Harrison
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Monday, January 21
President’s Day
Monday, February 18
Good Friday
Friday, March 29
Saturday, March 30
Federally insured by NCUA
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Privacy Policy continued