0 introductory rate credit cards

s o u n d c u . c o m Fall 2007 • Vol. 17 Fall Topics u 0% APR Visa Through May 31, 2008 u Business Services Now Available u Life Made Easy at Sound! u 2007 Scholarship Recipients Announced u Call Center Staff Ready to Help u Skip-A-Pay for Holiday Expenses u 2008 Sound Calendar Coming Soon u Rate & Fee Notice u Know Where Your Money Goes Open a New Sound Visa Credit Card with an Introductory Rate of 0% APR* Through May 31, 2008! At Sound we want to make your life easier with this special offer – 0% APR on balance transfers and new purchases made through May 31, 2008! Plus, you choose the card that’s right for you. Whether it’s a Visa Platinum that earns reward points or a Visa Gold with worldwide purchasing power, you’re sure to enjoy the low rate and low minimum payment requirements. Visa Platinum: u Introductory rate of 0% APR through May 31, 2008 u Valuable reward points with every purchase – redeem your points for travel-related benefits, gift certificates or cash u 15,000 reward points just for accepting this offer u No annual fee with $2,500 or more in annual purchases u No balance transfer fees u Plus more! Visa Gold: u Introductory rate of 0% APR through May 31, 2008 u No annual fee u Personal Identity-Theft Coverage u Plus more! Transfer high-rate balances and save! Don’t pay more than you need to on other credit cards. Transfer those highrate balances to your Sound Visa credit card and save money. Look for our online Balance Transfer form under the “Visa” section of our web site or stop by any branch. Here’s an example of what your low monthly payment may be: Amount Used $2,500 $3,500 $5,000 Minimum Monthly Payment $50 $75 $100 Announcements State-Wide Shred Day – Sound will be participating in a state-wide credit union shred day on Saturday, October 20. Details on time and which credit union locations will have a shred truck on-site are still being worked out. Once specific information is available, it will be posted on our web site and at our branches. 10-Year Home Equity Loan Now Offered – We now offer a 10-year home equity loan. This low, fixed-rate loan enables you to borrow against the equity in your home for just about any purpose, with 10 years to pay it back. Scholarship Deadline – Sound Credit Union 2008 scholarship applications are currently available online. Applicants must be the Primary members of their own account. Their account must be opened by October 16, 2007 to be eligible. The application deadline is April 16, 2008. International Credit Union Day – Stop by your nearest branch on Thursday, October 18 to enjoy refreshments and help us celebrate International Credit Union Day! Holiday Closings Columbus Day – October 8, 2007 Veterans’ Day – November 12, 2007 Thanksgiving Day – November 22, 2007 Christmas Eve – December 24, 2007 (3:00 p.m. early closing) Christmas Day – December 25, 2007 New Year’s Day – January 1, 2008 MLK Jr. Day – January 21, 2008 Presidents’ Day – February 18, 2008 Applying for a Visa card is quick and easy. Just stop by any branch, visit us online or contact our Call Center at (253) 383-2016 or (800) 562-8130. Hurry, this offer ends November 30, 2007. *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. For complete rate and fee information, please see back page. Life Made Easy! Our commitment to you, our member, is to make your life easier. We know how hectic life can get whether you’re running to soccer practice or throwing dinner together at the last minute. We understand and that’s why we pledge to make your banking easy. Whether you’re applying for a car loan or setting up Online Banking, we’re here to help. We’re taking our promise to you seriously and if you’d like to see it in action, just take a look at our DVD. You can find it on our web site at soundcu.com. Click on “Sound News” and “Life Made Easy.” And if you have an idea on how we can make your life easier, please let us know. Business Services Sound now offers a full range of Business Services. Whether you’re a sole proprietorship or a corporation, we’ll help take some stress out of being a business owner. Here’s an overview of what we have to offer. Business Deposit Accounts: u Business Checking – We offer two accounts, Free Business Checking and High-Yield Checking. One is sure to fit your needs. u Business Money Markets – Our tiered accounts are the perfect way to earn higher dividends while keeping your funds accessible. u Business Savings – This account gives you a lifetime of membership privileges. Plus, there are no monthly maintenance fees and no per-item charges. u Business Certificates – Sound offers competitive rates and terms with options starting at $500. Now Available at Sound Lisa Davila Director of Business Banking u Visa Credit Cards – Visa credit cards give you a flexible way to streamline your purchases and control your expenses. Call Center Staff Ready to Assist Members! Our Call Center staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and ready to help. If you have questions about your account, they can help with: u Account Transfers and Inquiries u Loan Payments u Online Banking Set-Up u Loan Applications u Purchasing CDs and IRAs u And much more! Our Call Center staff is available Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at (253) 383-2016 or (800) 562-8130. Additional Services: u Merchant Card Services – Sound offers a comprehensive system that allows your business to accept all types of credit and debit card transactions. Plus, we offer 24/7 support. u Checks & Supplies – Your business checks, deposit slips and endorsement stamps are just a phone call away! u Free Online Services – Access your Business account 24/7 with free Online Banking. You can also pay bills with free Online Billpayer. u Electronic Tax Payments – Pay your federal business taxes electronically with Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). We’ll be here to help you set it up so you won’t have to worry about making those payments. Business Loan Accounts: u Commercial Real Estate – We offer very competitive financing for commercial real estate, including the purchase of existing buildings or refinancing current loans. u Term Loans – Use a term loan to finance major expenditures such as vehicles, large equipment, leasehold improvements and expansion or modernization of facilities. u Lines of Credit – This loan allows you to borrow as much as you need, when you need it to cover shortterm cash needs. 2008 Wall Calendar In Branches Next Month We’re excited about our new calendars! This year they’re custom designed using photos taken by members from around the region. Calendars will be available the first part of November. We would like to thank all the members who submitted photos for this calendar. While we were limited to the number of photos we could use, we appreciate all the submissions. The photos selected were voted on by Sound staff. And this is just the beginning. If you’re interested in finding out more about our Business Services program, contact Lisa Davila at 253-597-7629, or stop by one of our convenient branch locations. Fall 2007 Sound Credit Union Add a Little Sparkle to Your We know there’s one thing everyone needs during the holidays and that’s extra money. That’s why we’re offering you the opportunity to skip your loan payment and enjoy a little extra cash throughout the holidays. It’s easy to do! You choose which option works best for you. 1) Log on to Online Banking at soundcu.com, click on “Skip-A-Pay” and it will walk you through the process. Holiday Season with Skip-A-Pay! 2) Give us a call at (253) 383-2016 or (800) 562-8130 and a Call Center Representative will be glad to help. 3) Stop by any branch and ask to Skip-A-Pay. You can skip your auto, personal, Visa and other consumer loan payments twice a year for a low fee of $29 per payment. And, you can take advantage of this from the convenience of your home. Be sure to add Skip-A-Pay to your holiday list! 2007 Sound Scholarship Recipients Announced Congratulations to our 2007 Sound scholarship winners! Sound is proud to grant each recipient $1,000 to be applied toward tuition, books and other school supplies at his/her chosen institution of higher education. The 2008 scholarship application is currently available online at soundcu.com. Brian Richardson: Gig Harbor High School. Keith Predmore Memorial Scholarship. By participating in Sound Credit Union’s Skip-A-Pay program, you request that Sound defer your loan payments as indicated. You agree and understand that: 1) FINANCE CHARGES will continue to accrue at the rate provided in your original loan agreement, during, and after that time; 2) deferring your payment will result in you having to pay higher total FINANCE CHARGES than if you made your payments as originally scheduled; 3) the payment deferral will extend the terms of your loans(s) and you will have to make extra payment(s) after your loan(s) would otherwise be paid off (excludes certificate-secured loans, which require a new loan to be executed upon maturity of certificate); 4) you will be required to resume your payments the following month; and 5) a fee of $29 will be deducted from your savings or checking account for this service at the time the request is processed. If you elected GAP or warranty coverage, the coverage will not extend beyond the original maturity date. All deferrals are subject to Sound Credit Union approval. Your loan(s) must be current (have no amounts past due) to accept this offer. Certain restrictions apply. Excludes Sound real estate secured loans and lines of credit. Loan must be established for six months before Skip-A-Pay can be used. Know Where Your Money Goes: If cash seems to disappear from your wallet, now’s the time to find out where it’s going. Becoming aware of cash flow will help you reduce wasteful spending and leave more money in your pocket for important goals and expenses. There are several good methods you can use to track spending: u Carry a small notebook and record the details of each purchase you make. At the end of the day, total what you’ve spent. You’ll soon have a good idea of where those $40 ATM withdrawals really go. u Keep receipts from each of your purchases and tally them up daily. It may not be absolutely precise, but it will be close enough to be revealing. u Use a debit card for all or most of your shopping. Every purchase and Track Your Spending cash withdrawal will be noted on your statement. Review it regularly. u Use expense-tracking software. After monitoring your spending for at least a few weeks, enter the information into a long-term expense tracking system. A few months of doing so and you’ll have an accurate picture of where your cash is going. Once you know what your current spending habits are, you can make realistic financial decisions to better your future. Need more help tracking? As a benefit of membership at Sound, you have access to personal financial counseling at no charge through BALANCE. A counselor can review your budget in detail, and provide suggestions on how you can make the most of every incoming dollar. Call BALANCE at 888-456-2227, or visit www. balancepro.net. Emily Vickers: Auburn High School. Robert J. Smith Memorial Scholarship. Tali Johnson: Black Hills High School. Sound Credit Union Scholarship. Jonathon Dentler: Gig Harbor High School. Sound Credit Union Scholarship. Sound Credit Union Fall 2007 Rate & Fee Notice Effective November 1, 2007 the following fees will be changed: Check Copies (2 copies free per statement) ...................$2 per copy, plus $20 per hour retrieval Account Reconciliation/Research ..................................$20 per hour Legal Action (garnishments/levies) ................................$25 Document Retrieval ......................................................$2 per page, plus $20 per hour research and retrieval Photocopy .....................................................................$0.50 per page Collection Items ............................................................$15 per item or at cost if greater Early Account Closure (within 90 days of opening).......$10 Visa Debit or Credit Card Replacement ........................$5 per replacement Skip-A-Pay Fee (program available for eligible consumer loans) ....$29 Consumer Loan Late Fee (direct autos, motorcycles, ....5%, minimum $25, RVs, boats, personal loans and personal lines of credit) 10-day grace period Your Financial Partner s oun dc u.c om (2 5 3 ) 3 8 3 - 2 016 (8 0 0 ) 5 6 2 - 8 130 FAX (2 5 3 ) 5 9 7- 7610 AUBURN 2326 Auburn Way N DOWNTOWN TACOmA 1331 Broadway Plaza EAST TACOmA 2806 Portland Ave E GIG HARBOR 4521 Pt Fosdick Dr NW KEY CENTER 8920 Key Peninsula Hwy N LAKEWOOD 7717 Bridgeport Way W OLYmPIA 556 Lilly Rd SE PARKLAND 9911 Pacific Ave PUYALLUP 117 14th Ave SE WESTGATE 1802 N Pearl St Visa Promotion Rate & Fee Information Visa Gold Introductory Annual Percentage Rate (Through May 31, 2008) Annual Percentage Rate* Default Rate** Grace Period For Purchases Balance Calculation Method for Purchases Annual Fee Minimum Balance for Finance Charge Transaction Fee for Purchases Method of Interest Calculation Visa Platinum Cash Advance Fee is $5 or 3% whichever is greater. Late Payment Fee is $29. Minumum Payment is 2% or $20 whichever is greater. Over Limit Fee is $29. * APR = Annual Percentage Rate. ** In the event you fail to make your minimum monthly payment for two consecutive billing cycles you will be charged a Default Interest Rate. This rate shall be equal to an Annual Percentage Rate of 18%. If you successfully make at least six timely minimum monthly payments after the Default Interest Rate goes into effect, the APR will be reduced to the regular rate pursuant to your Agreement with us. Promotional offer expires November 30, 2007. Rates, terms and offer are subject to change. Current members with a Sound Visa are excluded from this offer. Limit one promotional Visa credit card per household. Offer excludes loan balances transferred from existing Sound loans. June 1, 2008, your rate will automatically adjust to your normal rate as noted in disclosure. As of September 1, 2007, rates ranged from 9.95% – 16.95% APR and are subject to change. 0% 0% 9.95% - 9.95% 16.95% 16.95% 18% 25 days Average daily balance including new purchases. none 18% 25 days Average daily balance including new purchases. $25 (refunded with $2,500 or more in annual purchases) $1.00 Richard C. Brandsma President & CEO Richard Brentin Chairman of the Board Robyn LaChance Editor VP/Marketing Julie Kangas Assistant Editor Senior Marketing Coordinator $1.00 none none Average daily balance Average daily balance is published twice a year by Sound Credit Union