THE LEADING EDGE
AIR ACADEMY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION SUMMER 2008
ONE HONEY of a DEAL!
3.99
APR*
%
MONTH AUTO LOAN
36
With a deal as sweet as this, it’s the perfect time to buy a new or used vehicle. Or save money and lower your monthly payment by refinancing. Right now auto loan rates at AAFCU are as low as 3.99% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for 36 months. Need to extend your payments a little longer? Other rates and terms are available. Visit us before you shop and you'll be better prepared for the adventure. By getting preapproved, you'll know exactly what you can afford. Or take the sting out of searching for a car by using our FREE automobile buying service. We’ll find the car you want at the price you want, and we’ll even arrange a test drive. Now that’s sweet!
Hurry in before this un-BEE-lievable offer flies away! Call 800.223.1983 or apply online at aafcu.com.
*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Offer good on new, used and refinanced vehicles. Requires direct deposit and automatic payment. With approved credit. 36 monthly payments of $296.00 per $10,000.00 borrowed at 3.99% APR. Limited time offer; rate subject to change. Other rates and terms available. Other restrictions apply. Call 800.223.1983 for more information.
CAR SHOPPING WITH CREDIT PROBLEMS
You’ve heard the ads – “No Credit? Bad Credit? No Problem!” But don’t head to the dealership just yet. People worried about getting approved for a loan generally don’t argue about the price of the vehicle or the price of financing. The result: big profits for the dealership. What can you do to avoid becoming a victim? • Know your credit standing before you go to the dealership. You're eligible for one free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus every year. • At the dealership, shop for the car as if you're paying cash. Agree on a price before talking financing. • Contact AAFCU for a financing comparison. We may be able to give you a better rate and we can help you work on improving your credit score. Don't let past credit problems make your credit even worse. Doing your research and making decisions calmly puts you in the driver’s seat.
INSIDE
Inside Edge Feeling the Pinch?
LOOK
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Visit annualcreditreport.com or call 877.322.8228 for your free Equifax®, ExperianSM or TransUnion® credit report.
New Way to Pay Privacy Policy
Points of Interest
FREE SEMINARS
First-Time Homebuyers Workshop July 12, August 2, September 6, October 4 Call 719.473.8890 to R.S.V . and for .P location information.
Inside Edge
The summer is upon us and I hope you are enjoying it to the fullest extent possible. 2008 has been a very interesting year in the financial markets. Long-term interest rates have remained low and the Federal Reserve Bank has continued to cut short-term rates. In September 2007, the fed funds rate (short-term rate) was 5.25%. At the beginning of 2008, fed funds was 4.25%. As of the beginning of June, rates have come down to 2.00%. This drop Glenn L. Strebe, CEO caused AAFCU to make changes in our interest rates - both deposit rates and loan rates. We decreased our MAAXIMUM Checking account rate from 6.01% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) to 4.50% APY. From a philosophical pricing perspective, we intend to price our MAAXIMUM Checking account as one of our best paying accounts. Looking at the account as an opportunity in today’s interest rate environment, the account was paying 6.01% APY when the fed funds rate was 5.25% (a better rate by .76%). Today the account pays 4.50% APY while the fed funds rate is 2.00% (a better rate by 2.50%), a better opportunity today than when we introduced it last October. The decrease in interest rates has not been limited to deposits. We have continued to drop rates on our loan products to provide you with better opportunities. Our car loan rates are as low as 3.99% Annual Percentage Rate (APR). This is one of the lowest auto rates in the market offered by a financial institution. We have also decreased some of our mortgage rates and are offering a 10-year 1st mortgage at 4.99% with minimal closing costs. Now is a great time to lock in some very low rates. Finally, we are getting ready to start construction of our new corporate headquarters. The 52,000-square-foot building will open in the middle of 2009. This project has been in the works for a few years and we are very excited! We selected Nunn Construction, a Colorado Springs company in business for 25 years, to make our dream a reality. As construction progresses, we will keep you updated on aafcu.com. Without your continued loyalty and support, this beautiful, energy efficient building would not be possible. As always, thank you for being a member and please recommend us to your friends and family. Credit unions grow because our cooperative nature allows us to do great things for you! Be safe throughout the summer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 13 Colorado Springs Sky Sox Military Appreciation Day July 26 - 28 The Children’s Hospital Courage Classic Bike Tour August 9 Kids’ Day (Main Branch) August 10 Colorado Springs Sky Sox Lunchbox Giveaway Day September 13 Shred Day (Main Branch)
HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
July 4 Independence Day September 1 Labor Day October 13 Columbus Day
SHRED DAY
We shredded more than 8,000 pounds of paper during the May Shred Day at our Main Branch and raised nearly $400 for the AAFCU Foundation. Start cleaning your files and collecting documents for our upcoming fall Shred Day Saturday, September 13, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Main Branch. Shredding not only reduces clutter, but helps protect your identity, too! Set up an eMinder through the I-Branch to remind yourself Shred Day is coming up.
Members Are Talking
As a business owner, Julian Drummond understands the importance of good service. He says it’s the helpful, friendly faces at the Monument Branch that keep him coming back. “I can go to any bank, but AAFCU gives me outstanding service.” Julian joined the credit union when he moved to Monument six years ago. He discovered he was eligible for membership because his two sons attended the LewisPalmer School District. “We were with a large bank and I didn’t want to do that anymore. I wanted to get in with a credit union.” his needs. Julian’s grown sons still have their accounts at AAFCU, and Julian has a savings account, car loan, and MAAXIMUM Checking. Additionally, Julian has taken advantage of the BALANCESM Financial Fitness Program.
HAS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGED?
In order to help protect your account information, it is important to keep your address, telephone numbers and email address up to date. Stop by any branch or give us a call at 800.223.1983 to update your account information.
Julian Drummond
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
AAFCU is accepting applications from individuals interested in serving on the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Committee in 2009. Please call 719.592.1004 for more information and the opportunity to become involved in your credit union.
“I set up an appointment over the phone, they reviewed our spending with us and helped us get back on track.” Julian also has a business account at AAFCU for his janitorial supply company, Dars Lodging Supplies. “When I sell products to other banks in Monument, they tell me I’ve got to switch, but I say I just can’t leave AAFCU. They’re so good to me!”
Julian says the staff at AAFCU takes the time to answer his questions and recommend products and services that meet
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR KIDS’ DAY, MATES!
It’s time for our annual Kids’ Day event! Get up close and personal with animals from down under as the Cheyenne Mountain ZOOMobile takes you on a journey to Australia. There will also be refreshments, prize drawings, goodie bags and more! Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Place: Main Branch 1355 Kelly Johnson Blvd. Colorado Springs
FEELING the FINANCIAL PINCH?
Still feeling a financial pinch after receiving your economic stimulus check? Does it make you cringe every time you put gas in your car? Does it seem like food costs more? How can you make your money go further? In these challenging financial times, you may find it possible to ease the financial strain by following some cost-cutting measures. • Are you using all your cell phone minutes? Call your cell phone company to see if there is a less expensive plan. Or, try bundling television, internet and phone services for additional savings. • Have you looked at your mortgage and car loan rates? Check into refinancing possibilities. • Call your local utility company to determine ways to save on water, gas and electricity. If recent or future purchases include windows, doors and appliances, check to see if there are any rebate offers through your utility company. • Pay yourself back. Don’t blow extra income on trivial items. Open a money fund account or make additional contributions into your retirement fund. Another way to pay yourself is to put a few extra dollars toward your mortgage each month. This will shave years off your loan and thousands of dollars off your total payments. Making a few simple changes can ease the financial pinch you may be feeling. Better yet, develop some good financial habits and stick with them for the long haul.
To R.S.V.P., call 719.592.1035 or 800.223.1983 x1035 by August 1, 2008.
NEW WAY to PAY
Travel lighter with a Visa® Reloadable Prepaid Card from AAFCU! A safer and more convenient alternative, the cards are accepted at millions of merchants worldwide. You can even get cash at Visa/PLUS ATMs 24 hours a day. Just prepay any amount between $10 and $5,000, and spend up to that amount. Plus your card can be replaced if it’s lost or stolen, and it’s protected by Visa’s Zero Liability Policy. Have kids or college students? Try a Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card to help them budget their money. Manage their account online, add funds and more. Stop by any branch or purchase your card at aafcu.com for just $5. Personalized cards can be reloaded as often as you wish; nonpersonalized cards can be reloaded three additional times. See the Terms and Conditions Disclosure or contact a credit union representative for information on fees and restrictions.
LOCATIONS
Main Office 1355 Kelly Johnson Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Air Force Academy Branch Community Center, Building 5136 USAF Academy, CO 80840 Castle Rock Branch 714 D South Perry Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 Cheyenne Mountain Branch 1910 Southgate Road Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Elizabeth Branch 117 B South Elizabeth Street Elizabeth, CO 80107 Fountain Branch 6916 Mesa Ridge Parkway Fountain, CO 80817 Garden Ranch Branch 4920 North Union Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Highlands Ranch Branch 545 West Highlands Ranch Parkway Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Independent Group Service Center 705 North Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Monument Branch 417 Third Street Monument, CO 80132 Parker Branch 10841 South Crossroads Drive Suite 7 Parker, CO 80134 Sand Creek Branch 5937 Constitution Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80915 ATM Locations For thousands of surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, visit aafcu.com.
AAFCU and AASC PRIVACY POLICY
We recognize the importance of our responsibility in protecting our members’ and customers’ nonpublic personal information. We want to protect the personal and financial information you have entrusted to us. Therefore, we have adopted the following privacy policy and approach that respects this information while addressing your needs. We believe all personal and financial information specific to you made available to us through any channel constitutes nonpublic personal information. COLLECTION OF NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION: We collect nonpublic personal information about you from the following sources: • Information we receive from you on applications or other forms. We may retain this information so we can provide the products and services you have requested. • Information about your transactions with our affiliate, AASC (Air Academy Service Corporation), others, or us. This includes transactions conducted online using our I-Branch. When you send us e-mail, we may retain the contents of the e-mail, your e-mail address, and our response in order to handle any follow-up questions you may have. We also use it to measure how effectively we address your concerns. • Information we receive from a consumer-reporting agency. This information will enable us to make our lending decision. USE AND SHARING OF NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION: We may disclose all of the information we collect, as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf or to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing agreements. We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about our members and former members to anyone, except as permitted by law.
Member Services
ACCURACY OF NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION: 719.593.8600 800.223.1983 We intend to exercise reasonable procedures in order to assure the accuracy of our records and your personal information. Star Inaccurate information, when brought to our attention, is 719.599.4701 corrected as promptly as possible. If you have any questions 800.647.2871 regarding the accuracy of your personal information, please Mortgages call a Financial Services Representative at 1-800-223-1983, or 719.264.1207 (EL PASO COUNTY) contact us via e-mail at accounts@aafcu.com. We will 720.208.7400 (DOUGLAS COUNTY) investigate your issue and update your records as needed. 800.223.1983 (NATIONWIDE) We request you keep your personal information as current as possible so you may get the maximum benefit from Air Financial Planning Academy Federal Credit Union. In particular, please make Services sure you inform us of your address and phone number 719.593.8600 changes so we may communicate with you. 800.223.1983 PROTECTION OF NONPUBLIC PERSONAL INFORMATION: We restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees who need to know that information to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with Federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information. Protecting your privacy is an ongoing process. We will continue to review the measures we take to safeguard your personal information. These reviews will result in new measures to protect member records as we make changes to our information security practices and other internal control systems to take advantage of new technologies.
Conduct transactions at other credit unions that belong to the nationwide Credit Union Service Centers shared branching network. Log on to aafcu.com for participating branches.
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