Fall '08

FOCUS Employee Sue Grossnickle Sue has been a dedicated employee for 12 years, starting originally as a teller in the Roseville office. Sue also worked as a loan processor and was promoted to Director of Home Equity Lending before settling into her current role as the branch manager for SPIRE’s Blaine branch. Sue excels in her current role partly because of her passion for truly helping people. She recently was able to help a couple of members avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes. “I love to help young adults get started on the right track with their credit. I want them to understand their credit rating is very important and how it will affect them throughout their lives,” said Sue. When Sue is not busy working at SPIRE, she is busy working at home. Sue and her husband of 23 years, Rick, have one son, Keith, who is now 20. Sue enjoys taking care of her yard, flower gardens and three beagles, Chevy, Taz, and Scooby Doo. Sue also has a creative side to her. She spends time making homemade cards and has started to dabble in stained glass. Here’s a little-known fact, Sue once was “Bubbles the Clown” in the Powder Puff Clown Club! Stop by our Blaine branch and say hi to Bubbles…or Sue! Touching Lives Member-owned cooperative businesses touch the lives of virtually all Americans every day. Co-ops provide almost every product and service imaginable, from the coffee you drink in the morning to the news you watch at night. And they do it with a difference. Since co-ops are owned by their members/customers, you know you are getting a good deal and more of the money you spend stays in your community. SPIRE encourages you to support co-ops in your communities. Here are just a few example of local co-ops: ACE Hardware, Carpet One, Cenex Harvest States (CHS), Cooperative Housing, Dakota Electric, Health Partners, Lakewinds Natural Food Co-ops, and The Wedge. To find co-ops in your area, visit www.coopmonth.coop/directory. A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF SPIRE FALL 2008 g.com kin n Thanks for your support! Internet Banking Enhancements If you’ve used Internet Banking lately, you may have noticed some exciting new features! Members are now able to do address changes, give accounts “nicknames,” and open new shares and certificates themselves once they are logged into SPIRE’s Internet Banking system. • visit us o metro toll free 651.215.3500 888.34.SPIRE ne • ww nli Community Calendar Thru Oct. 28 Farmer’s Market Tuesdays 7:30 a.m. – Noon SPIRE Admin Bldg – Falcon Heights International Credit Union Day Anoka Halloween Parade Upcoming Holiday Hours ON THE INSIDE First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Holiday Shopping Is Right Around the Corner! Big Job Changes Mean Big Financial Decisions Seminars Annual Meeting Announcement 2009 Slate of Board of Candidates Winner of 20 Autographed Baseballs! International Credit Union Day I bank with SPIRE Employee Focus Touching Lives October 16 October 25 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY Thursday, November 27, 2008 Friday, November 28, 2008 Saturday, November 29, 2008 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY Wednesday, December 24, 2008 Thursday, December 25, 2008 NEW YEARS Thursday, January 1, 2008 Nov. 1-Dec. 15 Toys for Tots — donations accepted at all SPIRE locations Be sure to visit spire-banking.com or check branch video monitors for additional community event information and calendar updates. On Monday, September 1, Sgt. Marcus Kuboy received the keys to his new house in Woodbury thanks to donations from Homes for Our Troops. SPIRE and other Minnesota credit unions have stepped up to the plate to raise funds and provide volunteer support for Homes for Our Troops. In true credit union fashion, you have helped illustrate the “people helping people” philosophy. Do you have a SPIRE Visa® credit card? You can now pay your bill through Visa® Online from any financial institution. eAlerts is yet another new free service available. eAlerts are emails sent directly to you to notify you of certain transactions or events happening on your account. Each eAlert can be sent to multiple email or cellular phone addresses within minutes of the actual transaction. You choose what type and how many eAlerts you would like to receive. To sign up for eAlerts, just log into your account and you’ll see the eAlerts sign-up at the top of the page. SPIRE is committed to offering innovative new features to enhance all of our products. If you would like more information or need assistance please give us a call or stop at any one of our branch locations. SPIRE’s Eden Prairie branch is on schedule to open in December! The new location at 8577 Columbine Road is located on the corner of Highway 212 and Fountain Place (in between OfficeMax and Michaels). There will be no interruption of service for our Eden Prairie members; the existing branch will be open for business until the new branch opens. Don’t gamble with your healthcare savings. Open a FREE HSA with SPIRE! N Branch Locations Blaine 8700 University Ave. N.W. Minneapolis 3117 University Ave. S.E. How To Reach SPIRE FREE HSA Savings, Certificates & Checking FREE HSA Visa Check Card ® N Coon Rapids 3380 Northdale Blvd. N.W. Princeton 501 South 2nd Street Eagan Shoppes at Promenade 3344 Promenade Ave. Roseville 1909 Highway 36 West St. Paul Eden Prairie Suburban Place 250 Prairie Center Dr. Alliance Bank Center Bldg. 56 East 6th Str., Suite 314 Contact Center 651.215.3500 • 888.34.SPIRE Please direct all correspondence and loan payments to: SPIRE P.O. Box 130670 Roseville, MN 55113 N No monthly maintenance, set-up or transaction fees Grow your savings tax-free, including interest N N Woodbury Maple Grove Grove Square Mall 13619 Grove Drive 6949 Valley Creek Road, Suite 280 HSAs for individuals & businesses MEMBER Minnesota and North Dakota SPIRE Federal Credit Union is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. spire-ba w. First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit As part of a recent housing bill signed into law, congress created a new temporary tax cut for first-time homebuyers looking to purchase a primary residence. The tax credit is worth 10% of the purchase price of the home, with a maximum of $7,500. To qualify for the tax credit, the home must be purchased between April 9, 2008, and June 30, 2009. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or on your fifth home, we can help. SPIRE has a full line of mortgage products to meet your needs. SPIRE now offers Veterans Administration (VA) loans too. For more information or to apply 24/7, please call 651.268.7725. Big Job Changes Mean Big Financial Decisions Millions of employees will change jobs each year through career moves, layoffs, and of course, retirement. Careful planning of your retirement savings is very important, after all, this could be the largest sum of money you ever have to manage. Do you leave it in your former employer’s plan, transfer it to a new plan, roll it into an IRA or cash it out? SPIRE’s Registered Representative, Jeff Keenan, can recommend what is best for you and your savings. Jeff may help you to potentially avoid costly taxes and penalties, consolidate several plans into one and keep your money working for you now and into the future. , 75th An 1, 2009 S PI R E’s ay, February 2 e Center in Saturd rown Heritag , M N. Earle B oklyn Center Winter Bro d in the . de Ups be inclu ails will issue of Close Det 2009 G MEETIN T L ANNUA NCEMEN ANNOU nual Meeting wtiltlhbee a 2009 Slate of Board of Candidates The Nominating Committee has selected four SPIRE members to run for two positions (three-year terms) on the Board of Directors. The four candidates are as follows: Ken Gangl, Diane Haugen, Tom Hirte, and Tammi Trelstad. Martha Cavitt SPIRE I bank with The 2009 Board of Directors Election will be conducted by mail in early 2009. The ballot will include bios of each of the candidates. All primary members over the age of 18 with $10 or more in their share savings accounts are eligible to vote in the election. Holiday Shopping Is Right Around the Corner! Like it or not the cold weather and the holidays are approaching. If you need a little extra cash or some gift ideas, SPIRE has the answer! N For a complimentary review of your retirement savings plan, contact Jeff at 651.641.2352 or KeenanJ@financialnetwork.com. Registered Branch: 1909 Highway 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113 INVESTMENTS ARE NOT NCUSIF INSURED • NO CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE • NOT A DEPOSIT AND NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY Securities are offered through Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC. Financial Network is not affiliated with SPIRE FCU. Petition Notice Nominations to the slate of candidates may be made only by the Nominating Committee or by a petition to the Nominating Committee. If you wish to be placed on the ballot, you must deliver a petition signed by at least 500 SPIRE members to the Nominating Committee c/o Emily Sufka at SPIRE by November 14, 2008. Emily may be reached by calling 651.215.3450. Nomination petitions must include a certificate signed by the nominee stating agreement to the notification and willingness to serve if elected. Member since: 2001 Martha joined the credit union shortly after SPIRE made the “Best of the Twin Cities” list for credit unions. “I had become increasingly dissatisfied with the credit union that I had used for years, so I was delighted to find a credit union that had low fees and great customer service. I have never had anything but positive experiences with SPIRE. I am grateful that we have such a good alternative to the regular banks,” said Martha. Martha grew up in Hopkins and has been volunteering for the Hopkins School District since 1996. As a mother of three and grandmother of two of an ethnically diverse family, Martha takes great interest in seeing that a district-wide, communitywide support system for students, including low-income and minorities, and their parents is developed for students to make post-secondary schooling more accessible. Martha worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 35 years, retiring in 2006. She currently provides daycare for her grandchildren, and when she has a few spare minutes for herself enjoys art, sewing, bird watching, gardening, traveling, and planning her next move. “It is true that once you retire, you wonder how you ever had any time for work,” replied Martha. SPIRE offers a “Skip-A-Pay” program that allows you to skip a loan payment on the month(s) of your choice. Visit www.spire-banking.com/services/skippay.asp or call 651.215.3500 to find out how easy it is! Winner of 20 Autographed Baseballs! When SPIRE sponsored the T.C. Bear Bank Giveaway at the Metrodome, over 500 people stopped by our booth on the plaza to guess how many balls were in the jar pictured below. The jar contained a total of 165 “balls,” which included marbles and baseballs autographed by current and former Twins players. David, a fifth grader at St. Hubert's in Chanhassen, was the lucky winner! His guess was only 2 away from the actual number. International Credit Union Day N Visa GiftCards are available for purchase at all SPIRE branch locations and online at www.spire-banking.com seminars One of the many benefits of SPIRE membership is the opportunity to attend the educational seminars we offer. Seminars are held at our Administrative Offices in Falcon Heights unless indicated otherwise. See individual seminars for registration and fee information. Beginner Courses (2 days) Wednesday, November 19 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.* & Thursday, November 20 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.* Tuesday, December 9 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. & Wednesday, December 10 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Refresher Courses Thursday, October 30 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.* Tuesday, November 11 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, November 13 • 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.* Over 55 – Are We Having Fun Yet? Come and join Dave and his fun-filled Driver Improvement Class from the MN Highway Safety Center affiliated with St. Cloud State University. There is an eight-hour beginner course for $20 and a fourhour refresher course for $18. You will save hundreds of dollars on your auto insurance after completing the course (save 10% on each payment for the next three years). Class lists are kept confidential to protect your rights. All AAA discounts will be honored. This is really cool...I have never won anything before! Thank you SPIRE, you made my day! -David To register call 1.888.234.1294 International Credit Union (ICU) Day is a day to celebrate the spirit of the credit union movement. ICU Day honors those who have dedicated their lives to the movement. It recognizes the hard work of credit union staff and volunteers and shows appreciation to credit union members. Celebrate with us Thursday, October 16, 2008. Goodies and giveaways will be available at all branch locations! * This class will be held at the Coon Rapids branch David, right, winner of the contest, with his brother Joe.