Should I Lease or Buy My Next Car: The Third Video in Consumers ConnectU’s May Auto Series

When you’re looking for a new vehicle, you want to evaluate all of your options. You may wonder whether buying or leasing is better for your situation. “Both can have their benefits and pitfalls,” says Tim Kosak, Consumer Lending Manager at Consumers Credit Union.

Watch the video below, the third in the Consumers ConnectU May auto series to learn how to determine which option is better for you. And if you decide to buy, don’t forget these car buying basics and review how to decide how much you can afford.

Credit Unions as Member Mentors: Takeaways from Crashing the AC&E

The Crasher group poses with Sundeep Kapur, who presented “Credit Unions as Member Mentors” at the AC&E

Last week, Carrie Susemihl, Jennifer Knapp, and I got to spend four inspiring days “crashing” the Michigan Credit Union League’s Annual Conference & Exposition. Why am I willing to tell you about it?

Well, surprisingly, “crashing” is welcomed in the credit union world. It’s a special opportunity for credit union professionals under 30 to attend the industry conferences frequented by execs, senior managers, and board members. This year twelve crashers from credit unions throughout the state (led by two fearless leaders, one of whom is our own Carrie) got to join the thousand or so attendees at the AC&E in Detroit.

As we’re all in different roles at our respective credit unions—marketing, lending, IT, finance, even collections—we’ve each got a slightly different perspective on the day to day operations that keep our credit unions going.

We had the opportunity to attend various educational sessions with expert speakers from throughout the industry. The one that most stuck with me was on how credit unions can serve as mentors to their members.

At the risk of taking the magic out of social media, I’m going to let you in on a secret: The majority of the time when you’re commenting on the Consumers Facebook page, tweeting us, and asking us questions, I’m the one who’s responding.

Why does that matter? Because I want you to know that I—that we as a Consumers family—know you. And sure, I can find out a lot without you ever telling me a thing via Facebook or Twitter. I know, for instance, how many of our followers live in each of our communities and how many of you fall into a particular age range.

But those numbers in themselves don’t mean much. At Consumers, we know your names when you walk into our offices. I know many of you face to face, as I’ve worked in our Riley and South Haven offices, and filled in or shadowed at many others. On our Facebook page, I remember what you share each week on our Winning Member Wednesday questions and the comments you leave on our photos. When you tweet about the staff member who made your day, it makes mine to pass along the compliment to her.

In the AC&E breakout session Credit Unions as Member Mentors, we talked about the importance of recognizing our members on every channel—in the office, on the phone, and online—so that we can keep up a continuous conversation as we work with you to help you reach your financial goals.

As I get back into my daily routine, I’d like to encourage you to share why you engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube. How can we bring you more of what you’re looking for? Is it financial education? Pictures of our awesome employees having fun at work? Member success stories? Let us know. We’re here to keep the conversation going and continually improve your Consumers experience.

Interested in more takeaways from the AC&E? Find my live-tweeted notes on Twitter: @EmENickerson / #mculace.

Tour de Taylor: Cycling for Make-A-Wish

Consumers’ John Marshall, Scott Dobson, Scott Sylvester, and Ron Martin, all part of Team Taylor, are all smiles after completing the 2012 WAM300.

Several Kalamazoo area cyclists involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan through their Wish-A-Mile 300 Mile Bike Tour (WAM300) came together in 2007 to form Team Taylor. Named for Taylor Grainger, who passed away of cardiac arrest in 2007 at age 14, Team Taylor honors her life and giving spirit by raising funds so that sick kids and families may enjoy some “Wish” time.

Since 2008, Team Taylor has grown from seven cyclists to over 120 and has donated over $750,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan—that’s almost enough for 90 Wish Trips for sick kids and their families! In addition, Team Taylor has granted the wishes of seven local children and their families. Consumers has been a proud supporter of the Tour de Taylor’s annual fundraising efforts for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan for four years.

Join us for a beautiful tour through Southwest Michigan on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Pre-register online at www.TourdeTaylor.org. Registration opens at 7 am the day of the event, and the course will be open until 2 pm. The event is fun for the whole family no matter what your cycling experience, as you have the option of a 12 mile, 31 mile, or 62 mile (100k) course. Registration fee includes a fully catered brunch. We hope to see you there!

To learn more about Tour de Taylor or to donate to the team, please visit ConsumersCU.org/Information/Charities.

Retirement Plans Suited for Small Businesses*

According to the Small Business Administration, there are nearly 26 million small businesses in America. Considered the backbone of our nation’s economy, they create between 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs. As many business owners can attest, such accomplishments don’t come without a large amount of risk and hard work.

Given all the responsibilities that go into running a successful small business, planning for retirement may be one of the last items on your list. Fortunately starting a retirement plan for your business may be easier than you think. There are a number of retirement plan options that can provide meaningful tax advantages to both you, as the owner, and your employees. Here are a few examples of the most common retirement plans available:

SIMPLE IRA

A SIMPLE IRA is a savings incentive match plan for business owners with fewer than 100 employees. This plan is well suited for employers who would like their employees to share responsibility for funding accounts by making their own contributions. Some of the key benefits of this type of plan are its simplicity, low cost and ease of administration. No discrimination testing or government reporting is required.

SEP-IRA

SEPs may be ideal for the self-employed person who wants a simple retirement plan that allows annual discretionary, tax-deductible contributions. With this type of plan, generally only the employer is allowed to make contributions. This type of plan may require top-heavy testing requirements.

401(k) PROFIT SHARING and INDIVIDUAL 401(k) PLANS

A small business can start a 401(k) plan for its employees that allows both employee and employer contributions. If a small business has no employees other than a husband and wife, it can sponsor a Solo 401(k), which is essentially a traditional 401(k), just smaller in size. A Solo 401(k) may allow the business owners to save more than is the case with either a SEP or a SIMPLE IRA because the Solo 401(k) contribution limits are the same as regular 401(k) plans, allowing both employee and employer contributions.

Don’t Go It Alone

As there often seems to be an unmanageable number of variables in navigating your retirement picture, the aid of an experienced financial professional can be a valuable resource.

*Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (“CFS”), a registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC) and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Products offered through CFS: are not NCUA/NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the credit union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal. Investment Representatives are registered through CFS. Consumers Credit Union has contracted with CFS to make non-deposit investment products and services available to credit union members. CFS and its Registered Representatives do not provide tax advice. For such advice, please consult a qualified tax advisor.

Sources:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p560.pdf
http://www.dol.gov/elaws/pwbaplan.htm

Pay Bills on the Go! Mobile Bill Pay Now Available in Mobile Banking

Paying your bills each month just got more convenient! Now you can take care of your payments from where ever you are with Consumers’ free Mobile Bill Pay. (Bill Pay is free for all personal checking accounts; business accounts receive up to five bill payments per month for free.)

It’s simple to get started. Just visit our website, ConsumersCU.org, from your smartphone or tablet, log into your account, and select “Bill Pay” from the menu. (Click on the images below to enlarge.)

Once you’ve selected Bill Pay, you will have the option to pay your bills, view pending payments, or view recent payments. To schedule a payment, select “Pay Bills” from the menu.

The screen will show all of the payees you have set up in your Bill Pay account. (To add or delete a payee, please log in to our full web site. At this time, adding or removing a payee can only be done through Online Banking.)

Once you’ve chosen the payee you are going to pay, select your payment date, enter the amount of the bill, and choose the account you want to pay from. Then click “Next.”

Choose “Submit Payments” if you’re ready to process your payment. If you need to make a change, select “Cancel.”

That’s it! You’ve now paid your first bill in Mobile Bill Pay.

Cómo reducir el gasto del seguro de automóvil para adolescentes

Cuando su hijo adolescente
pueda obtener su licencia de conducir, probablemente usted estará
ansioso por hacer muchas de las cosas que ocupan mucho de su tiempo
libre actualmente, como conducir hacia y desde la escuela e ir al
supermercado. Desafortunadamente, agregar a su joven conductor a su
seguro de automóvil le costará dinero. En un caso, el costo para
una familia con un adolescente y sin accidentes fue de $4.406 por
año (CarInsurance.com, marzo 27). Las primas de los seguros, o sea
la cantidad que cobra la aseguradora por la cobertura, reflejan la
evaluación de riesgo que hace la compañía. La falta de experiencia
convierte a los conductores adolescentes en el grupo de mayor
riesgo en comparación con cualquier otra edad, incluidos los
conductores mayores de 75 años. De hecho, según los Centros para el
Control de Enfermedades y Prevención, los adolescentes tienen
cuatro veces más probabilidades de accidente que los conductores
mayores. Por lo tanto, deberá adaptar el presupuesto familiar para
incluir al nuevo conductor. Sus primas del seguro automotor
aumentarán un promedio de 44% si hay un coche en la familia, 58% si
usted es dueño de dos coches, y 63% si hay tres coches. Estas son
las sugerencias de los editores del Centro de Finanzas de la
Asociación Nacional de Cooperativas de Crédito (Credit Union
National Association) para ayudarlo a minimizar el aumento de los
gastos:

Obtenga una cobertura adecuada

Los expertos recomiendan coberturas muy superiores a las
normalmente requeridas por la ley estatal. Y, teniendo en cuenta la
potencial responsabilidad que le cabe por las consecuencias médicas
y legales de un accidente, es aconsejable contratar más que la
protección mínima. Considere la posibilidad de por lo menos 100 mil
dólares por lesiones corporales a una persona por cada accidente, $
300,000 por lesiones corporales por accidente, y $100,000 por daños
a la propiedad por cada accidente. Hable con su cooperativa de
crédito para ver qué información tienen acerca del seguro de
automóvil.

Pregunte por descuentos

Muchas
compañías de seguro automotor ofrecen descuentos al “buen
estudiante” para calificaciones promedio por encima de un cierto
nivel o membresía en algunas organizaciones civiles. AAA ofrece un
descuento a todos los socios de Consumers Credit Union.
Determinadas clases de enseñanza de manejo o la instalación de un
dispositivo de vigilancia en el coche pueden dar derecho a otros
descuentos. Además, funciones de seguridad tales como frenos
antibloqueo y dispositivos antirrobo, pueden reducir las primas de
seguros.

Haga responsable a su hijo
adolescente

Por supuesto, la mejor manera de ahorrar en
el seguro es asegurarse de que su hijo adolescente mantenga su
historial de manejo limpio. John E. Whitcomb, autor de “Capitate
Your Kids: Teaching Your Teens Financial Independence/
Responsabilice a sus hijos: Cómo enseñar a los adolescentes
independencia financiera”, recomienda hacer a su hijo responsable
de su comportamiento cuando maneja, por medio de acuerdos mutuos
establecidos por escrito, tales como hora tope de llegada a casa o
límite a la cantidad de pasajeros. Puede también comprometerse a
dar un premio en efectivo por cada año sin accidentes si su hijo
acepta pagar parte de los daños en un accidente, incluidas las
primas de seguros más caras. Al detallar lo que espera de su hijo
adolescente al volante, y las consecuencias del mal comportamiento,
es más probable que su hijo esté dispuesto a desempeñarse como un
socio en la administración de los costes del auto familiar.
Gracias a Anna Peña,
escribiendo por nuestro socio El Poder es Tuyo,
por este artículo.

Consumers Credit Union Presented Elite Award for Work-Life Balance

Kristen Davidson, Becky Gearhart, Lynne Jarman-Johnson, Shawn Premer, Robin Thatcher, and Scott Dobson pose with the Elite Award presented to Consumers at the 101 Best and Brightest Luncheon

Consumers Credit Union is proud to be honored as an 11 Elite Company for Work-Life Balance by the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA). The award was presented at a luncheon held to recognize West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.

Shawn Premer, Vice President of Human Resources, says, “Winning in this category is very fulfilling. We value each and every one of our employees as family and strive to provide an environment that allows staff to integrate work and home life in a way that provides proper ‘balance.’ As a retail organization, offering this flexibility can be challenging.”

Our employees’ votes and feedback on the company-wide survey allowed us to be chosen for this award. What is most rewarding about receiving the Work-Life Balance award is the knowledge that our staff feels the benefit of our efforts to create a balanced workplace. Two of our employees, Jesse Blankenship and Lynne Jarman-Johnson share their experiences.

Jesse, who started with Consumers in 2009, says working at the credit union has been one of the most positive experiences of his professional career. He adds, “Since my first day here, I have felt valued as an employee and have been provided all the tools to be successful within my career path. Consumers Credit Union provided me the opportunity to work remotely from out of state, which has allowed my wife and I to balance our lives while she finishes graduate school.”

Lynne, our Chief Marketing Officer, says, “I love to blend work and life—not balance it, but blend it—so that I can bring the best me to my job and my family. Consumers helps make that happen.” She goes into detail: “When I tell people I live in Grand Rapids, they often ask, ‘And you work in Kalamazoo? How or why do you do that?’ I don’t even think of it as commuting. Our IT team helped make it easy for me to work wherever I need to be. I work in Coldwater, Kalamazoo, South Haven, Grand Rapids, and Mattawan. Our teams know how to reach me, and we work together to ensure meetings are purposeful and work within everyone’s schedules.”

Just as importantly, the benefits of our focus on employee engagement also get passed along in top-notch member service, which is why our goals center around TEAM.

A complete listing of the 2013 Elite Award Winners can be found here.

Bringing a Smile to Many Faces

Weeks 9 & 10 of Girls on the Run

Last week the girls finalized what their community service project would be. They brainstormed possible ideas and then decided as a team how they could serve their community. Our team decided to do something nice for the teachers of their upper elementary school.

This week each girl brought in a couple dozen treats to place in the teacher’s lounges, the bus garage, and the maintenance building. Dozens of decorative cookies, gooey brownies, and bars were delivered by the team to some very happy recipients. The girls also each designed an adorable door hanger for each classroom

What a great way to give back to their school and leaders.

What have you done for your community lately?

How Much Car Can I Afford: The Second Video in Consumers ConnectU’s May Auto Series

When you’re ready to buy a car and think you’ve found the one for you, how do you know you can afford it? “Don’t forget to include the costs of insurance, gas, and repairs in your calculations. Some cars simply cost more to own,” says Tim Kosak, Consumer Lending Manager at Consumers Credit Union.

Watch the video below, the second in the Consumers ConnectU May auto series to learn how to determine how much the car you want will really cost.

Join Us in Welcoming Nine New Employees!

We are pleased to welcome nine new employees to our Consumers family. Recently named one of West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For with a special recognition for employee work-life balance, Consumers prides itself on a strong employee culture that fosters excellent member service.

This focus begins the very first day of New Hire Orientation when the executive team meets with new staff to share our mission and vision, as well as our goals, which center around TEAM success.

After completing onboarding, new employees will be working at Consumers offices in Kalamazoo, Mattawan, and Holland. Stop by our offices to say hi to the following new team members:

Abby Jozwicki—Teller at Ninth Street

Ivonne Colin—Bilingual Teller at Riley

Josie Schimpf—Teller at West Main

Kendra Cook—Teller at Mattawan

Kristen Smith—MSCR in the Member Service Center

Laura Westbrooks—Teller at Milham

Lauren Williams—MSCR in the Member Service Center

Shelby Tomlinson—MSCR in the Member Service Center

Tiffany Bogucki—Teller at Portage Road