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Check it out for fun and informative blogs about finances and everyday life. And remember, comment on any blog post to be automatically entered to win our monthly coffee gift card give-away!!

Visit the NumNum site at www.NumNum.org!!

1. Switch houses with a friend or relative in another town. Being in a different town, country or state for a week or two gives everyone a change of scenery and a chance to play tourist in a new place.
2. Consider yourself a tourist. Are there local attractions you don’t visit simply because they’re local? Be a tourist!
3. See what’s free. Google your local area and find out about any free concerts, classes or events. You’ll be surprised what’s out there.
4. Turn on the sprinkler. You may not have a pool, but a sprinkler is just as cool, more fun and less risky than swimming. Get the kids in swimsuits, romp around with them like no one is watching and close your eyes to the mess when they come inside dripping but happy.
5. Enjoy the great outdoors. Playgrounds, spray grounds, parks and lakes can all be a lot of fun. Get up and go out in the early evening for some fun and relaxation.
6. Go to a local farm. You have to buy vegetables anyways, so why not do the picking yourself?
7. Browse in the local library. Really, when were you there last? No matter what your interests are (gourmet cooking, writing, DIY, gardening, etc.), you’ll find volumes on it.
8. Take a hobby and turn it into a moonlighting business. Say you like to create fancy hair ribbons and barrettes. Why not sell them to friends, family, neighbors, etc. There are so many things you can do for “fun” money, and as long as there’s no pressure to turn it into a full-time income, it really can be fun.
9. Go fly a kite. Maybe plan it for a windy day on the beach.
10. Serve breakfast for dinner. Why not?!
11. Have the kids and/or your non-cooking spouse make dinner. It’ll be a change for everyone. You can even help out and teach them a thing or two.
12. Make a movie. There are so many video contests out there; you can find one for your family to compete it. If you make the video about money, you can enter it into Numerica’s own contest! Email your video to video@numnum.org for your chance to win $150! Or, just come up with something you can do for a good time.
13. Go camping. In the basement. In the attic. In the backyard. unconventional sleeping locations = FUN!
14. Feed the birds.
15. Adopt a pet at your local shelter.
16. Entertain residents at a seniors’ home. They’ll love the company.
17. Keep a journal.
18. Make lemonade. From scratch.
19. Get together with friends and family at block party or group picnic.

1. Let Numerica know if you’ll be traveling, especially if you’re leaving the country. Numerica is vigilant about detecting unusual activity on your card. Your card may be blocked if we notice unusual transactions, so avoid the hassles and notify us before you leave home.
2. Secure your mail while you’re gone. Stop your mail at the post office before you leave for an extended period of time. Your mail can be a treasure trove for identity theft criminals looking for your personal information.
3. Weed out your wallet. Tourist destinations are often a haven for pickpockets, so go through your wallet and take out any unneeded credit cards and personal information before you leave. It’s also good practice to make copies of all of your important documents, such as your passport, driver’s license and health insurance cards.
4. Be wary of generic ATMs. It’s becoming a common practice among thieves to install card readers in ATMs to capture your account information and PIN. It’s a safe practice to use your card at ATMs affiliated with Numerica. Look for the Star, CO-OP Network or Cirrus logos.
5. Check your accounts regularly for suspicious activity. Spend a few minutes online every day looking at your bank and credit card accounts to ensure every transaction is yours.
6. Be careful with hotel computers. Don’t access your accounts or personal information on public hotel computers, which could have software that logs keystrokes and records your passwords and account numbers. And be very careful when using an unsecure wireless network.
7. Don’t leave personal information lying around your hotel room. Keep your credit cards and other important information with you or lock them up in the hotel safe.

The Penalty APR is a punishment for people who pay their credit card bill late. As an example, Citi Bank discloses that the Penalty APR applies if your payment is late or returned. How long does it last? The Citi Bank disclosure states, “If your APRs are increased for either reason, the Penalty APR will no longer apply to existing balances on your account if you make six consecutive minimum payments when due. However, the Penalty APR may apply to new transactions indefinitely.” INDEFINITELY!!

Okay, paying bills late is not a good thing, but do credit card providers really need to charge almost 30% to make their point? Shouldn’t the penalty fit the crime? A solid, reliable customer whose payment is one day late after 10 years of on-time payments is much different than one who is frequently late and delinquent. And I know… this only affects people who make their payments late – but heck, we’re all human and things happen.

So, I hope you’ll do what I did if you receive a “Change in Terms Notification” – cut your credit card into tiny pieces, write a letter telling the credit card company to close your account and then look for a credit card that has a reasonable rate and fees. You could always check out a credit union.

We need your help in asking Members of Congress to:

• STOP the interchange rule from going into effect.
• STUDY the impact of a fee change on credit unions and their members.
• START OVER with legislation that takes into account all factors and the real impact on consumers.

Visit Numerica’s online resource page for detailed information about the debit card interchange fee and how it will affect you: http://bit.ly/hznYyk.

2011 Numerica Credit Union Board of Directors & Supervisory Committee Elections

What positions are up for election?

• 3 Positions on the Board of Directors
• 2 Positions on the Supervisory Committee

Who’s eligible to vote?

• All Numerica members in good standing, age 18 or older
• Must be a member since December 31, 2010
• Non-natural/business members (An officer of the organization who is designated as such in writing shall cast the vote.)

Who are the candidates? (Listed in random order…)

Board of Directors

• Robin Harmon – Member Since: 1996 – Residence: Spokane, WA
• Mark Hemingway – Member Since: 2010 – Residence: Spokane Valley, WA
• Morgan J. Jannot – Member Since: 2009 – Residence: Otis Orchards, WA
• Larry Lanning (Incumbent) – Member Since: 1990 – Residence: Spokane, WA
• Rudy Mueller (Incumbent) – Member Since: 1979 – Residence: Wenatchee, WA
• Charlene Whitener – Member Since: 2009 – Residence: Kennewick, WA

Supervisory Committee

• Susan Joseph Nielsen – Member Since: 2000 – Residence: Spokane, WA
• Jessica Dillon (Incumbent) – Member Since: 1992 – Residence: Olympia, WA
• Paula Kopczynski (Incumbent) – Member Since: 2009 – Residence: Rockford, WA

How to Vote

• Log on to Home Banking at www.numericacu.com
• Visit any Numerica branch (No voting through drive-ups or over the phone.)
• Call (800) 433-1837 x6174

Ballot will be mailed to the member along with a return envelope to the address of record. Or, the member may drop off the ballot at any Numerica branch. Only one ballot can be issued to a member. If the ballot is misplaced, we cannot issue another ballot.

Annual Meeting

Election results will be announced at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

• Thursday, April 21, 2011
• Doors Open 5:30 p.m. – Meeting 6:00 p.m.
• Numerica Credit Union Headquarters (14610 E. Sprague, Spokane Valley)

These two poetry slams are events during the literary festival, Get Lit! 2011. A poetry slam is an outlet for poets to express their voices and their work in the form of a poetry competition, scored by an audience of judges.

Whether you want to participate or be a part of the audience, join us for this entertaining event! Student Trak members will have the opportunity to win prizes, including a Flip Video Camera, an iPod Shuffle, a Polaroid Instant Camera and gift cards!*

First-place poetry slam winners will have the chance to perform at headliner Get Lit! events, opening for Ani DiFranco’s concert at the Bing Crosby Theater on April 15.

*No purchase necessary to enter. Must be present to win. Ask staff for details.

You can also make a donation online. Click on the following link to contribute to the American Red Cross: http://bit.ly/6G0xQ. 

Here’s another easy way to contribute: Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation from your phone.

This is another example of the People-Helping-People Credit Union Philosophy at work.

File A Police Report

Let police know when you noticed your wallet was missing, where you think it was lost or stolen and what you had in it. Your financial institution and credit reporting agencies might need a copy of this report and its case number, so be sure to save a copy.

Notify Your Financial Institution

It’s very important to let your financial institution know you’ve lost your debit/credit cards or checks. The sooner you do this, the better – once you alert your credit union or bank your debit card liability is reduced to $50. If left unreported you can be held responsible for any withdrawals and overdraft charges.

Cancel All Credit Cards

Call your credit card issuers immediately. They will send you new credit cards with new numbers. They might want to ask you about recent transactions to determine if they are yours. This might seem like a hassle, but it will limit damages to your credit and limit any losses.

Notify The Three Major Credit Reporting Agencies

-Equifax – 1-800-525-6285

-TransUnion – 1-800-680-7289

-Experian – 1-888-397-3742

Ask for the fraud or security department and request to have a fraud alert placed on your credit report. This will help protect your credit score.

Get New Important Cards

These can include: driver’s license, social security card, health insurance, military identification, library cards, store cards, membership cards and more.

Monitor The Situation

Keep an eye on your financial institution and credit card statements – look for any suspicious activity.

A few weeks after the incident, obtain a free copy of your credit report to see if any fraudulent transactions have been made in your name. You can get a free copy of yours once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com.