Blog – Page 21 – The Wonderful World Of Wauna

VOTING OPENS for our Board of Directors – Enter to win $50!

Democracy In Action! Wauna Credit Union Board of Directors Elections: Vote Now!

Like a bank, Wauna Credit Union has a Board of Directors, but the difference is, our Board is made up of volunteers, who have the same $5 share of ownership in the Credit Union that you or I do. They are not serving for high pay and dividends, they are civic minded people elected by credit union members who vote annually.

Our Board of Directors help govern and lead the credit union to best serve its member-owners. A credit union is not for profit like a bank is, it is for improving the lives of its members with financial services, education, and assistance, and that is all. Any profit made is returned to Credit Union members via lower interest rates and fees, higher yields, and community support.

At Wauna Credit Union the time to vote is here – From February 1 until Midnight on March 1, 2016, all members in good standing & who are 18 or over, are encouraged to vote for up to 4 candidates.

All members are also eligible to run for our Board of Directors, each autumn we have a Call For Nominations to invite all interested members to apply for candidacy.

To be part of our democracy in action, please vote: https://waunafcu.org/about/annual-elections.shtml

Scholarship Applications Now Accepted!

Need Money for Higher Education? Wauna CU can help!

Starting today until April 15^th, Wauna Credit Union welcomes all of our upcoming or recent high school graduates to apply for a student scholarship. Each year we award scholarships to as many student members as we can, and we spread the scholarships all over our service area.

We understand how important higher education is for success in today’s world, and we want to help! This year we are gifting $6000 worth of scholarships to our members. We also welcome past winner to apply again for continued support.

The application must be filled out completely, and requires two brief essays.

To apply for the scholarship, go to our website and download the application: https://waunafcu.org/annual-scholarship.shtml

Bill Pay Update! Coming soon Single-Sign-On for BillPay users!

This is Exciting & Long Awaited News for our Members!

Our Bill Pay service will soon be upgrading. Since our core processor conversion back in October 2013, Bill Pay has required a secondary login beyond the online banking login, all of that will soon change. We have keep asking about this and working on it, and very soon, our Bill Pay users will be able to access their Bill Pay account directly on Online Banking!

This change will be coming soon, and we are hopeful that in addition to pleasing our existing users, this update will also inspire more members to use our easy and convenient Bill Pay option for paying bills monthly or even one time payments!

As the launch of the new Bill Pay nears, stay tuned to this blog, our website, and social media for announcements.

Thank you!

Our Board Of Directors Needs YOU!

There are only a few days left to apply to be a candidate in our Board Of Directors elections. We need dedicated and caring individuals to step up and help lead our Credit Union to greatness!

Our Board of Directors are volunteers, they are dedicated members of Wauna Credit Union that want to help guide and shape our future.

As a financial cooperative, we are member-owned, and all members in good standing and of legal voting age are welcome to run in an annual election for our Board Of Directors.

Our Board of Directors meets monthly, and attends special planning weekends and other retreats, to learn about the latest in Credit Union advancements and hear from experts, to make the best decisions for our organization.

Please take an active part in Wauna Credit Union and apply to be a candidate!

Thank You!

Deadline is Nov. 20, 2015

Download the application: https://waunafcu.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/BOARD-APPLICATION-PACKET-2015-2016.pdf

When to Consider Refinancing a Loan?

This article is courtesy of our friends at NerdWallet.

If you’re making payments on a mortgage or personal loan, you might be wondering whether it’s worthwhile to refinance. Refinancing, or replacing your loan with a new one with different terms, is a big move that requires some homework. Here are some important things to consider.

Define your goal

People refinance for many reasons. You might be interested in lowering the monthly payments to gain breathing room in your budget. Or your goal could be to pay less in total over the life of the loan. Some consumers refinance to replace a variable-rate loan with a fixed-rate one. Some nonprofit credit unions, like Wauna Credit Union, offer loans and mortgages to their members at attractive interest rates.

Homeowners may do a cash-out refinancing, getting a larger loan and taking some money out, in order to consolidate other loans or pay for home improvements. Others might refinance a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan to a conventional loan to save money on mortgage insurance. And some refinance for personal reasons, like adding a spouse to a mortgage or settling a divorce.

Check your credit

Your credit score is an indicator of how likely you are to pay back a loan, and lenders use it to determine how much they’ll charge you to borrow. Younger borrowers often don’t have long credit histories, and they end up paying higher rates as a result; a recent NerdWallet study found that millennials have the lowest average credit score of all age groups. But if you’ve had a loan for a year or more and have been making timely payments, it could be that your credit score has gone up enough to let you qualify for a lower-rate loan.

You can get a free copy of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. That will allow you to correct inaccuracies that can hurt your credit score. Then, purchase your credit score from the credit reporting agencies for a small fee to see where you stand. Some credit card companies show a credit score on your monthly statement.

Add up any fees

When deciding whether to refi, factor in any fees and closing costs. The cost to refinance a personal loan may be minimal, but if you’ve obtained a mortgage in the past, you know that home loans can be expensive. Application fees, appraisal fees, legal fees and other closing costs could add up to 3 percent of the loan amount or more. And if your loan agreement has prepayment penalties, that could make a refi less attractive.

Refinancing can be smart option, whether your goal is to lower your monthly payments, save on the overall cost of borrowing or lock in a fixed interest rate. As always, it’s important to do your research to make sure that you’re getting a good deal.

Jeanne Lee, NerdWallet

Welcome Members!

Welcome to Wauna Credit Union’s new Blog!

As we usher in a new era of Wauna Credit Union’s digital presence, we have created this blog to offer useful news and information about our Credit Union, branch events, community happenings, and financially educational information to our membership and the public at large.

As a cooperative financial institution, all of our members are equal owners of this Credit Union. We welcome members to participate in our Board of Directors elections, attend our annual meeting, and let us know how we can better serve you and our communities.

Please check back regularly for new articles and updates on this blog.

Thank you for your membership.