credit union – The Wonderful World Of Wauna

New Credit Cards Coming June 25th

We are excited to announce Wauna Credit Union’s next step in ensuring we offer our members only the best products and services. In June, we are updating our credit cards to provide an enhanced experience to thank those who continue to support local business by banking locally.

Our new cards introduce contactless payment, and have increased security protections to keep your identity and your money safe. You will continue to have the benefits you’ve grown accustomed to, like Mobile Wallets, Visa 3D Secure, and Account Updater. The new cards even have an updated look designed to evoke the beauty of the natural world around us.

Next Steps

Be on the lookout for your new card, which will be arriving in your mailbox in early June. The new cards have a different design than existing WCU cards. If you have a WCU Rewards Visa, your new card will be green with eagle feathers. If you have a WCU Platinum Visa your new card will be grey with eagle feathers.

Simply follow the instructions on the card when you get it in the mail, update your automatic payments to your new credit card number, and you’re ready to go. Your payment date, credit card rate, terms, and limits all remain the same. We’ll even transfer any rewards points you have over to the new card.

Timing

Remember, you will first need to call the number on your card’s sticker to activate it. Please activate on Sunday, June 25^th (cannot activate early). Once you have activated your new card, ensure it is in working condition by making a transaction. Please use your current card through Saturday, June 24th, which is the last day you can do so.

If you have any questions for us about your new cards, please call us at 800-773-3236, use the chat function in U banking, contact us with Wauna CU Now, or visit your local branch.

PRESS: Committed To Coaching – Trainer creates advisers, advocates, leaders, and ambassadors among staff

(See the original article here: http://news.cuna.org/articles/111029-committed-to-coaching?platform=hootsuite)

Some people just know how to create their own destiny.

Danea Passmore, for instance, started her career with Wauna Federal Credit Union, Clatskanie, Ore., as an on-call teller.

Within a year she was promoted to full-time teller and then operations manager. Today, as vice president of training, she runs her own department.

When Passmore took on the role of part-time trainer several years ago, the management team noticed her drive, determination, and dedication.

“She was so committed to the credit union movement and our members and employees that she spent months networking and meeting with other credit union trainers and business partners, looking for the right training model,” says John Moore, chief sales officer for the $175 million asset credit union.

Under Passmore’s direction, each employee has gone through a seven-week training program on sales and service, and leaders have been trained on effective coaching.

Each new employee spends the first two weeks of employment being trained in the credit union’s culture and approach to member service.

“Wauna Federal is an amazing place to work and I love having the opportunity to train employees so they can be successful,” Passmore says. “I am honored to help our employees grow from where they are to where they want to be.”

Passmore believes in training employees to be advisers and advocates, leaders and ambassadors. She is passionate about hiring for the right attitude first, and then providing the necessary training and support.

As a result, members will stay loyal to the credit union because of its employees.

“What we do within our four walls is create a member experience,” says Moore. “But our job doesn’t end there. Our involvement within the communities we serve, where we champion the credit union difference, is equally important.

“Danea is heavily involved in supporting causes and serving as a leader in community programs,” he continues. “She has a life and light about her that drives us all to be better at what we do and who we are.”

Ways to Financially Prepare Before College, Or Smart College Budgeting

No matter your major, you can graduate from college with an honorary degree in personal finance by paying attention to where your money is coming from and where it’s going.

Here’s how to get started:

Set a budget

Start by identifying the income sources you’ll have in college, such as wages from a part-time job, scholarships and financial aid. Then estimate how much you’ll be spending. You can probably ballpark costs such as tuition, room and board, school supplies, laundry and transportation.

You should also allocate some money for discretionary spending, such as food outside your meal plan and entertainment. Consider limiting these expenses with a weekly allowance.

Your budget can show you when you need to cut back on spending and when you can afford a treat. If you need help, try an online tool like Mint.com.

Apply for the right financial aid

There are two main types of student loans: federal and private. It makes sense to borrow as much as you can in federal loans before resorting to private ones, because federal loans generally have lower interest rates and broader repayment options.

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to get federal loans and see if you qualify for need-based aid, including grants, work-study and some scholarships.

Do your best to figure out how much you’ll need before you take out loans, whether they’re from the government or a private lender. Either way, you’re on the hook to repay them, so borrow only what you have to.

Manage credit cards responsibly

Credit cards can be tricky, particularly if you’ve never had one. They’re useful tools for building a credit history — but they’re also fraught with danger if you overextend yourself.

To get the greatest benefit out of a credit card, use it wisely. That means paying off your balance in full each month to improve your credit score and avoid costly interest charges.

It helps to view your credit card as you do your debit card: You can’t spend what you don’t have. Speaking of debit cards, make sure you don’t authorize your banking institution to charge an overdraft fee if you inadvertently withdraw more money than you have in your account.

If you want a credit or debit card, consider getting one from a nonprofit, member-owned credit union like Wauna Credit Union. These financial institutions generally offer lower interest rates and fees than traditional banks.

Take advantage of your student status

Many major companies offer student discounts. Among them: Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Banana Republic. If you’re hoping to make a purchase and the merchant hasn’t advertised a student discount, there’s no harm in asking.

You can also save money on textbooks by buying used copies from websites such as Abebooks and Chegg.

A degree doesn’t guarantee you a great-paying job. But college graduates still generally out-earn people without degrees, according to a 2014 report by the Pew Research Center.

And this much is certain: Developing smart budgeting and spending habits in college will continue to pay off long after you graduate.

Peter Lewis, NerdWallet

*Thanks to our friends at NerdWallet for this informative guest blog!

PRESS: Wauna CU Mortgage Department Featured in Coast River Business Journal

Faces Of Lending

Read the full article here: http://www.dailyastorian.com/CRBJ/20160805/faces-of-lending
Published in Coast River Business Journal, August 2016
Photo by Luke Whittaker

McKenzie Wilson, Loan officer, Wauna Credit Union, Warrenton:

“I’ve been here since 2012. In August of 2015, I started doing the real estate financing.”

Monica Lauber, Assistant vice president of mortgage, Wauna Credit Union:

“I started at Wauna 12 years ago in the Warrenton branch and then moved into the loan department over in Astoria. Then made my way up to Saint Helens. Right now I’m the assistant vice president of the mortgage department. I oversee the staff at all the branches.”

What misconceptions exist about financing for a first home?

“A lot of younger people coming in think that the process — that they can’t do it. That it’s a super hard process to buy a house. I think that’s the misconception — that people think it’s impossible to buy a house sometimes. It’s really not, especially working with the credit union. We’re giving the guidance to get to that point, we’re not just saying ‘no’ and sending you back.”

How has lending evolved?

“I’ve definitely seen a change. I’ve been doing it since 2004, I went through the crisis, people rebuilding their credit. The best thing right now is we’re seeing people starting to regain equity in their homes, which is allowing them to improve their current housing situation.”

What advice would give a first-time borrower?

“Come prepared with a budget. And not more so a “this is a house I want to buy.” Think more toward, is that monthly payment going to fit into your budget. If fixes come about, am I going to be able to afford these fixes? I think that’s the biggest thing, just having all that in mind.”

What’s the typical down payment?

“We can do as little as little as three percent. Typically it’s about three to five percent. With more first-time homebuyers we don’t see a lot in the way of down payment money because there are programs that offer 100 percent financing. But we encourage it, the more they put down the better their rate is going to be.”

On best preparation, what do you take into account?

“We want to make sure that they’re credit worthy. We want to make sure that they’re aware of monthly costs and closing costs.”

What’s the sales frequency compared to last year?

“Our borrowers definitely have to be more on their game. They have to have a pre-approval in hand. Since homes are selling so quickly, those borrowers that have worked hard to prepare themselves with us are the ones making the offer, and it’s accepted because they know they have all their ducks in a row.”

Typical time a house is on the market?

“They’re definitely selling faster. Being prepared is huge.”

How does it compare to 10 years ago?

“Rates are extremely low right now.”

“Oh gosh, we were around 6-7 percent.”

Is there a typical mortgage rate?

“It varies depending on the program they’re doing. You have government program in the low 3-percent range, then you’ve got your conventionals that are higher 3’s — still great compared to what it’s been in years’ past.”

What’s the sales frequency compared to last year?

It’s Credit Union Youth Month!!! Coloring Contests & More!

Hey Kids! April is Credit Union Youth Month!

It began many years ago, as merely Credit Union Youth Day, then it grew into Credit Union Youth Week, and last year the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) decided Credit Union Youth deserved an entire month!

WOO HOO! Credit Union Youth Month!!!

All month check this blog and your favorite social media outlet for savings tips & info for a better financial education – from allowance plans, and money making ideas for kids, to info about college funds.

Coloring Contest:

Our younger members are welcome to get in on the coloring contest – prizes will be awarded! Pick your picture, print it off at home, or pick one up at any branch!

eagle-coloring-page — Eagle Coloring Page

Know a kid who needs an account?

All new Jump Start Club members (Ages 0-17) who joined Wauna CU during the month of April will be entered to win $$$, and we’ll deposit it right in your shiny new account! Plus, Jump Start Club accounts earn a higher rate of interest on your first $500 balance than any other saving account, AND all Jump Start Club members get a cool piggy bank when they open their account!

Jump Start Club – Account Information: https://waunafcu.org/accounts/youth.shtml

College Scholarship Info:

High School Seniors – April 15th is the deadline for our annual Scholarships!

Apply Today: https://waunafcu.org/annual-scholarship.shtml

College Savings Plans:

Wauna Credit Union can start a Coverdell Education Savings Account or Coverdell ESA, also known as a 529 College Savings IRA, and our knowledgeable staff can help you easily set it up. College saving is less daunting if you start early.

Learn More: https://waunafcu.org/accounts/youth.shtml

Meet our CEO Robert Blumberg

People always say Credit Unions are different than banks, but how and why is not so easily understood. One of the goals of this blog is to improve understanding about that difference, and part of doing that is getting to know the people who make up our credit union.

Robert Blumberg Just like a bank, we have a CEO, and while our CEO has a nice office and a company car, his office doubles as a conference room, and the car was purchased used. There’s no private jets or big stock options here, just a hard working person doing their best to guide staff and keep the Credit Union growing.

To find out more, The Wonderful World Of Wauna recently caught up with our own CEO, Robert Blumberg, to find out what drives him.

Though a majority of our staff at Wauna CU are lifelong Oregonians, some have come from farther away, and Robert may have come the farthest! He grew up in South Africa and came to the USA in 1980 after finishing college in Johannesburg.

“I have always been interested in numbers, and at school I excelled at Math, so in college I studied accounting.”

Robert immigrated to the United States to begin his career in the accounting department of a small bank in Los Angeles. He worked his way up to Controller, and then Chief Financial Officer (CFO) before moving on to larger banks, including time as the VP of Compliance at the First Bank of Beverly Hills.

Then, in 2000 Robert saw the “Credit Union light” and jumped ship, moving to MaPS Credit Union in Oregon as their Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Robert explains, “The motto of the credit union movement is people helping people. That speaks volumes to me – that we are not serving shareholders whose interests are to maximize their return on their investment.”

Robert came to Wauna Credit Union as CEO over eight years ago, during that tumultuous time when housing bubble had burst, and things in the financial world were in upheaval, but he held fast to the ideals of the Credit Union movement, and the reins of the Wauna Credit Union and managed to contine to grow Wauna Credit Union! We know have more than $197 million in assets and 22,000 members.

As a father of four, Robert tries to instill good money habits in his children. “I try to teach my children to be responsible with their money.” He adds, “My parents never built on their net worth and unfortunately spent all the money they earned.”

As far as his favorite Credit Union service, Robert says, perhaps not surprisingly, “Wauna’s debit card can be used all over the world and at the ATMs all over the world giving the best exchange rate. I can also access my checking account using the largest branch and ATM network at over 5,000 shared branches and 30,000 ATMs located in all 50 states. No bank in our nation can offer such a large network of branches and ATMs while at the same time offering our members a personal touch.”

In Service Training Day 2016

On Feb. 15^th, while banks and government offices were enjoying a three day weekend, the entire staff of Wauna Credit Union met at the newly renovated Clatskanie Cultural Center in downtown Clatskanie for what Credit Unions call an “In-Service Day” or “All-Team Day”.

It is a day to recognize various employees for achievements, introduce new staff members to the entire team, do team building exercises, and learn from guest speakers. It’s an extra-special day for Wauna Credit Union, as our branches are spread over more than 100 miles, so we don’t get to see many of our team members on a regular basis.

This year, we learned about four types of personalities: Talkers, Doers, Supporters, and Controllers, and how each plays an important role in keeping our organization growing, and that each has a different way of thinking and reacting, and how to work with people of differing personality styles in a productive way.

We had a guest speaker, our CEO Robert gave a great talk as well. There were activities, team building games, a nice lunch, and even ice cream sandwiches!

In the end, working together, spending time as a full group, seeing people we often only talk to on the phone or via email, and renewing our commitment to the Credit Union Difference and our “People Helping People” philosophy was way batter than sleeping in on a Monday!