Premier Financial Credit Union: What's New

2010 ANNUAL MEETING
HOLIDAY RELIEF
XTEND SHARED BRANCHING
MELVINDALE BRANCH IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!
IMPORTANT UPDATES TO "IT'S ME 247"
IDENTITY THEFT
INSURANCE DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS
FREE CREDIT REPORT

2010 Annual Meeting

That's right, it is that time once again to mark your calendars for the Premier FInancial Credit Union Annual Meeting and Membership Appreciation Dinner. We are very excited to celebrate our 72nd Annual Meeting!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 18, 2010. Don't forget to print your invitation and return it to PFCU as soon as possible to reserve your seat at the dinner. The festivities will once again be held at the Barrister Gardens in St. Clair Shores. Doors open at 5:30pm and dinner will be served at 6:30pm. Members in attendance will be eligible to win great door prizes!

The event is a great time to meet other members of the credit union and also the staff and volunteers who run the credit union. At the meeting, membership will be voting for the PFCU Board of Directors. The nominating committee has nominated John A. Middlestead (I), Phillip H. Mularski, James C. Safian (I), and Edward Woods (I).

For more information, view the view the invitation by clicking here or call us at 866-416-3700.

*(I) = Incumbent

Holiday Relief Has Arrived

During the Holiday's Premier Financial CU is happy to provide a little Holiday Relief. With Holiday Skip-A-Pay, Christmas Loans, or Christmas Club PFCU wants our members to have a stress-free holiday season.

For just $25 per qualified loan members can skip a qualified monthly loan payment. See flyer for more details.

Christmas loans are available up to $2,500 this holiday season to make your shopping a whole lot easier this year. Don't stress about leaving your savings account empty by applying for this low rate loan with afforadable monthly payments. See application for more details.

Our Christmas Club is the was to save for the holidays all year around by creating a seperate savings account. This seperate account is your little piggy bank designed specifically for this time of year. Put a little bit of each paycheck into your Christmas Club account and have no worries throughout the year about the ability to put smiles on the faces of all your loved ones. Call Member Services at 866-416-3700 to get your account set up today.

Xtend Shared Branching

Premier Financial Credit Union is very happy to announce that we have added an additional shared branching network to your tool box for financial success. The Xtend CU Shared Branch Network adds and additional 187 branches to our credit union network in an effort to be everywhere that you are. The network adds to our existing network of 3,810 shared branch locations around the country with 98 located in Michigan.

The shared branch network gives members the opportunity to perform transactions just as if you were walking into our main branch in Clinton township. Shared branch transactions include:

Withdrawals
Deposits
Loan Payments
Transfers
Account Balance Inquiries

Additional Services*
- Line of Credit Advances
- Credit Card Advances
- Travelers Checks**
- Money Orders**
- Receipt Copies**
- Corporate Checks**
- Notary Public Services**
- Photo Copies**
- Fax Services**
- Check Cashing**

*These services not offered in all locations

**There may be a fee charged for this service

MELVINDALE BRANCH IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!!!!

We are happy to announce that PFCU has opened a new Branch Office in the MichCon Allen Road Service Center located in Melvindale.

The branch location is on the corner of Greenfield Rd. and Allend Rd. The address is 17150 Allen Rd., Melvindale, MI 48122. Please note that this facility is a secured location and does require proper identification to gain access to the complex.

The staff at PFCU is very excitied to have this location opening to serve our membership. Should you have any questions or concerns about this location, please call 866-416-3700.

Important Update to "It's Me 247" Online Banking

Do you have the It's Me 24/7 link saved in your Favorites? If so, click on the link below and re-save in your favorites as the address has changed.

It's Me 247 Online Banking has a new address! The URL on our website has been changed to use a different address to get to online banking. Be sure to update your browser favorites to match the link here!

www.itsme247.com/119

Identity Theft - Be aware of scams!

Identity Theft is a major problem in today's society. To help prevent the crime you must be aware of all the different ways predators are trying to obtain your information. Remember that your credit union will never ask you to click on a link in an email and provide sensitive information. No financial institution should ever do this. If you are suspicious of an email the first thing to check is the email address that sent you the suspicious email. If and email is from us it will end with "@premierfinancialcu.org." If you are ever unsure about information that is representing itself as credit union material, don't hesitate to call us at 866-416-3700.

Examples of recent fraudulent emails that are in circulation:

Payment Protector Plan email that looks like it's from CUNA - email includes a graphic from the CUNA website with their logo. The email offers a "Payment Protection Plan" and asks you to click on a link to activate the free plan. This is a SPAM email and you should not click on the link.
CO-OP Services Credit Union Automatic Notification - this email also includes a logo and a graphic for CO-OP Services Credit Union and states you must click on a link to renew your "payments and transfers services." Again, please be advised this is a SPAM email and you should not click on the link.

Also, be aware if an email is asking you to call a number to verify information. Please remember that Premier Financial Credit Union will never ask you to call a number or click on a link in an email to verify information. We respect the privacy of your personal information and want to do everything in our power to keep your information safe. That is exactly why we recently converted to stronger passwords for online banking users.

For more information about online safety please visit www.cusecure.org. This site is helpful to explain more about phishing, email fraud, and ways to protect yourself.

Before you fall victim to identity theft you should consider Pre-Paid Legal, Inc. Pre-Paid Legal offers an Identity Theft Shield program to provide continuous credit monitoring and help with identity Restoration should the unthinkable happen. Pre-Paid Legal also offers a legal plan to assist with legal consultation, letters, contract review, will preparation, minor and major legal expenses, etc. To sign up visit https://www.prepaidlegal.com/Multisite/Multisite?site=hub&assoc=r_chambers.

Auto and Home Insurance Discounts for Credit Union Members

The benefits of credit union membership continue to grow. Premier Financial Credit Union Members receive exclusive group pricing through the following companies.

It makes perfect sense.   You get a large group of people together and they all share in the economies for lower cost.   It's the principle that founded credit unions.   And, it's the same philosophy that drives AAA Group Insurance. Call (866) AAA-MICH for a quote or click the Logo at left.

Premier Financial Credit Union members may be eligible for discounted auto insurance rates from Nationwide!

In Michigan Call: Olmstead Insurance Agency at (586) 465-3473

Everywhere Else Call: Nationwide Sales Solutions at (866) 556-SAVE





You can save money on your personal insurance through an outstanding benefit program designed especially for credit union members.    As a member, you can buy your automobile and homeowners coverage at special group discount rates. And your policies will be underwritten by Citizens Insurance Company of America, a company with over 80 years of experience. Call (800) 966-4768 for a quote or click the Logo at left.

Insurance products sold through or in the credit union are not insured by the National Credit Union Administration and are not issued, guaranteed, or underwritten by the credit union or the National Credit Union Administration or any other federal government agency.

Get Your Free Credit Report

FACT ACT: The United States Congress has given you a tool to help ward off identity theft—the ability to monitor your credit reports for free.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) grants you one free credit report per year from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies—Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. You can request one, two, or all three reports at the same time, or stagger your requests over a 12-month period. One advantage of ordering all your reports at one time is you can compare the information each of the bureaus has collected on you. However, if you opt to order a report every four months, you'll be able to see any unauthorized activity that's occurred in the previous months.

How to order your reports. You can order free reports on-line at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also request your reports by phone by calling toll free (877) 322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form (download it at https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf) and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Phone and mail requests will be processed within 15 days of receipt. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Why it's important.Your credit history is your It's resume. It's what credit grantor's, landlords, employers and insurance companies use to determine your credit worthiness. The better credit you have, the better interest rates you'll secure on loans. So, it's in your best interest to make sure the information contained in your report provides an accurate picture of your financial history.

Protect your identity.Identity theft claimed some 10 million victims in 2002 alone, according to the Commission's Trade Commissions (FTC) “Identity Theft Survey Report” conducted in September of 2003. According to the report, the total cost of identity theft to the consumer victims was $5 billion. Approximately 52 percent of the identity theft victims (approximately 5 million people) discovered that they were victims of identity theft by monitoring their accounts.

By reviewing your credit report periodically you can stay on top of any unauthorized credit accounts that have been set up in your name. You'll also be able to see inquiries that you didn't initiate and any suspicious debts on your legitimate accounts.

Spot mistakes before they wreak havoc. A June 2004 study by the National Association of State Public Research Interest Groups (U.S. PIRG) revealed some alarming facts surrounding the accuracy—rather, the inaccuracy—of information contained in credit reports.

The consumer advocacy group's study, which looked at credit reports belonging to 200 adults in 30 states, found that almost 80 percent of the reports contained mistakes, including misspelled names, wrong social security numbers and inaccurate birth dates. Other errors included closed accounts listed as active, loans listed multiple times and loans not listed at all. Most disturbingly, the same study found that one in four credit reports contained errors grave enough to impact the consumer's ability to acquire affordable credit, and can even result in the denial of loans, housing and employment.

It's your right; it's my right. While FACTA stops short of curbing the exchange of information between credit agencies and parties interested in your credit history, it empowers you, the consumer, to make certain the information is both accurate and up to date.

Premier Financial Credit Union
38770 Garfield
Suite 120
Clinton Township, Michigan 48038
866-416-3700
Fax: 586-416-3701
info@premierfinancialcu.org