Community First, since 1959, has been Doing Good!
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International Credit Union Day
Thursday, October 15 is International Credit Union Day!
Each year, credit unions around the world celebrate International Credit Union Day (ICU Day) to raise awareness about the benefits of having a credit union as your financial partner.
This year’s global health crisis has been trying for many communities, but credit unions stayed true to their cooperative principles and stepped up during this time of economic uncertainty. Hope is a global resource that everyone has a right to feel. This year’s ICU Day theme, “Inspiring hope for a global community,” reflects how credit unions contribute to a brighter future by providing financial empowerment to people through financial services, education, and support.
Community First Credit Union has kept its doors open throughout the pandemic, offered financial assistance to those who were adversely impacted, and continued to provide online financial education and resources.
Thank you for being among the 260 million credit union Members worldwide.
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“Voting is your civic duty.” A common sentiment, especially each November as Election Day approaches. But it is more than that.
In a democracy, you have the right to elect your representatives; locally, statewide, and nationally. As a Member of this not-for-profit credit union, you also vote on who sits on our Board and Supervisory Committee. All 60,000 Members of Community First have a vote.
Typically, national elections get most of the attention during an election year, but the real action is with our local election. Who we vote in as our sheriff, district attorney, supervisors, mayors, and the many other public offices affect how your taxes will be spent, the quality of your child’s education, the safety of your neighborhood, and the overall well-being of your community.
Depending on where you live, you will have officials to elect and propositions and measures to pass, or not pass.
To help inform you what will be on the ballot this fall, here are a few links to state and local ballots.
Check your voter registration status or register to vote here.
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Cost-Recovery Schedule Makes First Changes in Nearly 3 Years
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At nearly all banks and credit unions, there is a fee schedule. At Community First it’s a cost-recovery schedule.
The difference? At banks, fees are a profit center. They charge not necessary what an item or service costs, but what the market will bear. For example, Wells, BofA, Chase, et. al., charge $36 for non-sufficient funds, better known as a “bounced check.” They charge $36 because focus-group research shows them that is the very maximum they can charge without you getting so mad you pull your account!
At Community First, we merely recover the cost ($26 in the case of non-sufficient funds), so that an individual’s adverse actions aren’t subsidized by other Members. That’s fair. That’s simple. And it’s consistent with the mentality of this financial co-op.
What did change after nearly three years? Hardly anything, except for business checking accounts. For businesses we’ve added minimum average balances to avoid the monthly fee. We also will start charging business accounts for counting currency and coins.
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“Waiting Package” Phishing Scam |
Have you heard of the “waiting package” phishing scam? It is one of the newest scams.
A scammer sends a text message saying there is a package waiting for you, and asks you to click the link to learn more. Sounds believable, right? Unfortunately, it not always is.
Increasingly, these messages are coming from scammers, taking advantage of the surge in online shopping.
No matter the message, the rule stays the same: if you get an unexpected text message about a package, do not click on any links. If you believe the message could be legit, contact the company using a website or phone number you know is real. Do not use the information in the text message.
Choosing to click on a link gives them the opportunity to trick you into giving your personal information, such as passwords, account numbers, or credit card information. Clicking these links could also let scammers download malware onto your device.
If you receive a phishing text, forward it to SPAM (7726). You’ll receive an automated message from your wireless carrier, asking you to enter the phone number from which the spam text was sent. Afterwards, you can report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
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707-546-6000
PO Box 6004,
Santa Rosa, CA 95406
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