May 2023 News

Great Erie eNews

MAY 2023

Welcome to Great Erie eNews, the monthly e-Newsletter from

Great Erie Federal Credit Union.

From your finances and family to lifestyle and useful tips, your financial co-op is here for you.

May News

Happy Spring

Nothing says Spring like a Cherry Blossom Tree at the season's peak. The rich colors are magnificent if you're fortunate enough to enjoy such beauty from your window or lining a landscape. Sweet-scented breezes assure us that Spring has arrived. And after the winter we just survived, I am ready for budding trees, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Some say this past winter wasn't so bad. I can't entirely agree!! It was the worst in my memory. Anyone dealing with missing roof shingles, messed up landscaping, ceiling leaks and the like, will agree it was not an easy winter on home or psyche. The good news is that Great Erie is ready to help. We offer solutions to help you rebuild and repair your home. A Home Equity Line of Credit will give you the funds to tackle home repairs, leaving memories of the blustery winter of 2022-23 behind. Our loan officers are available to assist in getting your application started. You'll breathe easier knowing that we're here to help get the repairs under control, even when the weather isn't.

Robyn

Robyn Young/CEO

Great Erie FCU

Youth Savings & Education

Learn. Save. Grow!

The Super Saver Club is a savings program designed especially for kids up to 12 years of age, brought to you by Great Erie Federal Credit Union. With Billi kangaroo, kids learn about saving and other important financial topics through educational stories, games and entertaining activities. Best of all, the club is fun and free!

Learn More

Whether you're shopping around the corner, online, or around the world, Great Erie's Great Rate Visa Credit Card gives you the purchasing power - and value - you need.

Welcomed at millions of locations, our Visa Credit Card has affordable low rates, actually, great rates!

Learn More

ONLINE SAFETY - SCAMS

Avoiding a Scam When You're Looking for a Job

Scammers advertise jobs the same way honest employers do — online (in ads, on job sites and on social media), in newspapers and sometimes on TV and radio. They promise you a job, but what they want is your money and your personal information. Here are some examples of job scams and advice on how to avoid them.

Calling all soccer fans! When you pay with your Great Erie FCU Visa card from 4/1/23 – 5/15/23, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a trip to Sydney, Australia for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023^TMSemi-Final and Final courtesy of Visa.Now that's something to cheer about!

Grand Prize Package includes:

· Roundtrip Airfare for 2 to Sydney, Australia

· 2 Tickets to Semi-Final match

· 2 Tickets to Final match

· 6 Nights Hotel Accommodations

Learn More

BANZAI CORNER - Great Erie's Online Financial Literacy Program

It all starts with a conversation!

One of the core principles at Great Erie is “Education, Training and Information.” We offer a variety of financial literacy and outreach options to help individuals start on the path to Financial Wellness!

Great Erie FCU has expanded its Financial Education programming partnership to the community offering a series of educational money management talks aimed at helping individuals succeed at personal finances AND the best part is that it is free.

Core topics range from Banking 101: Ins and Outs of Financial Institutions / Budget 101: How to make a budget / Borrowing: Credit, Debit and Credit Score: Managing wisely / Home Buying / Car Buying 101.

Upcoming presentations:

May 15 - Banking 101

East Aurora Recreation Department

5:30pm - 6:30pm Grades 7-12

6:30pm - 7:30pm Grades 9-12

May 18 - Budgeting for Teens

Orchard Park Library

6:00pm - 6:45pm

The Financial Literacy and Education program is a way of supporting the community and businesses in hopes to help individuals begin the journey to Financial Wellness. We have also partnered with keynote speakers on topics such as Medicare/Medicaid and Retirement Planning!

Interested in attending or providing a session for your business or place of work?

Call Andrea at 716-662-1311 x110. It all starts with a conversation!

MEMBER & BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Quiet Creek Fence

'Tis the season to start thinking about summer house projects! Meet Patrick Wood with Quiet Creek Fence.

Why not bring a new and fresh modern look to your home with a new fence?

Quiet Creek Fence offers both residential and commercial fencing solutions: Wood, Vinyl, Chain Link, Ornamental Fence Installs, Vinyl and Aluminum Railing Installs. Need a fence repaired? They do that too.

Keep your Property Secure. Quiet Creek offers high-quality products for a valued budget to bring your individualized vision to life! Trustworthy. Reliable. Modern.

Serving all of Western New York, why not take full advantage of the beautiful weather and give Patrick a call for a free estimate.

716-989-8583

Quietcreekllc@gmail.com

https://quietcreekfence.com/

Get noticed with a Member/Business Spotlight - Submit your Business! Celebrating an anniversary or milestone? This is a wonderful opportunity to announce it to our Great Erie membership. It's free! Please email: aball@greateriefcu.com or call 662.1311 x110 for more details.

Offered by GEFCU to promote growth and reward our members for expanding our membership. Help your credit union, get rewarded! Share the benefits of being a member/owner of Great Erie with your friends and family! Earn $20 every time you refer a friend to Great Erie. The more you refer, the more you earn!

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GREAT ERIE GIVES

April 2023 Giving

Our April Community Wishes/Dress Down Day Donation went to

The WNY Land Conservancy

The Land Conservancy is an accredited regional, not-for-profit land trust that works with landowners, municipalities, and other organizations to help them conserve their most cherished natural areas and working farms.

Vision

We envision a future in which forests, farms, meadows and waterways are connected, cherished and protected in Western New York. Our clean air, clean water, and fertile soils will equitably support the health and well-being of future generations of every living thing.

Learn more at the www.wnylc.org

Credit Sense

Keep score of your finances.

How financially responsible are you? That's what a credit score attempts to measure. With Great Erie's free Credit Sense service you can easily access your full credit report, gain insight into what factors are affecting your rating, access credit monitoring and money-saving opportunities and get solid ideas on how to raise your all-important score - all at no cost.

Free Credit Score & Report

Safe Keeping

Financial Health

By staying in touch with your score, report and monitoring updates you put yourself in the best position to truly discover financial freedom.

Learn More

Card Sense App

Keep tabs on your Great Erie debit and credit cards with real-time alerts from our Card Sense App.

Personalize your card security with transaction controls such as device location, merchandise category, transaction types and spending limits. The Card Sense App is a free app available for download to your mobile phone. Turn your cards on or off, create transaction controls and alerts for any card issued by

Great Erie FCU.

Card Sense is our member's best tool for preventing fraud and tracking card use in real-time.

Learn More

GREAT ERIE BLOG

How Missed Payments Impact Your Credit Score

Insights on the effect of late payments

Your ability to pay your bills on time is a huge component of your credit score. In fact, it's the biggest. Payment history makes up 35 percent of a FICO score and 40 percent of a VantageScore, both the largest contributing factors.