Welcome to Summer! Are you staying cool?
In this newsletter, we cover a lot of ground, including a major new announcement, our annual Kid’s Club picnic announcement, our scholarship winners for the year and more. We also take a moment to honor and recognize our local heroes.
The big announcement is our way of giving you as much back as possible.
For that, we go to the desk of our CEO…
From the desk of the CEO
I couldn’t wait to graduate High School. No matter what your high school experience was, we can all agree that it was a long time. From the time I was 5 to 18, I was generally with the same people every year. I was ready for a change. I didn’t think I would ever return after graduation.
Now my kids are going to the same school, so guess what… I’m back.
You find yourself getting more and more involved. You are “volunteered” for class trips and pie festivals, football games, and buying those discount cards that you immediately lose. Like those ever-present figures of your past, you parents, aunts, uncles, and family friends.
It is time to take your turn and give back.
We are a financial institution, but we often times think of ourselves as a little bit more. We strive to provide the best in financial products, services, advice, and customer service, but we also consider our relationship to go a little deeper than that. We are part of your Community. We are friends and colleagues and volunteers alongside many of you. This credit union is a cooperative. Without you as our members / owners, where would we be? We appreciate your loyal membership and now we get to show it by giving back to you!
We are proud to introduce our First Choice REWARDS Visa Credit Card.
You will earn one point for every $1 you spend. Points can be redeemed for travel, gifts cards, cash, or merchandise.
I am personally excited about how our travel rewards work. You are able to redeem all, a portion, or none of your points when booking flights, hotels, or vehicle rental reservations. If you do not have enough points to cover the entire price, or prefer to keep some in reserve, use as many points as you choose and charge the balance to your REWARDS card.
Track, shop, or redeem your rewards using Access Point (located on our website) or from your mobile device through our app. As an enhanced offering, you can use the portal to shop at dozens of popular retail merchants and earn bonus points. Bonus opportunities change each month so make sure you check often.
The Rewards Visa has many of the same features of our Platinum Visa such as:
- No Annual Fee
- Fixed Rates
- VISA brand accepted worldwide
The interest rate on the Rewards Visa card will be a low 15.90%, but we are not done giving back. If you have your paycheck direct deposited with First Choice, we will lower that rate to 14.90%!
So now you can earn 1 point for every $1 spent, have the opportunity for bonus points monthly, and enjoy a rate as low as 14.90% on your outstanding balances.
Where can you sign up?
Well you simply have to fill out an application online or at any of our branches and you will be on your way to REWARDING yourself for spending.
We hope that you will truly enjoy this new product and that it will reward you for your everyday purchases. It is just another way we are trying to give back to our valued members.
Best Regards,
Michael Vatter, CEO of First Choice Federal Credit Union of New Castle
Just to remind you
First Choice wants to help you avoid costly and potentially embarrassing overdraft charges. In addition to tools to monitor your checking account like on-line, mobile banking, and alerts, your First Choice Checking Account is linked to available funds in both your Savings and Loan Collateral Accounts. Funds will be transferred from these linked accounts and a transfer fee assessed to cover what would otherwise result in an overdraft in your checking account. We may also make Courtesy Pay available.
Courtesy Pay is a discretionary service to allow members to overdraw their Checking Account by up to $500.00.
Each overdraft is charged a Courtesy Pay fee that is equal to the NSF charge, but the item is paid and not returned. Courtesy Pay allows a member to avoid the additional cost and embarrassment of making the unpaid item good with the merchant payee.
Debit card transactions are special. Everyday debit and ATM transactions require you to complete an OPT IN form to allow us to make your Courtesy Pay funds available to you at the point-of-sale or ATM. If you OPT IN and access Courtesy Pay funds using your debit card Courtesy fee will be assessed. Don’t get declined at the checkout line or in an emergency and complete an OPT-IN form today.
No more teachers, no more books
Summer is upon us. We hope there are lots of popsicles, pools, picnics, vacations, adventures, and some sleeping in over these next three months.
High school graduation is a time of accomplishment and reflection as students are set to begin a new chapter in their lives.
Scholarship winners
We are so fortunate to have so many students participate in our scholarship contest each year. This year we had the most applications of any credit union in our area. It is such an honor to play even a small role in the lives of our students and give them this opportunity. To all of those who entered, we greatly appreciate it. Even if you didn’t win this year, keep applying as many years as you are eligible. Everyone could you a little extra cash to defer costs.
Not only did we have the most applications, but we also had the most winners of the Shenango Valley Chapter Scholarships.
Congratulations to:
- Logan Ferrucci
- Hanna Hill
- Stephanie Johnson
- Nicole Kanary
- Christopher Litrenta Jr.
- Michelle Pfahles
- Paige Shaftic
Each will receive a $500 scholarship in acknowledgement of winning the essay contest.
There are two students that also won our Annual Edward J Cialella Scholarship. Eddie was such an important visionary for our credit union and was truly committed to education and the students of each generation. We are proud to announce that both Hanna Hill and Nicole Kanary are the 2019 recipients.
Everyone loves a picnic
From those that graduated to those that have a few more years until they get there. We would like to invite all the Kid’s Club members to Pearson Park for our Annual back to school picnic. Along with food, fun, prizes, and activities, we will fellowship with parents and grandparents. It is always such a fun time.
The picnic is scheduled for Saturday, August 24th from 10:00 – 12:00. Look for your personalized invitations in the mail.
We hope that everyone has a wonderful, healthy, and safe summer!
Proud to serve our heroes
We are so very honored to serve those who serve or served. For any Veterans or active military personnel as well as those who serve as Firefighters or Police Officers, we offer an additional Service Person’s Discount from our already low loan rates.
You have done so much for our Country and our Community, this is just a simple way that we can show our appreciation.
For those of you who serve or have served, but do not need a loan at this time, we wish to offer you our deep and sincere gratitude for your sacrifices. Thank you!