VISA® Platinum Offers Worthwhile Benefits (back to top)

Start saving money immediately when you transfer your higher rate bank or department store credit card balances to a Securityplus FCU VISA Platinum card. Our VISA Platinum card offers:

• Variable Rate – 6.25% APR*
• No Annual Fee
• No Balance Transfer Fee
• No Cash Advance Fee
• 0.25% discount on future Auto and Signature Loans
• Free Convenience Checks
• A 25-day grace period on all credit purchases
• Annual 0.5% Rebate**
• Free Auto Rental Insurance
• 24-hour Roadside Dispatch that provides roadside assistance at pre-negotiated rates
• $1,000,000 Travel Accident Insurance

Contact the Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS, visit our website, www.securityplusfcu.org, or your nearest branch to apply.

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. VISA rates adjust quarterly, on the first day of January, April, July and October. The rate applied on those dates is based upon the Prime Rate in effect on the 20th of the month prior, and remains in effect until the next change date. Prime Rate effective 9/20/09 is 3.25% as published in the Wall Street Journal. The rate floor is 4.00% and the rate ceiling is 18.00%.
** A rebate of 1/2 of 1% on accrued annual purchases of $1,200 or more.

Make Holiday Wishes Come True (back to top)

Our VISA Gift Cards¹ make the perfect gift and can be used anywhere VISA debit cards are accepted.

• Ideal for any holiday or special occasion
• Easy to stay on budget
• The one gift that doesn’t get returned
• No more worrying about wish lists
• It’s always the perfect size.

Purchasing a gift card is easy and convenient.

Pick up at your nearest branch…or order at www.securityplusfcu.org!

Choose a gift card design and dollar amount, between $20 and $750 per gift card. Emboss the recipient’s name and one of 16 standard messages when you order online.

All card recipients receive access to phone and online support 24/7 to check their gift card balance, report a lost gift card and more.

This year Securityplus FCU is making holiday shopping easy! Purchase one – or more – gift cards today!

¹There is a $5.95 fee per gift card.

Visit with Santa! (back to top)

You’re invited to Visit with Santa!

All members under the age of 10 are welcome to attend. Santa will have gifts, a photo opportunity, refreshments and holiday goodies for you and your family to enjoy.

Santa’s elves are waiting to hear from you. The elves will need to know the following information: the member’s name and the time he or she would like to visit Santa.

This year we are proud to support the Reisterstown Community Crisis Center Food Pantry. You can help too! Bring a non-perishable food item when you come to visit Santa. Collection boxes will be located at our registration table.

Make a Difference… Become a Director (back to top)

Securityplus FCU is looking for members who want to put their talents to work for a good cause.

We are seeking qualified volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors, as well as other volunteer committees, and you could be just the right person!

You will be required to complete and forward a Self-Nomination Statement form to our Nominating Committee by November 30, 2009. Incumbents must also submit this form.

To obtain a Self-Nomination Statement, contact the Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS, visit www.securityplusfcu.org, or your nearest branch.

VISA® eStatements Now Available (back to top)

If you have one of our VISA credit cards, you can now go “green” and access your current and past VISA account statements online. Each time a new statement becomes available, you’ll be notified by email.*

Not only will you help cut down on the amount of paper we use, you will also receive your statements sooner. And people who receive their statements online typically catch fraud earlier than those who wait for their statements to arrive in the mail.

To sign-up for VISA eStatements, log into your Online Banking account and choose the VISA Access tab. Enrollment is FREE and easy. Please note: this is separate from the eStatements you may currently receive for your other Credit Union accounts. To receive VISA eStatements, you must enroll under the VISA Access tab of Online Banking.

It feels good to go green. And, you can gain a little green of your own. When you help the Credit Union reduce expenses, the savings can come back to you in the form of better rates and lower fees.

Securityplus FCU offers 5 unique credit card programs designed for members with different levels of credit experience. Our rates, fees and credit lines are among the most competitive anywhere.

Contact the Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS, visit www.securityplusfcu.org, or your nearest branch for more information on our credit card program.

*Email address must be valid at the time of enrollment.

www.securityplusfcu.org Gets A Facelift! (back to top)

We have been working hard to update and improveour website. The new site, which will be introduced this winter, will feature simpler navigation and easy links to Credit Union products and services.

Additional features of the new website will be highlighted in future issues of Sharing Times.

We are very excited about the new website and we hope you are, too. If you have any concerns, email us at comments@securityplusfcu.org or contact our Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS.

Borrow In Your Bathrobe (back to top)

A great feature of our website is the online loan application process.

Easily apply for one of our loan products* at your convenience without leaving the comforts of home.

Visit www.securityplusfcu.org for more information on our loan products or to apply.

*Mortgages are currently excluded from the online application process.

Looking for a Sophisticated Way to Save? (back to top)

Make the most of our newest Money Market account tier – “Prestige” – designed for account balances of $250,000 or more.

Earn a competitive dividend rate while still having access to your money.

Why open a Money Market “Prestige” account?

• It’s affordable
• You receive a great dividend rate
• You have the convenience of check writing – write up to 3 checks, per month, in the amount of $250 or higher.

And remember, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), an agency of the United States Government, insures member deposits to an aggregate of $250,000. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are insured separately up to an additional $250,000.

Contact the Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS, visit www.securityplusfcu.org, or your nearest branch for more information.

Improved Personal Line of Credit (back to top)

We now have an improved Personal Line of Credit, which replaces our existing PLOC/RSVP loan. The new Personal Line of Credit offers:

• A variable rate starting as low as 10.25% APR*
• Lower minimum payments
• A monthly bill if you have a balance
• 0.25% rate discount with automatic repayment from a Securityplus FCU account
• 3-year renewable draw period

If you have our former PLOC/RSVP loan, you will receive a special package in the mail. Once you sign and return the new forms, you can take advantage of all the benefits our new Personal Line of Credit provides.

For additional information, contact our Call Center at 410-965-8908 or 1-866-4SECPLUS.

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rate as low as Prime + 7.00%. Prime Rate effective 11/1/09 is 3.25% as published in the Wall Street Journal. The rate floor for this product is 5.00% and the rate ceiling is 18.00%. Rates are based on each applicant’s credit history. Not all members will be eligible.

Early Winter Closings (back to top)

In the spirit of the holiday season, all branches and the Call Center will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, December 24th AND Thursday, December 31st. The Credit Union will be closed on Friday, December 25th in observance of Christmas Day and Friday, January 1st in observance of New Year’s Day.

Now’s the Time to Apply Online
for a New Year Retirement (back to top)

Courtesy of: Wendy Poulson
Social Security District Manager – Glen Burnie

If you’re planning on retiring sometime early in the New Year, now is the time to apply for retirement benefits. The most convenient way to apply for Social Security benefits is online – from the comfort of your home or office. Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.

Our website will walk you through the online retirement application process. We will tell you what information you will need to answer the questions on the application. Further, we will describe the documents you may need to present once you have submitted your application.

Before you start your application, we recommend you get an estimate of your retirement benefit. This too, you can do on the Social Security website at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. The Retirement Estimator uses your personal employment history to estimate your retirement benefit. It also will help you to answer some of the questions on the retirement application.

You can use the online application to apply for Social Security retirement or spouses benefits if you:

• Are at least 61 years and 9 months old;
• Want to start your benefits in the next four months; and
• Live in the United States.

You will want to be fully informed of your options and their consequences before applying. The website will tell you everything you need to know about the Social Security “basics” so you’ll be ready to retire when you apply online.

Before filing online for retirement, we suggest you have the following information on hand:

• Your date and place of birth and Social Security number;
• Your bank or financial institution’s routing transit number and the account number, for direct deposit of your benefits;
• The amount of money earned last year and this year. If you are filing for benefits in the months of September through December, you also will need to estimate next year’s earnings;
• The name and address of your employer(s) for this year and last year;
• The beginning and ending dates of any active U.S. military service you had before 1968;
• The name, Social Security number and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse.
• You also should know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death (if appropriate); and
• A copy of your Social Security Statement.
• Even if you don’t have all the information we need, you should go ahead and apply. We will contact you later if we need additional documentation.

Applying online means there is no need for you to go to a Social Security office or wait for a scheduled appointment with a Social Security representative. Besides, retiring online is so easy. You can apply in as little as 15 minutes.

So if you want to start the New Year off as a retiree, or plan to start collecting benefits early in the New Year, now’s the time to take action. Don’t delay; apply online today at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.

Holiday Schedule (back to top)

While our branches may be closed on the following holidays, you can still access your accounts online or visit one of our 37,000 surcharge-free ATMs