Newsletter

Reduce your Debt NOW! - 2 Special Offers!

Take advantage of our 2 Special Offers!  (available 1.01.19 - 3.31.19)

Now, you can minimize the interest you pay on the debt you carry!
Select the best solutions for your financial security and optimal debt management:

1. Credit Card Debt?  - Special Offer 1.99% APR* 
Transfer your higher interest credit card balances to a WCTFCU Visa Credit Card to pay only 1.99% APR* for 12 months & no transfer fees! Simply use our secure online Credit Card Balance Transfer Form, or the printable PDF version.  (Rate reverts to your standard WCTFCU Visa interest rate following 12 month promotional period (from 8.00% APR*). Offer good for current & new Visa cardholders.)

Don't yet have our Visa Credit Card? Compare our 3 Visa Credit Cards, and apply online for a Visa Credit Card (from 8.00% APR*!) @wctfcu.com.


2. Consolidate Your Debt  - Special Offer from 4.99% APR* 
Move all of your high interest debt into a single, lower interest rate, affordable monthly payment Debt Consolidation Loan, now with special rates from 4.99% APR*. 

You'll Still Have Debt. But, you will pay less interest; with a fixed interest rate loan & fixed monthly payments that never increase! Apply now!

Useful Tools:  
- Debt Consolidation Calculator (under Resources Tab on our website)
- Credit Card Debt Reduction Calculator  
- Loan &/or Visa Credit Card secure online Application Form
- Credit Card Balance(s) Transfer Form secure online application
- Credit Card Balance(s) Transfer Form printable PDF Version

Questions? Call, click or stop by for details! 

Special offers available 1.01.19 - 3.31.19. Special 1.99% APR Visa offer available on all Visa balance transfers & cash advances for new & existing Visa credit card holders in good standing. *Annual Percentage Rates effective 12.1.18. Rates based on borrower's credit history. Special Debt Consolidation Loan rate is for loans $10,000+, new money only. Rate is lowest offered, and includes a .25% rate discount for automatic payment option. Other rates & terms available.

Annual Members' Meeting 5.23.19

Members are welcome to attend the Annual Members' Meeting, to be held Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 3:30pm, in the Middlebury Branch.

Agenda will include:

• Board Reports
• Committee Reports
• Members' Q&A with the Board

Your Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Plan

WCTFCU is switching AD&D insurance providers.

Have you elected to purchase additional Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage through CUNA Mutual?   (Supplemental to the $3,000 already provided through CUNA Mutual at no cost to WCTFCU Members.)

If so, effective December 1, 2018, Minnesota Life Insurance Company is your new carrier for your AD&D coverage. This includes the initial $3,000 provided to you at no cost by WCTFCU, as well as any  supplemental coverage that you choose to purchase.

Premium Payments You may have noticed that your December 2018 monthly AD&D premium was not deducted. This is because you will no longer pay on a monthly basis; you will now pay quarterly. Due to the change in administrator, the December 2018 billing will be delayed to be billed on or around January 14, 2019. Going forward, your premiums will be billed on a quarterly basis, on or around the third business day of March, June, September and December.

There will be no interruption in coverage. Affinion Benefits Group, LLC will be the new Plan Administrator.

You will be receiving a letter shortly from Minnesota Life with detailed information on these changes. 

Skip Your December Visa Payment!

You may eligible to skip your December Visa credit card payment of your November bill!

Check your November Visa credit card statements to see if you are eligible, and for details.
If you qualify, you will see the word **NONE** in the total minimum payment due field on your WCTFCU Visa credit card statement. 

Your statement will also have the following message: “You may skip this month’s minimum payment on your account. Finance charges will continue to accrue. Monthly minimum payments will resume on your next statement.”

Am I Qualified? You are qualified to skip your December WCTFCU Visa credit card payment if you: 
- are not currently delinquent
- are not over your credit limit
- have not been 60 days past due on your credit card in the last 12 months.

Cardholder’s can still make a normal payment if they so choose. It is your option to skip the December payment. There is no opt in or opt out necessary. 

Note: Finance charges will continue to accrue. 
Note: Monthly minimum payments will resume on your next/the following statement.

Security Apps!

Fraud protection for WCTFCU Visa Debit & Credit Cards.

WCTFCU Members can get an extra level of security to safeguard their WCTFCU Debit & Visa Credit cards from fraud.

To control access, usage & spending on your WCTFCU debit &/or credit cards, simply use our 2 free mobile Apps on your smartphone & tablet.

Each App is unique to the specific card.
- CardValet for your debit card
- SecurLOCK Equip for your credit card

You can decide when, where and how your card is used; set customized alerts and activity limits.

Already using the Debit Card Alerts feature within WCTFCU online banking? For faster Debit Card Alerts, we suggest that you switch to CardValet. 

 Click below to learn more about each App:

• Debit Card App CardValet

• Visa Credit Card App SecurLOCK Equip

2018 Scholarships Awarded

2018 WCTFCU Scholarship Recipients (Left to Right) Kayleigh Anne Moses, Alexa Millius, Lauren Stango, John Fontaine Board Member, Missing from the photo is Gaia Mistriel 

Teacher’s Credit Union Grants $14,000 in Scholarships

The Waterbury CT Teachers Federal Credit Union granted $14,000 in scholarships to area students. The Credit Union received 62 scholarship applications this year. The Scholarship Committee, a subcommittee of the Board of Directors, carefully evaluated the anonymous Applicants’ Application Form, GPA, Transcript, Essay, and Extracurricular Activities Resume in order to rate each students’ submission, and select the recipients. 

The WCTFCU Board of Directors is pleased to introduce, the 2018 WCTFCU Scholarships recipients, all of whom graduated with honors. Alexa Millius, a Thomaston High School graduate, received The Jean O’Brien Memorial Scholarship named for a former Board Member, this is a 4-year scholarship granted to a student with a declared major in education and plans for a career in teaching. Alexa will attend Central CT State University.

The 3 WCTFCU general Scholarships were granted to the following 2018  graduates. Kayleigh Anne Moses, a graduate of Southington High School who will attend Trinity College, Gaia Mistriel a Danbury High School graduate who will attend Eastern CT State University, Lauren Stango, a Pomperaug High School graduate, will attend Lafayette College.

Additionally, the 2015, 2016 and 2017 recipients of The Jean O’Brien Memorial Scholarship all received renewals of their 4 year Scholarship.

Congratulations 2018 Scholarship Recipients!

Equifax Breach 

UPDATE 02.2018  Equifax has reported to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the United States Senate Banking Committee, that hackers in the 2017 breach accessed more of consumers' personal information than the company initially disclosed publicly last year. Stolen records include tax ID numbers*, email addresses and additional driver’s license information (driver’s license issue dates and states) beyond the license numbers it originally disclosed.

The additional stolen data could, for example, make it easier for cyber-criminals to access a victim's 401k, and IRS Taxes - in order to submit a fraudulent tax return. It is unclear how many of the 145.5 million people are affected by the additional data stolen.  Equifax has sent mail notices to consumers whose credit-card numbers and certain other documents were affected. The fact that hackers accessed even more data shows both the vast amount of information that Equifax holds and the risks at stake for consumers given the level of personal information that has been compromised.   

Source: Synopsis of WSJ 02.09.18 Equifax Hack Might Be Worse Than You Think, A Andriotis)

Equifax Incident Involves 145.5MM+ Consumers

Equifax offers free identity theft protection & credit file monitoring to all US Consumers.

9.7.17 Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced a cybersecurity incident potentially impacting approximately 145.5 million U.S. consumers. The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers.

Equifax has established a dedicated website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers determine if their information has been potentially impacted, and to sign up for free credit file monitoring and identity theft protection (TrustedID Premier) whether or not they have been compromised. The website also provides additional information on steps consumers can take to protect their personal information. In addition to availing the website, Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personal identifying information were impacted. 

The complimentary 12 month monitoring offering, called TrustedID Premier, includes 3-Bureau credit monitoring of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports; copies of Equifax credit reports; the ability to lock and unlock Equifax credit reports; identity theft insurance; and Internet scanning for Social Security numbers – all complimentary to U.S. consumers for one year. Due to the severity of the risk associated with this Breach, there is now discussion that this service may in fact be extended as a free life-time service for all who enroll (update to follow). Consumers must enroll by January 31, 2018 to receive this free 12 month credit protection service. (this date was extended from the original November 2017 date)

How to enroll in TrustedID Premier:
1) Go to https://www.equifaxsecurity2017.com/  read info provided, FAQs etc.
2) Select ENROLL & read info provided, select BEGIN ENROLLMENT enter your Last Name, and the last 6 digits of your SS# 
3) Activate Service: Within a few weeks, you will receive an email with a link to activate TrustedID Premier. (check your Spam & Junk email folders for this email) When the email arrives, follow the link to verify your email address and complete your enrollment. You will create a password and verify your identity by answering a few brief questions that only you should know. TrustedID Premier will then be active. Keep your password in a safe and secure location.

You may/may not immediately see a notice that your data was/was not compromised. Regardless of whether or not your data was compromised, you are given the option to enroll in the 12 months of free TrustedID Premier service. WCTFCU strongly encourages Members to sign up for this free service. If you do so, you will be shown a date on which you should return to the equifax website to complete your enrollment.

Enrollment period has been extended to Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

Questions? Call Equifax at 866-447-7559, as WCTFCU does not have further information.

Equifax recommends that consumers with additional questions visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com or contact the dedicated call center at 866-447-7559, which the company set up to assist consumers every day (including weekends) from 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. EST.
Source: www.equifaxsecurity2017.com

 

What else can I do?

Freeze Your Credit Report or Fraud Alerts You can elect to freeze your credit report at all 3 major bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion and Experan. Credit freezes typically cost $3 to $10 per bureau to place and remove. If you decide against a freeze, you should place a fraud alert on your credit reports at all 3 bureaus.

Get your free reports You can get your free credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus once per calendar year. Do so in order to check for irregularities.

SS# and/or Identity Stolen? File an identity theft police report, and send a copy of it to each of the 3 credit bureaus along with any correspondence you have with the bureaus, the government and businesses.

The Gift of Time!

You will save time when you use these free, time-saving and secure resources:

• Online Banking: Real time, live account info & transactions, accessible on-demand; anywhere, anytime, from your smartphone, computer & tablet
• Account Activity Alerts: for whatever you want to track, such as transactions over a certain amount
• Monthly Estatements: email alerts when your statement is available in online banking
• Automatic Bill-pay: simply select the payee, select the pay-on date(s) & designate amount you'll pay
• Direct Deposit: into checking &/or savings then set transfers into your holiday & vacation club, taxes and other accounts
• WCTFCU App featuring:
• Mobile Check Deposit
  
• Person to Person Pay
• VISA Website: ezcardinfo.com to set alerts, monitor account activity & pay your Visa credit card bill

   

How will you spend your newly found time!?

 

2017 Scholarships Awarded

2017 WCTFCU Scholarship Recipients (Left to Right) John Fontaine Board Member, Shannon Goggin, Damaris Cabrera’s Mother (rep), Heather Brown, John Cronan Chairman WCTFCU Board of Directors, Katelyn Brodeur, Gary Huckins Board Member. 

Teacher’s Credit Union Grants $12,500 in Scholarships

The Waterbury CT Teachers Federal Credit Union granted $12,500 in scholarships to 4 area students The Credit Union received 55 scholarship applications this year. The Scholarship Committee, a subcommittee of the Board of Directors, carefully evaluated the anonymous Applicants’ Application Form, GPA, Transcript, Essay, and Extracurricular Activities to rate each students’ submission, and select the recipients. 

There were some stand-out themes among this year’s scholarship recipients. All started saving for college at a young age, and each wrote of the importance of personal responsibility and hard work.
Furthermore, their personal commitment to hard work within academics, areas of interest, and volunteerism has resulted in a very high level of performance.

The WCTFCU Board of Directors is pleased to introduce, the 2017 WCTFCU Scholarships recipients, all of whom graduated with honors. Katelyn Brodeur, a Naugatuck High School graduate, received The Jean O’Brien Memorial Scholarship a 4-year scholarship granted to a student with a declared major in education and plans for a career in teaching. Katelyn will attend Southern CT State University. The 3 Waterbury CT Teachers Federal Credit Union $1,500 Scholarships were granted to the following 2017 graduates. Damaris Cabrera, a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School. Damaris will attend the University of Connecticut. Heather Brown, a graduate of Sacred Heart High School, will attend the University of Connecticut. Shannon Goggin, a graduate of Nonnewaug High School will attend Texas A&M University. 

Enhanced Share Certificates Portfolio (CDs)!

 

New term lengths & New earned interest rates!

New ways to save! A Share Certificate is a Credit Union’s version of a ‘CD or Certificate of Deposit’. Our newly expanded offering includes competitive rates on existing Share Certificates, and new term-lengths of 24, 36 & 48 months.

A smart, secure way to save. Now with more choices of term lengths & improved earned interest rates!

For more details on share certificates click here!

Gifts that keep on giving, 24/7!

3 secure, digital resources for our Members! Convenient, easy to use tools. Improving you 24/7 Member Experience.

Our Website

Simplified. Intuitive. Member-friendly. Comparative loan resources, rates, calculators, AutoSMART^® car research & buying tool, videos & more!

Online Banking

Secure. State of the Art. Easy to Use. Customizable accounts dashboard, person to person pay, budgeting & savings goals tools & more!

WCTFCU App with P2P & Mobile Deposit

Whenever & Wherever! Mobile deposit, transfer funds, view transactions, person-to-person payment, check accounts & more!

Free VISA Credit Card Activity Alerts. Opt-in now!

• track specified card activity (ex. charges, payments, etc.)
• track your spending habits (ex. charges over a set $ amount)
• monitor your account for fraudulent activity (unfamiliar charges)

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2018 - 2019 Board of Directors

(L to R) Susan Troupe, Robert Brown, Tom Fava, Jack Cronan, John Fontaine, Lory Park-Knowles, Gary Huckins, Robert Migliorisi, Peter McCasland