DEBIT CARD CONVERSION...IMPORTANT!!!!!!! -- Tuesday, July 20 2010

As of September 15, 2010 your present debit card will become inactive and will no longer function.  NEW Debit Cards will be mailed to you September 1, 2010.  Your new card must be activated upon receipt of your temporary PIN that you will receive in the mail 3-5 days after you receive your card.  You have the option to keep the assigned PIN or create a new one (which can be the same as your old card).  THE NEW CARD CANNOT BE USED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15, 2010…..but you can activate it as soon as you receive the pin. 

We are sorry for the inconvenience but have added many new benefits with this conversion that we feel you will enjoy. 

• You will be able to make deposits at an ATM that accepts deposits.  Presently the machines will not charge a fee to make a deposit but may choose to charge a fee in the future. 
• You will have instant access to transferred funds in your account (you can transfer in home banking and go shopping or buy gas and the funds will be readily available).  Your transactions will be "real time".  You can go to the store and make a purchase and when you come home and view your account online, the deduction will have already taken place (in most cases). 
• You will now have many additional ATM machines that will be surcharge free (no fee to withdraw).  Visit our website at: www.consumerhealthcarefcu.com , click on links to see where you can access your money without paying a fee or visit: http://www.moneypass.com/moneypass/search.cfm. 
• (Did you know that with proper identification you can go into any financial institution that has the VISA logo on their door and take a cash advance - this will be deducted from your checking and you must have the funds available to do so)?  The institution cannot charge you a fee if they have the VISA logo on their door and you do not have to have an account with them.

IMPORTANT...If you pay bills using your VISA debit card, you will need to make arrangements to update the companies that you are paying with your new card number for all transactions that take place on or after September 15, 2010.  This might be a good time to cancel the payment plan with the VISA and start using Consumer Healthcare's FREE Bill Payment system online.  You can set up one time payments or recurring payments.  The payment will be sent out on the day that you request and in most cases is paid electronically (but it could take up to 5 days to post on the receiving end).

NEW HOME EQUITY LOAN TERM -- Thursday, June 24 2010

Consumer Healthcare FCU has decided to now offer a Home Equity Loan option with a 15 year repayment.  We also have lowered our Home Equity Loan Rates across the board.

Finance up to 5 years at 4.99% APR

Finance up to 10 years at 5.25% APR

Finance up to 15 Years at 5.99% APR

SIGN UP FOR HOME BANKING, E-STATEMENTS, AND/OR BILL PAYMENT -- Monday, June 21 2010
We have made it even easier for you to get set-up for Home Banking, E-Statements, AND/OR Bill Payment.  Click on the link, print out the application, complete it and send it to the credit union.  Home Banking, E-Statements, and Bill Payment are all FREE!  So, don't delay and sign up today!

***IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR CU DEBIT/CREDIT CARDHOLDERS*** -- Monday, May 24 2010

We have been alerted of a phishing attempt to a CHFCU debit card account via a text message.

The message stated that it was from "card services at pittsburghfcu.org" and instructed to call secure telephone line at 866-200-1094 for more information.  When member called number, voicemail requested account number and expiration date-no information was given.

If you should receive a text message or email from this source, PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND!

Following are the phone numbers that are affiliated with the credit union Card Services Fraud Alert System.

800-890-5097  Debit Cards      800-437-9392  Credit Cards

If you are suspicious of any unusual activity on your account, please call the credit union at 412-200-3200 or after hours 800-991-4965 for Debit card or 800-991-4961 for Credit card

VIEW OUR LATEST NEWSLETTER -- Wednesday, April 28 2010

View our latest newsletter by clicking on the Newsletter link at the bottom of the home page on our website.  Catch the latest news, what is changing, and the new products and offerings at the credit union.  Click the "Home" page link at the top of this page on the left and then scroll down to the bottom of the screen in the middle and click on "Print Newsletter".  You can view the newsletter without printing it if you would like.

AMUSEMENT PARK TICKETS ARE HERE! -- Monday, April 19 2010

New in 2010, the credit union now has Idlewild/Soak Zone, Kennywood, & Sandcastle Tickets available for sale in the credit union office in Pittsburgh. 

IDLEWILD TICKETS

Buy your Weekday ticket at a discounted price of $23.00 (a savings of $6.99 per ticket) or purchase a Good-Any-Day FunDay tickets at the discounted price of $25.00 (a savings of $4.99). 

The park is open May 27 - September 6, 2010.

The park is closed June 1-3, and August 30 - Sept, 3, 2010.

Weekday tickets used on Saturday or Sunday are subject to a $8.00 surcharge at the gate.

Visit www.idlewild.com for more details.

KENNYWOOD TICKETS

Discount tickets are $28.00 at the credit union compared to $35.99 at the gate. 

Children under 2 are free.  Gates open at 10:30 with rides starting at 11 AM.  Free parking - Preferrred parking is $6

Visit www.kennywood.com for more details.

SANDCASTLE TICKETS

Discount tickets are $23.00 at the credit union compared to $29.99 at the park.

Children 3 and under are free to the pools.  Gate opens at 11 AM.  Parking is $6.00.

Visit www.sandcastlewaterpark.com for more details.

DISCOUNT ZOO TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE -- Monday, March 22 2010

ZOO TICKETS - Available year round - $9.00

Adults save $4

Seniors (age 60+) save $3

Kids (age 2-13) save $2

Children under the age of 24 months are free. 

Parking is free !  The zoo is open year round ( CLOSED Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's day).

Visit www.pittsburghzoo.com  for park special events, hours, and more. 

YOUR INFORMATION IS PRIVATE -- Tuesday, March 16 2010
The credit union requires verification of income (2 current paystubs) for each individual that applies for a loan.  This information is required as part of the approval process and must be documented and kept in your loan file.  We want you to know that your information is kept strictly confidential and is not available to anyone that is not an employee of the credit union. 

Why the changes? -- Friday, February 19 2010

Are you wondering why the credit union is making so many changes to account access at the credit union?  We want to keep your money safe.  Every day there are thousands of people who have had their identity stolen and intrusion of private account information occurs.  Once this happens, the victim has money stolen from their account, their credit or debit card is accessed, and then creditors and collection agencies start calling wanting payment for past due accounts that were opened using the victims birthdate and social security number.  The victim then must file a police report and their credit score drops because of all the new accounts that were opened by the criminals that stole your information.  More and more debit and credit card charges start to show up!  Next, you have trouble getting a loan because your credit history reflects too much credit card debt, unpaid credit card accounts and collections that start showing up on your credit file. 

Don't think that "It Will Never Happen To Me"! 

We are making sure that our members are not affected because of lack of security on behalf of the credit union.  We have set up a password system with members.  We will not discuss your account over the phone unless you can correctly tell us what your password is. 

We also have tightened the security with our new Home Banking access.  You now must have your member number, your selected picture must be displayed, your password correctly is entered and your pass code is used in order to gain access to your Consumer Healthcare FCU account.  Each pass code card is unique and your code scrambles each time that you log in.  This way, a hacker  trying to monitor your keystrokes will still not be able to access your account because your code changes with each log in.  There are alerts in Home Banking under Manage Account that will also alert you when someone logs into your account or tries to access your account 3 times.  You can have a message sent when you have a loan payment due or when your checking account balance falls below $100. 

We realize the extra effort that it now takes to access your account, but feel that extra effort  gives you the security to keep your personal and financial information safe.  We are doing our part, now here is some information to prevent you from becoming a victim. and steps to take if you do become a victim. 

ID Theft Checklist

The following suggestions are offered to help educate our members to help in the prevention of becoming a victim of identity theft and to educate our members of what they should do if they become a victim of identity theft.

PREVENTION

• Review credit reports annually
• Shred confidential documents
• Review all account statements promptly
• Use secure mailboxes to send and receive mail
• Use caution when asked for personal information over the phone or internet
• Be aware of current scam tactics such as "phishing" and "spoofing"
• Never follow a link provided in an email to check out an erroneous charge on your debit or credit card.  Instead log on to your on-line account through your normal method to look up a charge or call your account's customer service number to investigate the problem.
• Legitimate instituitons will never send you an email to update sensitive financial information online.  Call the institutions fraud department if you suspect wrongdoing with your account, your debit or credit card.
• If you are asked about or think that you might be a victim of a particular phishing scam,  you can check the following website to see if it has been reported before and how you can tell if it is legitimate: http://www.antiphishing.org/phishing_archive.html.  (underscore between phishing and archive)  You'll notice that most of the schemes are targeted towards customers of very familar banks, on-line stores, and payment services, including Citibank, US Bank, PayPal, eBay, and Amazon.com.
• You can contact the National Fraud Information Center by visiting www.fraud.org or by calling 800-876-7060.  A "fraud alert" can also be put on your credit report by visiting www.consumer.gov/idtheft or by calling 877-438-4338.

IF YOU BECOME A VICTIM

• Place fraud alerts with the three credit bureaus (Experian, Trans Union, & Equifax)
• Check your credit reports
• Review your accounts, use a standard affidavit to report disputes
• Close accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently
• File a police report (and keep a copy of the report for yourself)
• File a complaint with the FTC

For more information on identity theft and to download an affidavit along with the instructions......click on this link http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.

To download a free informational brochure, visit the link http://www.ncua.gov/Publications/brochures/IdentityTheft and click on "You Can Fight Identity Theft".  The brochure is a PDF document that you can print out in color.  It provides the answers to what you will need to do if you become a victim, how to protect yourself, and how you can fight identity theft.

NEVER SAVE YOUR PASSWORD TO YOUR DESKTOP.

Saving your password to your desktop may seem like a timesaver but it allows others to access your personal information without your permission.

HOW PERSONAL IS YOUR PASSWORD?

Avoid using passwords that are relevant to your personal situation or are common words.  Do not use passwords with your phone number, date of birth, or social security number.  Creat passwords that contain letters and numbers that cannot be easily attributed to you.  Change your password every 60 days or as often as you feel comfortable.  Keep in mind that the longer the password, the harder it is to break it.  Also use a combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers.

DON'T OPEN EMAIL FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES.

"Phishing" emails are those sent to your email address by cyber criminals who wish to steal your personal information.  Be wary of any email that asks for your PIN numbers, passwords or credit or debit card information.  Keep in mind that an organization will never ask you for this information via e-mail.  Even though these letters often include the real registered logos of legitimate companies that you may already do business with or link to what appears to be the company's website, be aware that these sites are fraudulent "Spoof" websites that are designed only to capture your information for fraudulent purposes.  Most "phishing" emails do not even address you by your proper name because they are "blanket" emails sent out en masse to thousands of potential targets.

READ BETWEEN THE LINES!

Emails do not have boundaries.  You may be the recipient of a fraudulent email from any country in the world.  Pay close attention to the finer details of any emails that you receive.  Are there typographical errors or unusual grammatical mistakes within the letter?  Is there a hyperlink in the email that dirests you to a website address that also bears noticeable erros in language and grammar?  Use extreme caution.  Do not input your personal information until you verify the website with your financial institution.

Homeland Security is making available a series of information products targeted for home users and technical experts in businesses and government agencies.  These e-mail products will provide timely information on computer security vulnerabilities, potential impacts and action required to mitigate threats, as well as PC security "best practices" and "how to" guidance. 

The National Cyber Alert System provides timely information about current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities as well as advice about protecting your compputer and networks.  The new National Cyber Alert System security suite of products includes:

• Cyber Security Tips: Targeted at non-technical home and corporate computer users, the bi-weekly Tips provide information on best computer security and "how-to" information. How to Access: Sign up at http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/index.html
• Security Bulletins: Targeted at technical audiences, these bulletins provide bi-weekly summaries of security issues, new vulnerabilities, potential impacts, patches and work-arounds, as well as actions required to mitigate risk. How to Access: Sign up at www.us-cert.gov
• Security Alerts: Available in two forms--regular for non-technical users and advanced for technical users--Cyber Security Alerts provide real-time information about security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits currently occurring. Alerts encourage all users to take rapid action. How to Access: Sign up at http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/index.html

 Thank you for your trust in letting us serve you.

LOST DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS -- Thursday, February 4 2010

IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR DEBIT CARD YOU MAY CALL 24 HOURS A DAY TO REPORT THAT LOST CARD BY CALLING: 1-800-991-4965.

IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR CREDIT CARD, YOU MAY CALL 24 HOURS A DAY TO REPORT THAT CARD LOST BY CALLING: 1-800-991-4961.

TO CHECK YOUR BALANCE ON YOUR CREDIT CARD YOU MAY CALL 800-433-0505 OR LOG ON TO https://www.ezcardinfo.com/.

Opt-Out of credit card offers and phone solicitations -- Thursday, February 4 2010

Stop those dinnertime phone calls permanently by logging on to www.donotcall.gov and entering your home phone number or by calling 1-888-382-1222. 

You can also stop all the credit card offers that you get in the mail by logging on to www.optoutprescreen.com or by calling 1-888-567-8688.  You can choose to opt out permanently or for 5 years.  

Opt-out Notice Rule Takes Effect August 1
Beginning August 1, 2005, financial institutions and other companies that send “prescreened” solicitations of credit or insurance to consumers will be required to provide simple and easy-to-understand notices that explain consumers’ right to opt-out of receiving future offers. The FTC, as required by FACTA, issued a Final Rule on January 31, 2005, which specified the format, type size, and manner for these opt-out notices.

If consumers decide that they don’t want to receive prescreened offers of credit and insurance, there are two choices: (1) opt-out of receiving them for five years; or (2) opt-out of receiving them permanently. Consumers can call toll-free 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com for details. The telephone number and Web site are operated by the major consumer reporting companies. When calling, or visiting the Web site, consumers will be asked to provide certain personal information, including home telephone number, name, Social Security Number, and date of birth. The information provided is confidential and will be used only to process the request to opt-out.

Free Annual Credit Reports -- Thursday, February 4 2010

Pennsylvanians and residents of 13 eastern states, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories, can obtain a free copy of their credit report from one of the three credit reporting agencies under the new federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACT Act). Congress passed FACTA in December 2003 and the regional rollout began on the west coast last December.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Banking Bill Schenck encouraged citizens to request a copy of their credit report. “The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says one in four credit reports surveyed contained serious errors that could result in the denial of credit, employment, or insurance,” said Schenck. “It’s essential for all Pennsylvanians to regularly review their credit report to make sure it’s accurate and to guard against identity theft. Errors or undetected fraud can negatively impact a consumer’s access to loans and the interest rate they are charged.”

The new law permits consumers to receive one free credit report per year from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. The goal is to prevent such theft, resolve consumer credit disputes, and improve the accuracy of consumer credit reports. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than 7,500 Pennsylvanians were victims of identity theft last year.

Consumers are urged to be wary of companies with similar sounding names that may require a purchase in exchange for the free credit report or ones that make offers to repair damaged credit. If consumers are not certain a credit-reporting agency is legitimate, or they believe they are a victim of identity theft, they should contact the FTC at www.ftc.gov.

Free reports may be requested online at www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free, 877-322-8228. Consumers may also send a request by mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

CREDIT UNION CLOSED DATES -- Thursday, February 4 2010

The credit union will be closed on the following dates:

LABOR DAY - SEPTEMBER 6

THANKSGIVING - NOVEMBER 25 & 26

YEAR END SHUTDOWN - DECEMBER 27 - DECEMBER 31

VISA GIFT CARDS -- Wednesday, February 3 2010

Visa Gift Cards are available.  Fee is just $1.25 per card.

Welcome! -- Wednesday, February 3 2010

Welcome to the NEW Consumer Healthcare FCU Website.  Take a look around our new web site.  FREE Bill Payment is now available along with your Home Banking and E-Statements.  Contact us to sign up for this great new free service.  Help us go green and request E-Statements today.  Get your statement quicker than snail mail!

Note: Your transaction transfers are now immediate, however the debit card transactions are not online.  Therefore, when you transfer money online, your debit card will not update until the next business day.  We expect to bring the debit card system "online" by this fall.