Author: Dave Stuart

America First Credit Union opens new branch in Brigham City

For Immediate Release:

America First Credit Union opens new branch in Brigham City

Utah’s largest credit union unveils new location inside Kent’s

Riverdale, UTAH (Monday, Nov. 15, 2017) – Utah’s largest credit union, America First Credit Union, opens its newest location on Monday, Nov. 20 inside the Kent’s Market in Brigham City, Utah. The branch, which is America First’s second location in Brigham City, will hold its grand opening beginning Monday, Nov. 20 through Saturday, Dec. 2. The celebration will include daily drawings for a chance to win Visa gift cards and a grand prize drawing.

Randy Christensen will serve as service center manager of the Brigham City Kent’s location. Born and raised in Layton, Utah, Christensen began his career with America First Credit Union five years ago as a teller at the West Jordan location and quickly moved up the ranks most recently serving as service center manager for the Salt Lake Hope Avenue Walmart branch.

The Brigham City Kent’s branch is located inside Kent’s Market at 260 North Main in Brigham City, Utah. Branch hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information, visit www.americafirst.com. FindAmerica First Credit Union on Facebook and Twitter or follow @AmericaFirst on Instagram and Pinterest.

# # #

About America First Credit Union:

As the largest credit union in the state of Utah, America First boasts a long-standing history and 78 years servicing members and has become one of the largest, most stable and most progressive credit unions in the country while remaining a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution. Today, America First has 125 locations and is the 11th largest credit union in assets in the United States with more than $9.1 billion and the sixth largest credit union in membership in America with more than 918,000 members.

Contact: 

America First Credit Union
Nicole Cypers
ncypers@americafirst.com

Quillin Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media
Cindy Pino
O: 702-256-5511
C: 702-882-1240
cpino@quillinlv.com

America First Credit Union launches annual “Skip a Payment” program to provide shoes for kids in need

Credit Union celebrates 23 years of ‘Warm the Soles of Kids’ project

(RIVERDALE, UTAH) — Nov. 14, 2017 — America First Credit Union invites members to skip a loan payment during the holiday months and provide shoes for children in need. The annual “Skip a Payment” program offers members the opportunity to skip monthly loan payment from November 2017 through January 2018 for $25*. America First will donate a portion of the fee to purchase shoes and ‘Warm the Soles’ of children. Last year alone, America First helped to provide more than 2,000 pairs of shoes for children in need through the “Skip a Payment” program and monetary donations from members.

“We are honored to enter our 23rd year of giving via the “Warm the Soles of Kids” initiative that not only provides shoes to children in need but also gives some relief to our members during the busy holiday months,” said John B. Lund, CEO and president of America First. “We are gracious to our partner, J.C. Penney, who provides the shoes, and to our members for their willingness to participate and give back to our communities year-over-year.”

Children from Brigham City, Utah down to Las Vegas, will receive new shoes for the holidays as America First team members present the gift-wrapped shoes to children from 22 schools and service organizations at special holiday events throughout the month of December.

Monies from “Skip a Payment” will also benefit the America First 501(c)3 volunteer service arm, the America First Credit Union Charitable Foundation. The foundation supports charitable organizations that provide job assistance, training, education, transportation and housing as well as meals, clothing and medical attention to those in need. America First is also seeking monetary donations from its members and the community as part of the initiative.

To learn more about donating through the “Skip a Payment” program, call 1-800-999-3961, visit one of America First’s 124 branches or visit www.americafirst.com.

All contributions are tax-deductible and can be mailed to: America First Credit Union, Attention: Aimee Nelson, P.O. Box 9199, Ogden, UT 84409-0199.

For additional information, visit www.americafirst.com. Find America First Credit Union on Facebook, Twitter, or follow @AmericaFirst on Instagram and Pinterest.

About America First Credit Union:

As the largest credit union in the state of Utah, America First boasts a long-standing history and 78 years servicing members and has become one of the largest, most stable and most progressive credit unions in the country while remaining a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution. Today, America First has 124 locations and is the 11th largest credit union in assets in the United States with more than $9.1 billion and the sixth largest credit union in membership in America with more than 918,000 members.

###

Contact:

America First Credit Union
Nicole Cypers
ncypers@americafirst.com

Quillin Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media
Cindy Pino
D: 702-818-1637
C: 702-882-1240
cpino@quillinlv.com

4 tips to protecting yourself from online fraud

Protect yourself from online fraudAside from the interest rate, what are the most important things to look at when evaluating choices for a credit card?

When choosing a credit card, you need to consider the following:

  1. Interest Rates: Low interest rates that help you minimize the amount on interest you pay each month.
  2. Cash Back and Rewards Incentives: Whether it’s cash back or rewards points, getting rewarded is crucial to making your credit card work for you. Getting rewarded for your transactions is a must.
  3. Added benefits: Looking for those extra perks? Look no further because with every America First Credit Card you get the benefits of top notch card security through Card Guard, great deals and discounts with ABC Deals, and Identity Theft Recovery….which are all free!

How do I protect myself from the risk of fraud or ID theft when shopping online?

Fraud is something we need to be aware of these days, unfortunately. It’s important to know about free tools available to keep your personal information safe. Some things to keep in mind:

  1. Create smart, strong passwords. Incorporate capital letters, numbers and symbols.
  2. E-mail wisely. Be cautious about what you’re disclosing in e-mail messages. Never send your credit card information, social security number of other private data via e-mail.
  3. Shop safely. If ordering online, be sure the site is secure.
  4. Take advantage of online tools. America First holds member security as its upmost priority and offers services like Card Guard, which allow you to turn your card on and off and of course Apple and Android Pay

Source

5 tips to help you stick to a budget

People in a broadcast

America First recently concluded its 13th Annual Community Food Drive. The food drive, held at all branch locations throughout Utah and southern Nevada, collected 18,400 pounds of food. This equates to over 15,000 meals for those in need. Nicole Cypers from America First Credit Union talks more about it:

Our employees loaded all food donations into trucks which were then distributed to local food pantries and food banks. Thanks to all the America First Credit Union employees that participated.

The holidays are upon us and as Utah’s largest credit union, they know the importance of giving back to others. They’ve recently launched their Skip a Payment program, which is a great opportunity for members to skip a loan payment during the holiday months and simultaneously provide shoes for children in need.

The annual Skip a Loan Payment program offers members the opportunity to skip monthly loan payments from November 2017 – January 2018 for $25. America First will then donate a portion of the fee to purchase shoes and ‘warm the soles’ of children.

To learn more about donating through the Skip a Loan Payment program, call 1-800-999-3961, visit one of America First’s 124 branches or visit www.americafirst.com

Tips for Sticking to a Budget:

  1. Calculate expenses. Your first order of business is finding out exactly how much you’re spending each month.
  2. Determine your income.
  3. Set savings and debt payoff goals.
  4. Record spending and track progress.
  5. Be realistic.

America First has great free budgeting tools in our online banking and mobile banking applications. This is a great tool to track and manage your spending.

Viewer Question: Is it smart to use my credit card just to get the points/rewards if I’m paying it off every month?

If you are paying your credit card off each month, then yes it is smart to use your card for the points/rewards. You earn one point* for every dollar you spend, and with Visa Rewards you can redeem your points for a variety of rewards including:

  • Gift cards for restaurants and merchants
  • Merchandise such as iPods and Blu-Rayâ„¢ players
  • Tickets to events
  • Activities like amusement park visits, spa excursions, sightseeing & outdoor adventures

Source

Answering your money questions: When Should I Refinance My Car?

People in a broadcast

The season of giving is upon us and America First has recently launched its 13th Annual Community Food Drive. As a credit union, their philosophy is “people helping people†and it’s important to them that they serve others – not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

Through Saturday, Oct. 21, all branch locations throughout Utah will accept donations of non-perishable food items to distribute to local food pantries and food banks. Since its inception in 2004, the annual community food drive has collected more than 150,000 pounds of food.

According to the Utah Food Bank, one in six Utahans and one in five Utah children live in poverty and are unsure of when they’ll have their next meal, and about 423,000 Utahns risk missing a meal each day.

America First Credit Union is always working with local organizations and businesses to find creative ways to save their members money on fun, family-friendly things to do in the community.

For the month of October, members who use an America First Credit Union debit or credit card will receive $5 off a single day admission to the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium.

Today’s Viewer Question:

If you have a car loan, should you refinance after a certain amount of time with the goal of getting a better interest rate? If so, does it cost? And at what point in the loan should you refinance?

There are several situations in which it may be beneficial to refinance your car loan. One is if you’re trying to take advantage of lower interest rates. For example, if you purchased your car several years ago back when rates were higher, you may want to consider refinancing in order to get a better rate. Doing so will lower your payment, but most importantly, it will decrease the amount of interest you have to pay on the loan.

It’s also a good idea to consider if your credit situation has improved substantially compared to when you bought the car. If you’ve improved your credit enough, your interest rate is likely to go down, and that means you’ll make a lower monthly payment and you’ll pay out less money in interest.

Another reason you might want to refinance is to get a shorter loan term. This especially applies to drivers who have had major changes in their financial situation. For instance, if you’ve earned a promotion at work or you got a new job that pays better than before, you may want to consider refinancing your long-term car loan to a shorter term. Your payments will be higher, but you’ll pay the car off sooner, and you’ll pay less money over time in interest.

Source

America First Credit Union launches 13th annual Community Food Drive to serve those in need

For Immediate Release:

America First Credit Union launches 13th annual Community Food Drive to serve those in need

Utah’s largest credit union ramps up efforts to serve in advance of holiday season

Riverdale, Utah (Sept. 13, 2017) – With a profound commitment to helping the underprivileged in the communities it services, America First Credit Union kicks off the season of giving today with the launch of its 13th annual Community Food Drive which runs through Saturday, Oct. 21. All branch locations throughout Utah and southern Nevada will accept donations of non-perishable food items to distribute to local food pantries and food banks. Since its inception in 2004, the annual Community Food Drive has collected more than 150,000 pounds of food.

In addition to the food drive collection, the community-focused credit union will donate $5,000 in turkeys to Utah Food Bank in preparation for the holiday season. All collected items will be donated to the Utah Food Bank, Three Square Las Vegas and Cappallappa Family Reserve Center in Moapa, Nev.

“As we embark on the 13th year of the food drive, we recognize the many unfortunate situations occurring both nationally and right here at home,” said John Lund, President and CEO of America First. “The need for food in our communities is strong and as we continue our efforts to serve others, we look for help from the community, employees and members to give what they can as we head into the holiday months.”

According to the Utah Food Bank, one in six Utahans and one in five Utah children live in poverty and are unsure of when they’ll have their next meal and about 423,000 Utahans risk missing a meal each day. The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report states that nearly 16 percent of Nevada and nearly 15-percent of Utah households are food insecure.

This year, the most needed non-perishable food items include, but are not limited to, canned vegetables, canned tuna fish, and peanut butter (no glass), among others. The public and America First members are encouraged to donate at any branch in Utah and Nevada through Saturday, Oct. 21.

To for more information or to find the nearest branch to make a donation, visit www.americafirst.com. Find America First Credit Union on Facebook, Twitter, or follow @AmericaFirst on Instagram and Pinterest.

# # #

About America First Credit Union:

As the largest credit union in the state of Utah, America First boasts a long-standing history and 78 years servicing members and has become one of the largest, most stable and most progressive credit unions in the country while remaining a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution. Today, America First has 123 locations and is the 11th largest credit union in assets in the United States with more than $8.9 billion and the sixth largest credit union in membership in America with more than 868,000 members.

Contact:

America First Credit Union
Nicole Cypers
ncypers@americafirst.com

Quillin Advertising, Public Relations & Social Media
Cindy Pino
O: 702-256-5511
cpino@quillinlv.com