Global Payment MasterCard and travelling

February 25, 2010

If you are traveling out of country the following are a few things to remember:

• Your MemberCard can be used to withdraw funds at a US or International ATM displaying the CIRRUS symbol.
• Your MemberCard can be used at over one million merchant locations throughout the US via the ACCEL network, one of the largest Point of Sale (POS) networks in the United States.  The ACCEL network works exactly the same way your debit card purchases work here at home. Swipe your debit card and verify the transaction using your confidential PIN code.
• Your Global Payment MasterCard will NOT be accepted at US or International ATMs.
• Your Global Payment MasterCard will continue to be accepted as a Mastercard at retail outlets for purchases and can also be used to get a MasterCard cash advance.

Should you not have a MemberCard, we strongly encourage you to obtain one to maintain access to US and International ATMs.

For more information, please contact your local branch

Updated Member Terms and Conditions

February 10, 2010

Excerpt:

Terms and Conditions

9. Operation of the Account

9.1 Modification of Agreement – The Financial Institution may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms and conditions of the Account agreement as it relates to the Depositor’s use of the Account from time to time, for any reason, without any liability to the Depositor or any other person. The Financial Institution may provide notice of a change to the agreement by mailing notice to the Depositor’s last known address, by posting notice at the Financial Institution’s premises, by personal delivery, posting on the financial institution’s home website, or by any other means the Financial Institution, acting reasonably, considers appropriate to bring the modification to the attention of the Depositor. The Depositor is responsible for regularly reviewing the terms and conditions of the Account agreement. If the Depositor uses the Account after the effective date of an amendment to this agreement, it will mean that the Depositor agrees to the amendment and adopts and is bound by the newer version of this agreement. The Depositor may not change, supplement, or amend the agreement by any means.

The effective date will be April 24, 2010.

Download complete PDF file (242kb)

You're invited to celebrate our 60th AGM

Board of Directors Nominations Open Closed

January 5 – February 5, 2010

If you are interested in becoming a director of your credit union please pick up a package from the reception area of your local credit union.

EKCCU announces 2008-09 Patronage Rewards

Cranbrook Dec 1, 2009

After the difficult decision to forego Patronage Rewards in 2008, East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKCCU) is pleased to announce the distribution of Patronage Rewards to its members this Christmas.

“Patronage Rewards are monies paid back to EKCCU members from part of the interest paid on loans, line of credits, mortgages, and service charges paid, as well as from interest earned on GIC’s, RRSP’s and deposit accounts,” says EKCCU CEO Jody Burk. “Patronage Rewards are one way East Kootenay Community Credit Union rewards, and gives back, by sharing part of EKCCU’s income for the year with our members.”

According to EKCCU Board Chair, Don Holt, “Patronage Rewards are typically shared on an annual basis. From 2000 to 2007, EKCCU distributed over 2.4 million dollars to members in the East Kootenay. However, in 2008, the Board of EKCCU made the very difficult decision not to distribute Patronage Rewards. We were very concerned about the global economic downturn, the great downward pressure on the prime rate, and the uncertainty those factors would have on the local economy as well as to our organization. The good news is EKCCU remains in a very stable financial position and the 2008 Patronage Rewards were set aside as an allowance which has now been added to the Patronage Rewards for 2009. This means that this year we are very excited to be providing a substantial Patronage Reward to our members of nearly $400,000.”

Burk adds, “The community is still feeling the effects of the economic downturn and that’s why we’re so pleased to be injecting this significant amount of money back into our community to our members during these difficult times and during the holiday season – a time when families can especially feel financially stretched. We want to share our success with our members, employees and communities.”

Deposits (term, GIC, Demand) 9%
Loans, Line of Credits and Mortgages 8%
Service Charges 15%

Excluded (patronage waived) products include:
·       Discounted mortgages
·       Community Bonds
·       Member Advantage
·       Commercial products

Anyone interested in more information about the Patronage Rewards program can contact Jane Davies at 250-417-4687

Q&A for e-Statements

Why are you offering e-Statements?
EKCCU thinks our members will find them easier to use and retrieve when you need them. We currently mail out 150,000 statements a year. This is expensive and not a good use of our resources.

What are e-Statements?
Electronic copies of your banking statements

Do I need any special programs to view my e-Statements?
An e-Statement is a pdf file which requires Adobe Acrobat or Reader to view. A free download is located on your banking site after you selelct e-Statements.

Is it safe to view my statements on-line?
EKCCU's banking site is secure behind industry-standard 128 bit-encryption and a password that only you set up.  In addition there is no longer an opportunity for thieves to steal your statement from your mailbox therefore reducing the risk of identity theft and mail-related fraud.

How do I get my e-Statements?
If you are signed up for on-line banking you follow the following instructions:

E-Statement – How to get started

1. Go to www.ekccu.com , click ‘bank online’ (if not signed up please stop by your branch – it’s easy)
2. Log in
3. Click E-Statements – see  picture of screen below
4. Click  the month you need
5. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat if not you can install by clicking the box, Get Adobe Reader.
6. If you are experiencing issues viewing PDF statements, please save them to your computer first, then open from your saved file.
7. Please note If you are using a shared or publicly accessible computer, it is recommended that you clear your cache (temporary internet files) after downloading your statement in PDF form.

How do I stop receiving my paper statements?
Follow the following instructions:

                E-Statement – How to cancel your paper statements

1. Just complete and sign the non statement request form at your branch or click here to download a no Statement Request Form.
2. Return the signed copy to your branch. You can stop by, fax it to your branch (Cranbrook 250-426-7370, Elkford 250-865-7537 and Fernie 250-423-9223), or mail to 924 Baker Street, Cranbrook, BC V1C 1A5 (for all branches).
3. Remember, with e-Statements, you are still required to report any omissions or errors within 30 days of receipt.

Why do I only see the fronts of my cheques on my personal accounts?
Only the fronts of the cheques are used as this is what most of our members need. However if you need to see the backs of your cheques they can still be viewed on your online banking site.

How long will the information on my statements be stored?
Seven years, starting September 2009.

Dividends for the end of September 2009

ATM Directory Reference Guide for Students

As you move away from home to pursue post-secondary education, you’ll naturally have questions about how to access your credit union accounts in your new community. Accessing your account through credit union surcharge-free ATMs close to your college or university means that any participating ATM is your ATM with the same great services and no service fees! It’s a great way to save your money for what’s really important.

The ATM Directory Reference Guide for Students is designed to help you find surcharge-free ATMs on or near college and university campuses across Canada. This guide lists each college and university alphabetically by province and identifies credit union ATM availability on campus and those located within a five kilometre radius. The ATM network service is also listed to help identify those ATMs that operate via the ACCULINK® network, THE EXCHANGE® network or both. The data presented in this guide is for reference only, and is current as of September 2009.

You can continue to benefit from having access to your own credit union’s services through the credit union network of surcharge-free ATMs whether you’ve moved across the city or across the country. Now your credit union account goes where you go and your money is always close by when you need it.

This credit union ATM guide is just another way Canadian credit unions are here to help you plan for a brighter future.

Download PDF (358 kb)

Go Mobile

Remember when a cell phone was just for calling people? Not anymore. Today you can do all kinds of things with your phone — take pictures, download music, even check your account balances.

That’s right. Introducing mobile banking — a new feature at EKCCU that gives you real-time access to your accounts wherever you happen to be. Just send a quick text message to your account and you’ll receive a message back. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s free.

Banking on the go
Picture it. You take your car in for servicing only to find the bill is more than you anticipated. Now what? Or maybe you’re out running errands when you see that big-ticket item you’ve been drooling over is finally on sale. Should you go for it?

With mobile banking, you can check your balance and recent account activity information from anywhere you can get a signal — instantly. There’s no need to find a computer. Just pull out your text-enabled phone.

Worried about bad guys? With mobile banking, your personal information is always secure. The only information that is transmitted is your account balance or recent account activity. No PIN numbers or passwords are required. And even if you lose your phone, no one will be able to make changes to your account, steal funds or gain access to your personal information.

Ready to go?
Getting started with mobile banking is easy. To begin the sign up process, login to online banking and click on ‘My Profile’ then the ‘Mobile Banking’ link. Once you’re registered, text any of the commands to ‘Money’ (set up during registration) and receive your account information on your cell phone.

If you don’t have access to online banking yet, contact your branch to sign up today.

*Standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your provider and plan.