e-Newsletter
and their futures!
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, encourages people to check their credit report annually. You can get a free report from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. The official web site, annualcreditreport.com, is the only authorized online source for you to get a free credit report under federal law. Some other sites claim to offer "free" credit reports, but may charge you for another product if you accept a "free" report.
The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell the web site address, annualcreditreport.com. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized web site, they are not required to make a purchase to recieve their free credit reports.
The FTC wants to hear from you if you paid for what you thought was your free annual credit report. Go to www.ftc.gov and click "File a Complaint" on the menu.
There are three ways to get your free credit reports:
* Visit annualcreditreport.com or
*Call tollfree 1 - 877 - 322 - 8228 or
* Complete an Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
2. Refrain from displaying cash, place it in your pocket or purse immediately.
3. Always keep your PIN a secret. Never give the number to anyone and don't write it down, memorize it or use a secret code if you must write it down.
4. Limit your time at the machine. Have your card ready, perform your transaction and leave.
Always be safe, not sorry.
Share accounts are insured up to $100,000, just as FDIC coverage at banks. Generally, if a member has more than one individual account in the credit union, those accounts are added together and are insured up to $100,000. Shares maintained in different names or legal ownership capacities may each be separately insured.
Changes in 2006 increased the coverage for accounts for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's), self-directed Keogh Plan accounts and certain other retirement accounts that are self-directed. These accounts are insured up to $250,000.
For more information, go to the NCUA web site at www.ncua.gov to find publications as well as the Share Insurance Estimator, an interactive tool allowing you to get a summary of your NCUA coverage. Or call (703) 518-6300.
This information is presented to you by the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, an independant trade association representing federally chartered credit unions nationwide.