Dear Home & Family Finance Resource Center Subscriber:

Good Habits Protect Your Plastic Cards Against Fraud

To view, click here. And be sure to read Real or Fake: Can You Tell Phish From Foul?.

Plastic card fraud statistics are up, and much of the fraud comes from criminal activities we can’t control. But safeguarding your cards--and identity--from the risk of exposure starts with keeping constant control of your cards, card numbers, and any other information about your financial information. A new statement stuffer from CUNA, “Good Habits Protect Your Plastic Cards Against Fraud” tells members how to make good habits and stop bad ones when it comes to minimizing plastic card risk. Easy-to-read tables are a quick reference for members.

Higher Deposit Coverage Gives You More Reasons to Save

Click here to view.

If you’re wondering how safe the money is in your credit union accounts, a new statement stuffer from CUNA assures that it is. The stuffer explains insurance coverage for various accounts and explains new $250,000 insurance coverage amounts for retirement accounts.

Help Members Reach Their Financial Goals

Did you know that?

• For more information, contact Joe Day at 800-356-9655, ext. 5794, or click here.

  People struggle with their finances for three years before filing bankruptcy or going on a debt-management plan.
• 50% of bankruptcies come as a surprise to credit unions.
• 55% of people who file bankruptcy have no idea there is an alternative solution.

Help members achieve their financial goals through Accel Members Financial counseling. Accel not only enhances the financial well-being of members, this unique service also offers participating credit unions the opportunity to differentiate themselves from other financial institutions.

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New Home & Family Finance Resource Center content featured in July:

Credit Counseling Video Clip
Catch the newest H&FFRC video clip as the Center for Personal Finance director of adult finance publications talks about credit counseling. She tells how to tell if you may need financial counseling and how a credit counselor can help. She also encourages members to visit your credit union for help. Look for this new video under the New & Cool section on the Resource Center’s home page in July.

Take Time to Pick a Computer for College (featured week of July 3)
Buying the right computer for college takes time to consider what you really need and can afford. This article can help you choose what’s best for you. (7151)

Make a Will to Have the Last Word (featured week of July 10)
Do you have a will? Is it current? This article explains why having one might be a smart move for you. (6324)

Budget for Your Pet’s Life-Long Care (featured week of July 17)
Are pet expenses getting out of hand? Between increased pet pampering, new veterinary procedures, and longer-lived pets, are costs spiraling out of control? How can the average family fit pet expenses into their budgets? (6323)

Biofuels: A Home-Grown Response to the Energy Crisis (featured week of July 24)
Rising petroleum prices and tightening supplies have sparked a flurry of interest in "biofuels"—fuel derived from biological sources. This article will give you the details. (8107)

Did You Leave a Retirement Plan at a Former Job? (featured week of July 31)
Did you leave behind a retirement savings plan at a former job—or are you about to? Depending on your situation and assuming you’re not ready to retire, you generally have four options for your savings. (3095)

Fast Fact: Before You Stop Automated Payments (featured week of July 31)
OK, so you don’t want that automated payment set up anymore. Not so fast … the rules for halting payments differ depending on which form of payment you use. (6325)

Use these "In the next issue..." messages in your traditional newsletter and online to regularly tell members what's coming in the Home & Family Finance Resource Center as you remind them to visit your Web site. Also remind your members to participate in July’s What’s Your Story about making the holidays more meaningful and less expensive (featured beginning July 3).

In the August issue (available beginning Aug. 7)

Get the September articles here.

Eight Essential Estate Planning Tips
This article outlines eight estate-planning steps to help you plan for the future.

New Movement in Prefab Housing
More consumers, designers, builders, and developers are unfurling creativity on manufactured housing. Find out if prefab might be right for you.

Steer clear of credit-counseling bad guys
If you could use help getting credit under control, we can identify the real helpers.

Owning Property: Multiple Choices
When you’re talking about owning property, the form of ownership you pick has legal consequences that affect ownership of the property now and in the future. The form of property ownership you choose can lead to results you may not have predicted.

Looking for fresh ways to attract members to your Web site and to the Home & Family Finance Resource Center? Send these "coming soon" announcements to your sponsor/sponsors and suggest that they be posted on the Intranet or published in the sponsor newsletter every month.

What do you like about your Home & Family Finance Resource Center subscription? What would you change? What would you tell colleagues at another credit union about the Resource Center if they were considering a subscription? Have good ideas to share about how you promote it to your members?

Click here to let us know.