Did You Know? Accel...

Did you know that Tower Family Credit Union has teamed up with Accel, a financial education and counseling program? Through the Accel program:

You receive free, impartial, non-judgmental guidance regarding your personal finance issues. You can utilize Accel's services for free because it is paid for by the credit union.

You have unlimited access to Accel.s services. You can call as many times as you need to.

Accel isn't just for members who are behind on their financial obligations. Accel is a proactive program that is available for anyone looking to enhance their overall financial well-being.

Accel offers financial counseling on a number of topics including:

• Family spending plan - You will work with a counselor to develop goals, create a monthly budget, and form an action plan.
• Credit report review - A counselor will assist you in understanding your credit report, explain how to dispute inaccuracies, and suggest ways to improve your credit score.
• Housing counseling - Accel's HUD-certified counselors can work with you to learn about the home-buying process before you purchase a home and if you are behind on your mortgage payment, a counselor can review your options with you.
• Debt Management Plan (DMP) - If you are having difficulty paying bills or staying current on credit cards, a full service DMP is available.

You also have access to Accel's online information library, personal finance calculators and videos. These resources are available at www.accelservices.org by clicking on Resources.

Accel counselors are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST), Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To use this service, simply call 1-877-33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org.

Don't Get Hooked by Phishing

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. One of the sinister techniques that thieves use to steal your identity is called phishing.

Phishing is a practice that online fraudsters use to "fish" for confidential passwords and financial data from the "sea" of Internet users using email. Phishing has two major components:

• Spoofing occurs when thieves create a near exact replica of an existing website
• Spamming occurs when you receive unsolicited email also known as junk email. A typical email will tell you that you need to update your account information for a financial institution account. The email contains a link that when .clicked. will take you to the spoofed web site where you are asked for some personal and financial information. Once you enter in this information, the identity thief has access to it.

Phishing occurs when identity thieves use spoofing and spamming to lure you into providing personal and financial information on the Internet

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Delete unknown email messages and don.t download attachments or click on links included in the email
• Don't send personal or financial information via email
• Make sure that you are on a secure, encrypted website before entering personal or financial information. A secure site is usually designated by the URL beginning with "https" where the "s" stands for secure. Also, look for the closed padlock at the bottom of the screen, which indicates secure.
• Use anti-virus software on your PC or laptop and keep it updated
• Add a firewall to your computer especially if you use broadband service

As a member of Tower Family Credit Union, you can take advantage of the Accel program, a free financial education and counseling program. Accel counselors are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST), Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To use this new service, simply call 1-877-33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org.

You Can Control Your Spending

You might be a person who does very well with your money. Your money management skills are serving you well. On the other hand, you might have some concern about your spending habits. Maybe you are an over spender.

Regardless of whether you are a controlled spender or an over spender, there are ways to improve your particular situation.

There are many tools and techniques to help over spenders transform negative habits into positive behavior. Here are a few:

1. Stay clear - of the spots where you know that you spend lots of money
2. Take a timeout - Create a policy for yourself that says, "I will use layaway, the store.s 'hold policy' or I will wait two weeks before I buy this item." This will give you time to think before you buy.
3. Shop with a list - Most purchases that sabotage a spending plan are impulse buys. Using a list and sticking to it, will make splurging a thing of the past.
4. You can still splurge - but do it economically and consciously. If you have an urge to spend, spend, spend, consider doing it at Goodwill instead of Saks Fifth Avenue. You might find that your urge is satisfied.
5. Track your money - and use cash when you purchase items. You've worked hard for that money and sometimes it is more difficult to exchange cash when making a purchase.
6. Call a friend - Just talking with a trusted person can reduce the urge to splurge.

Marketers would prefer that you shopped from a subconscious level. Fight back before you buy.

Need a credit counselor? As a member of Tower Family Credit Union, you can take advantage of the Accel program, a free financial education and counseling program. Accel counselors are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST), Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To use this new service, simply call 1-877-33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org.

Lifelong Money Management Tips
It's never too late to get your financial records organized. Here are some tips to help you sort through all the records.

Keep a home file that includes:

• Information on credit and debit cards, checking and savings accounts
• Copies of insurance policies, warranties, guarantees, and contracts
• Information on home mortgages, land, and other property
• Information on motor vehicles and driver's licenses
• Copies of birth, marriage, death, divorce, and citizenship papers
• Copy of will, last instructions, and safe deposit box keys
• Tax records for the last six years
• Records of pension plans, education, medical, and employment
• Current household inventory

Keep a safe deposit box that includes:

• Birth, death, marriage, divorce, adoption, and citizenship papers
• Property Deeds
• Motor vehicle titles
• Stock and bond certificates
• U.S. savings bonds
• Important contracts
• Military discharge and veteran papers
• Patents and copyrights
• Important disks or CDs
• Photos of your home inventory

As a member of Tower Family Credit Union, you can take advantage of the Accel program, a free financial education and counseling program. An Accel counselor can help you get organized. To use this new service, simply call 1-877-33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org.

Reducing Expenses to Achieve Your Goals
Achieving your financial goals sometimes requires you to make adjustments to your family budget. And quite often it is the expense side of the budget that can generate the biggest results in the shortest period of time. It's not how much you earn in your lifetime, but how much you spend that can keep you from achieving your goals.

So, if you have a financial goal in your life, take a look at your spending as a way to save the money to achieve that goal. The exercise below can help.

Need help with your financial goals? As a member of Tower Family Credit Union, you can take advantage of the Accel program, a free financial education and counseling program. Accel counselors are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST), Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To use this new service, simply call 1-877-33ACCEL (332-2235) or visit them on the web at www.accelservices.org.