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O K L A H O M A E M P LOY E E S C R E D I T U N I O N N E W S L E T T E R

With rates hitting unprecedented lows, the real estate market has become a real buy-
er’s market and a great time to refinance. Jim VanWinkle, VP of Lending for OECU an-
swers some frequently asked questions about refinancing.

Can I qualify? refinancing are fixed, and the WINTER 2011

Many people have heard that
qualifying is very difficult due to
economic conditions or banks
losing money. This is just a
myth, or an excuse, offered by
financial institutions that can no
longer offer loans on the same
terms they did in years past.
The credit union uses the same
qualifying parameters that we
always have: The borrower must
have the ability to pay back the
loan, show that they usually do
pay back loans, and live in (or
be purchasing) a house that is in
good shape.
What interest rate decrease
should I see before I
refinance?
The old rules don’t really apply
anymore. Since most costs of
amount of interest saved is DATESTOREMEMBER
variable you shouldn’t aim for
one number. Bottom line, the 17
Martin Luther
King Jr. Day
LETSGETFISCAL
larger the mortgage, the less the Monday, Jan. 17 It’s time to shave a few pounds off your loan pay-
rate change to make it worth Stiles drive-thru and ments and OECU’s Fiscal Trainers are here to help!
your while to refinance. Talk to a phone center open
real estate loan officer to get the 9am - 1pm. All other • Does your auto payment have too much flab?
number you are looking for. branches closed. • Want to bulk up your credit card savings?
• Is your mortgage rate out of shape?
How long does it take to Presidents’ Day
21 Rates are historically low. Now is the perfect time
refinance? Monday, Feb. 21
to shape up your payments. Let our Fiscal Trainers
It takes about five weeks to Stiles drive-thru and
phone center open help get you on the right track.
complete the process.
9am - 1pm. All other
Do I need a new appraisal? branches closed.
Possibly. It depends on the loan
type you are doing. However, the Annual Meeting
26 Saturday, Mar. 26
cost is included in the closing
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
costs quoted up front and can be
Jim Thorpe Museum
rolled into the loan. (NE 41st & Lincoln)

Permit No. 1541 P.O. Box 24027 • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73124
Oklahoma City, OK
PAID Union Credit

U.S. Postage Employees Oklahoma

Presorted Standard

8

MARKMYWORD
Mark Kelly
OECU President
The start of a new year is a great
time to stop and review your
finances and to set new goals for
this year and beyond. A well written
and revised plan is always more
likely to bring you success.
EMPLOYEESPOTLIGHT
Give us a call!
When we tell you that we are just
a phone call away; we mean it.
We do more loans over the phone
than through any other channel.
Meet Stephen Schreiber, Loan Of-
ficer at our Virtual Branch.
At OECU we promise to “Identify
your needs and suggest a solution
that will improve your financial
life.” For Stephen, this isn’t just a
promise, it’s a guarantee.
“Often I get a call from a member
that would like to get a loan to pay
off their high interest credit card. I
am happy to help them, but I also
take a look at other solutions. A lot
of the time, we can refinance their
2 *Annual Percentage Rate. Normal lending policies apply.
Start by making a list of your
outstanding debts, monthly pay-
ments and their interest rates.
Next, determine a plan to reduce
your debt over the year. Consider
refinancing the highest interest
rates to save money.
Another popular strategy is to
make additional payments on the
lowest balance. Once it is paid
in full, add that payment amount
to the payment for the next lowest
balance, then repeat. Whatever
your technique, the main thing
is to have a plan and review it
regularly.
Guiding our members to greater financial success.
auto loan to a lower rate, freeing
up extra money to pay off their
credit card. I tell them they might
not want another credit card, but
how about a better credit card?
Sometimes transferring the bal-
ance to OECU’s MasterCard at a
lower rate, is a better option. My
job isn’t just finding a solution, it’s
finding the best solution.” explains
Stephen.
Stephen is just one of our Fiscal
Trainers ready to bulk up your
savings and slim down your flabby
rates.
When setting your personal goals
whether it is to reduce or consoli-
date debt, build more savings or
buy a home please remember we
are here to assist.
We are in challenging times.
Some of us more than others.
Please contact OECU if we can
help in any way.
I want to wish everyone a great
year and say thank you for being a
valued part of OECU!
Stephen Schreiber
Loan Officer
If you have a question for
Stephen, or any of our Fis-
cal Trainers, give them a call at
405.606.6328.
SOCIALMEDIASECURITY
As the popularity of social networking sites grows, so do the risks of using them. Hackers, spammers, virus
writers, identity thieves and other criminals follow the traffic. Here are some tips from Microsoft that can
help protect you.
Use cau- social networking services to scan ly. Evaluate the site that you plan to
tion when your e-mail address book. The site use and make sure you understand
you click might use this information to send the privacy policy. You will be pro-
links that e-mail messages to everyone in viding personal information to this
you receive your contact list. Web site, so use the same criteria
in messages that you would to select a site where
from your Type the address of your social you enter your credit card.
friends on networking site directly into your
your social browser or use your personal book- Assume what you write on a social
Web site. Treat links in messages marks. If you click a link to your site networking site is permanent. Even
on these sites as you would links in through e-mail or another Web site, if you can delete your account,
e-mail messages. you might be entering your account anyone on the Internet can easily
name and password into a fake site print the information or save it to a
Don’t trust that a message is really where your personal information computer.
from who it says it’s from. Hackers could be stolen.
can break into accounts and send
messages that look like they’re from Be selective about who you accept
your friends, but aren’t. If you sus- as a friend on a social network.
pect that a message is fraudulent, Identity thieves might create fake
use an alternate method to contact profiles in order to get information
your friend to find out. from you. Connect with OECU:
To avoid giving away e-mail ad-
dresses of your friends, do not allow
twiter.com/OECU
Choose your social network careful- facebook.com/OkEmployeesCu
Rates are as low as 7.99%APR*
NO Annual Fees
NO BalanceTransfer Fees
NO Inactivity Fees
405.606.OECU OECU.ORG
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TAXESMADEEASY
Gather those w-2s, 1099s and all your receipts- it’s tax time!
The Oklahoma Tax Commission has been working qualify for one of the Oklahoma Free File Options”.
hard to make filing taxes easier for you. Oklahoma To Free File, you must file both your Federal and
e-filing has been around for fifteen years and is more Oklahoma taxes at the same time.
user-friendly than ever. Millions of taxpayers have
chosen to receive a quicker refund by filing their Once you have filed and transmitted your electronic
income taxes electronically. returns, you will receive a confirmation receipt and

E-file is by far the most highly recommended way to

file your income taxes. It is simple, safe, speedy and
acceptance notice from the program you utilized.
Then you just need to plan how to spend that refund! We guarantee to your auto payment or pay you $250*
completely secure. Taxpayers who e-file their taxes
receive their refunds in a fraction of the time it takes
to receive a refund by paper filing. If you choose 405.606.OECU OECU.ORG
the option for direct deposit when e-filing, you can
often expect to see your refund in your account
*Normal lending policies apply. Excludes existing OECU auto loans & loans priced at 0% APR. Max existing term 72 months. Limited time offer.
approximately 3-5 days after sending your return
electronically. To e-file, simply visit the Oklahoma Tax
Commission website at www.tax.ok.gov and follow

AUTOSMART
the links to e-file. You can do your taxes while in your
pajamas if you like!
Make transactions on Sundays at
Some taxpayers may be eligible for FREE e-filing.
these locations:
Typically, there is a small fee to e-file, but many Just like the AutoSMART
Oklahomans qualify for Free Filing and don’t even
website, you can find Oklahoma City
know it. Last year 187,000 Oklahomans could have
the dealers closest to 13801 N. Penn Ste. G
Free Filed but didn’t! See if you qualify by visiting the
Mon-Sat 9am - 5pm
OTC website and clicking on the e-file link which will you that offer the credit NEW HOURS: Sun 1pm - 5pm
lead you to a link that reads “Click here to see if you union service you expect,
search through thousands Midwest City

OECUGIVESBACK
of dealers’ inventories, 323-B S. Air Depot
get the latest ratings and Mon-Sat 9am - 5pm
NEW HOURS: Sun 1pm - 5pm
reviews, find out what your
trade-in is worth - and Norman - OPENING JANUARY 24 TH
OECU will award 2 scholarships for the 2011 – 2012 receive help with their educational expenses” says Mark
academic year. The first place scholarship award will W. Kelly, President and CEO.
more! 710 West Main
Mon-Sat 9am - 5pm
be in the amount
Whether you’re looking NEW HOURS: Sun 1pm - 4:30pm
of $1,000 and Applicants must be a primary account holder in good
the second place standing at OECU and be enrolled full time to a for a new car, used car, Yukon
award will be for college, university, trade or craft school within the next AutoSMART just went or Certified Pre-Owned, 1300 West Vandament, Suite 101
$500. school year. Interested applicants can apply online at
www.oecu.org or print out an application and return it
mobile with the FREE AutoSMART makes it easy Mon-Sat 9am - 5pm
AutoSMART iPhone app! for you to get a great deal NEW HOURS: Sun 1pm - 5pm
“We know and to the credit union no later than April 30, 2011.
appreciate the Now, in the palm of your on your next vehicle!
Tulsa
value of a college Applicants need to submit an OECU scholarship hand, you can have access 6105-A S. Mingo
education and are application, a written essay and a transcript from their to the auto buying tools Download the app anytime Mon-Sat 9am - 5 pm
pleased to provide high school or college. Essay topics, applications and
young people the complete rules can be found at www.oecu.org.
that you need the most – from the iTunes App Store. NEW HOURS: Sun 1pm - 4:30 pm
opportunity to no matter where you are.

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 MEMBERSPOTLIGHT
We talk a lot rate! I hadn’t even thought about how much
about saving money I could be saving. I was glad that she
money by re- went out of her way to see if she could help me
financing your in other areas besides getting a new account. I
auto loan. saved thousands because of that. My old bank
Take it from would have probably just opened my account
Robert Estes, and never said anything else.”
He was able
to refinance
Take Robert’s advice and look at your current
and save big!
auto loan. Refinancing your auto loan to a
lower payment will free up some much needed
When Robert extra cash this New Year. Want to know how
started his new much OECU can save you? Just give us a call
Robert Estes job at ODOT, at 405.606.6328 or visit us online at oecu.org.
he had problems with his bank charging fees
and taking too long to fix them. He decided to Example of auto payments for $20,000 at a
get a new account with OECU. “I had heard 60 month term:
BOARDELECTIONS ANNUALMEETING
The first 300 people to RSVP will be guaranteed
The 2011 Election Committee is taking applications for
our annual coffee mug. To RSVP, visit oecu.org
candidates for three (3) separate positions for the OECU
Board of Directors. The deadline for registration is
and click the Annual Meeting link in the left
February 15, 2011. sidebar of the page or call 405.606.OECU.
Description of Duties - A volunteer on the Board of
Directors (BOD) will perform as a member of a team that
is ultimately responsible for the general direction and
control of the affairs of the credit union. As a group, the
BOD approves credit union policies and declares divi-
dends for deposits and rates of interest for loans.
The BOD also approves members of the credit union
and authorizes investments of credit union funds. Be-
cause of these responsibilities, it is necessary that quali-
fied candidates realize and be able to commit to the
following criteria:
1. Be a credit union member in good standing. Saturday, March 26, 2011
2. Be bondable.
3. Be able to attend monthly meetings and an annual
Time: 1 pm to 3 pm
planning conference. Location: Jim Thorpe Museum (NE 41st & Lincoln)
4. Have a general knowledge of credit union products

eBRANCH
nothing but good things about OECU from 21.49% APR - $546.59 and services.
everyone” recalls Robert. “During the process 5. Maintain the highest level of ethics and confidentiality
of signing up, the loan officer noticed that I 15.49% APR - $480.96 in all BOD dealings.
had a car loan and inquired about my current 5.49% APR - $381.93
rate. I told her it was 21% and she seemed Qualified candidates should submit their nomination in Enjoy the convenience of accessing your OECU ac-
3.49% APR - $363.75 writing to:
very shocked. She proceeded to inform me that counts antime, anywhere for FREE. With eBranch, you
Oklahoma Employees Credit Union
OECU could refinance my car for a third of that can securely and conveniently:
Attn: Election Committee
P.O. Box 24027

BULKUPYOURSAVINGS Oklahoma City, OK 73124 • Check account balances

• Transfer money
Nominations must include the following information:
• Pay bills with ePay feature
1. Letter of nomination/introduction
2. Declaration for which seat the • Review account history
For a limited time OECU is offering a New Year’s CD
candidate wishes to run: • Make OECU loan payments
Special. Now’s your chance to bulk up your savings
a. Seat 1 (3 yr. term) - Pete Byers • View a copy of cleared checks
with these great rates. b. Seat 2 (3 yr. term) - Kip Smith
c. Seat 3 (3 yr. term) - Julie Bowers Visit www.oecu.org to enroll in eBranch.
18-month CD 1.61% APY* 3. A current resume
Each candidate may only specify one seat for which they
30-month CD 2.02% APY* wish to run. All nominations should be submitted no later
than February 15, 2011. No nomination will be accept-
Stop by your local branch today or call us at ed after this date.
405.606.6328 to take advantage of these great Each individual submitting a nomination will be notified
rates. They won’t last long. To find a branch near of their eligibility and opposition by the Election Com-
you visit www.oecu.org. mittee no less than 15 days prior to the Annual Meet-
ing. The election will be held at the Annual Meeting and
*Annual Percentage Yield. Rate subject to change. Limited time offer.
successful candidates will be introduced following the
Refer to rate and fee schedule for additional terms. election.

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