who are "V"?

Congratulations, it's a blog!

2007-05-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to introduce Verity's new blog. Check it out!

http://blog.veritycu.com

We hope you like it!

Farewell. V will miss you.

2007-05-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

Soon, right above this post, will be a link to a new blog.

That’s right. We are sunsetting “Who Are V” and replacing it with our new, upgraded blog called “Our Voices”

We are also moving away from Blogger, which means there will be a new URL for you.

We have had such a great response to our blog that, after two and a half years, we have decided to invest a little money in it.

It will look different, but we think you will like it much better.

Have a great weekend.

Toastmaster or Milktoast

2007-04-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Toastmasters. Many times that word alone strikes fear into the hearts of men and women alike.

Some believe Toastmasters is a mythical group of people bent on making up elaborate toasts for weddings, funerals, Bar Mitzvah’s, Bat Mitzvah’s and graduations. Some have heard that Toastmasters a place where people go to stand on a soapbox and speak about something, no one knows what, just something. Some think it’s a type of appliance, and sadly, some have never heard of Toastmasters at all. They just know that it’s scary!

Allow me to introduce you to Toastmasters: It’s a forum for professional, lay and business people in general to hone their public speaking skills….uhoooooo, that IS scary. Did you say: Public SPEAKING skills? Yes, I did.

Because I am often in the public arena promoting Verity Credit Union at a variety of community events and chamber functions, I wanted to improve my speaking ability when addressing the public. Toastmasters provide the ideal place to learn, grow and perfect one’s speaking capability. It’s fun, yes, I DID say FUN, informative, and for me, one of the highlights of my work week.

Each subject you choose to speak on is determined by you, at your own discretion in combination with particular speech objectives listed in your manual. In other words, for each of the ten speeches you give to earn your Competent Communicator Certificate, you have objectives to meet ranging from vocal tone and gestures to organizing your speech. Each lesson is designed to help the speaker become more comfortable with speaking in front of a group, and speaking well. All speeches are evaluated by a seasoned club member and positively reinforced with both compliments and pointers on how to improve.

I belong to a highly decorated club in Federal Way led by a very dynamic Life Coach, DeBorah, and numerous other professionals of varying backgrounds, from accountants to engineers and sales executives. This delightful group of business people is so enthusiastic, helpful and caring that I know my speaking has improved after only three months of participation. It’s due in great part to their support and constructive critiquing, not to mention the friendships I’ve established and the subjects I’ve learned about. Indeed, each speech that I’ve prepared has been more fun than the last, and I’ve earned the distinction of Best Speaker on more than one occasion. Who knew? And who knows what might be within you? I highly recommend the Toastmaster experience and encourage anyone and everyone to give it a try. We were all as nervous as you at the beginning. You’ll get over it and embrace it, and go from Milktoast to Toastmaster!

We Know Someone On Oprah!

2007-04-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

A friend Verity’s, a photographer by the name of Bev Sparks, was on Oprah this week.

Bev has been taking our corporate “head shots” for the past few years. I don’t exactly remember how we were introduced to Bev, but I do know that even though she does not specialize in corporate photography, we always call on her because we like her so much.

Which makes it all the more exciting that she was on Oprah. On April 25, Oprah did a “Dog Lovers” segment. Bev’s photos were featured behind Oprah the whole show and Bev was introduced at the end. Bev looked FABULOUS.

IMHO, Oprah should have had more of Bev and less of Tori Spelling and whats-his-name. If you ever have a chance to check out the segment, you should. She had the world’s tallest dog and the world’s smallest dog. They appeared to hit off – surprisingly.

Also, if you are a dog lover and want a picture of your pooch, definitely call Bev. She’s good people (and very talented).

To Call or Not to Call—members, will you answer?

2007-04-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, Ron Shevlin cited Joe’s post, The Dilemma of the Service Call. In his post, Mr. Shevlin commented that Verity’s approach (as described in Joe’s post) is wrong and “representative of what goes on in many banks and credit unions.” You can read the entire post here; the following is an excerpt of his commentary that supports his argument:

So what’s wrong with Verity’s approach?

1) It doesn’t know “the products advantageous for them.” Few consumers have all, let alone a majority of their financial products with one provider. So, in trying to determine what products to offer, a financial provider is at a serious disadvantage — it doesn’t have a complete picture of what any one customer owns and doesn’t own. YOU might think a credit card is “advantageous” for someone, but what you don’t know is that she already has five cards — and resents you calling to sell her something she doesn’t “need.”

2) The timing is all wrong. Yes, I’ve seen the BAI study that says 95% (or whatever) of all additional products are cross-sold in the first six months after a new account is opened. But nobody ever asks why that’s the case. I’ll tell you — because that’s the window in which the customer is still in the honeymoon period, and their bank (or credit union) hasn’t done enough to piss them off yet. But the reality of the matter is that it’s incredibly unlikely that someone’s financial situation has changed that much one month after opening a particular account (which is when Verity is making its second call). If you were to call me a month after I opened an account and tried to pitch another, I’d ask you why your firm was so incompetent as to NOT tell me about this a month ago.

We’d like to open this discussion up to our members and get your thoughts.

Do you like a follow-up call to make sure that you got your debit card, to answer any questions you might have, or just to make contact after the 1st 60 days after you first meet us?

Or, do you not like a follow-up call? Would you rather we hang up (pun intended) the idea of follow-up calls altogether? What do you expect from your relationship with your credit union?

Tell us—we really want to know.

Fraudulent NCUA email alert

2007-04-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been brought to my attention that there is an email going around that looks like this:

From: NCUA
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 8:44 PM
Subject: Official information for all Federal Credit Union

Dear Sir/Madam,

National Credit Union Administration always look forward for the high security of our clients. Some customers have been receiving an email claiming to be from NCUA advising them to follow a link to what appear to be a NCUA web site, where they are prompted to enter their personal Online Banking details. NCUA is in no way involved with this email and the web site does not belong to us.

Actually, we are performing security improvements of our banking community and enforce customers to register their sensitive information for an additionally created free security service to prevent any fraudulent activity against their assets and savings. We, hereby ask you to respond within few hours of current notification and Confirm Your Credit or Debit Card via our SSL protected website to apply for this service absolutely for free, otherwise your account(s) may not process posted transactions correctly and on time.

Please visit us to Confirm Your Credit or Debit Card.
_________________________________________________________________

Hopefully, most people know this is an obvious scam. NCUA would never contact you about accounts you have at your credit union as they have no access to your accounts. In fact, I have never received any kind of email from NCUA as a consumer, only as a credit union employee. As far as I know, unless you've gone to NCUA's website and have proactively signed up with them to receive emails, you shouldn't be getting emails from them.

That being said, I understand how confusing it is when you're getting multiple emails from multiple financial institutions. I'll confess that I was once almost duped by a phishing attempt that appeared to be from Bank of America. I have a credit card with them and I go online about once a month to check my statement since I've opted out of getting paper ones (a brilliant idea, by the way). Almost monthly I'll forget my log-in information and will have to go through the whole process of resetting my password. So when I received an email from BoA telling me there was suspicious activity on my online account and that if I didn't take appropriate action they were going to lock me out of my account for good, I thought it was because I'd recently typed in about 10 incorrect passwords. I quickly remembered that I'd successfully reset my password and that there's no way they'd close my account without trying to contact me via phone at least.

Here's the rule of thumb I follow when it comes to email: never respond to email from a financial institution or strangers; never click links in emails from financial instiutions or strangers; when in doubt, pick up the phone (but don't talk to strangers).

The Dilemma of the Service Call

2007-04-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

One of my job responsibilities as a ‘Relationship Associate’ at Verity is to make service calls to members who have recently opened an account at our Alderwood branch. The first call usually happens about 2 weeks after the account is opened. I ask the member if they have received their checks or debit card and answer any questions they may have about their new accounts. At this time I also take the opportunity, after having reviewed their accounts, to offer the member other products or services that may fit their needs. This call is always well received. The member realizes that we are following up on the new account and they’re appreciative that we want to make sure they’ve received their checks or debit card.
A second call is placed about a month later, without the guise of a check up, to offer others products. Again, having reviewed their accounts, I determine the products that are advantageous for each member and explain how they can profit from them. While these calls are solicitations, and beneficial for the credit union, we have the member’s best interest at heart. Many members don’t have their accounts structured to optimize their return; some because they don’t know, some just don’t care. Either way we want to educate our membership and contribute to a positive banking experience. However, in this day and age people, myself included, are conditioned to be suspicious of sales calls. These second calls aren’t as well received, and sometimes people are stand-offish, especially those who don’t understand our cooperative nature. Are these calls then giving members reason to see us as though we’re only out for profit? Are members equating us to banks? Are they more of an annoyance than a service? Such is the dilemma of the service call.
Nevertheless, I propose that while these calls might not be appreciated by all, we must continue in our endeavor to educate and provide superior service. Those that value our efforts will remain loyal and committed members and those that don’t yet regard these services as highly as others, will recognize their value in time.

Plumbers Have the Worst Pipes

2007-04-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

I spend eight hours of my day communicating, educating and pontificating on credit union products, the wise use of credit, the importance of savings, the virtues of investing, and innovative tools to manage one’s financial fitness.

You’d think, that if you looked into my personal life, you’d find a perfectly balance checkbook, a smooth running family budget, pristinely organized files of important documents and fine tuned retirement plan.

You’d be wrong.

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but my personal financial house is pretty darn messy. I need more life insurance. I need to sit down with our investment advisor. I bounced a few checks this year and I neglected to pay a few parking tickets (until someone named Bruce called).

My 2007 New Years Resolution was to be more organized, more proactive in my finances.

That is what I have been working on this morning. It has probably been over a year since I checked in on our retirement savings (ack!). So I went to Home Banking to see how those accounts were doing.

There is a little known secret about our Home Banking system…. Did you know that you can aggregate all of your retirement accounts in one column so you can see all of them at a glance? It even adds them up for you so you can see the total of your savings at once.

It under our Bill Payer system (and we wonder why people don’t find it!). Go to Bill Payer, then MoneyHQ (again – another sooo intuitive name). It takes about 20 minutes to set all of your accounts up. You need to know the url, user name and password of the companies where you have fund. Once you put it all in, its there every time you want to look at it.

There was something strangely comforting to see all five of my investment accounts, right there in a row, where I left them last year, with little indicators such as “updated 42 minutes ago” and “updated 17 minutes ago”. I wanted to pat my computer on its smart little head and say, “thanks for keeping that safe while I was out of touch.” Yes, I felt a little better about life after seeing those accounts so neatly laid out for me, clearly updating for the past 12 months. (It didn’t hurt at all that the market was kind to me either!)

So if you are like me and your 2007 new years resolution is to be more organized, I recommend two things to you: 1. Check out our retirement savings aggregator on Home Banking. 2. Watch for a class we will be hosting on keeping your personal papers organized. It’s May 22 and more information will be on the front page of the website soon.

Life as a Tweenie

2007-04-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

For those of us with kids, the descriptor Tweenie is very familiar; it’s someone who is no longer a little kid, but not quite a big kid either. They are the kids who can see and understand what the big kids can do, and are trying like heck to do those things as well.

I would submit that Verity, and our peers in the $100 million to $750 million sized credit unions are Tweenies as well. We want to be full service like our larger brethren, but sometimes struggle to deliver as efficiently due to cost constraints, scale constraints and efficiency constraints.

A good example of this is business services. A great many of the big (read > $1 billion) credit unions offer this. They have the resources to build a department from scratch and absorb that cost until the business supports itself. Tweenie credit unions desperately want to offer business services. It’s good for the credit union and it’s good for the business community. The Tweenie credit union, however, has a shorter timeline for success because it may not have the resources to support a startup operation for too long.

That is where the beauty of our cooperative nature comes in. There are many areas where credit unions can (and do) share resources to create efficiency and provide better value to our membership. Some examples include core processing, mortgage lending, business services, ATM processing and the list goes on. I just read in CU Times that Telesis Credit Union in California has purchased a nationwide auto buying service and has created a credit union auto dealership with a national reach. Their plan is to offer equity ownership to interested credit unions so every credit union, regardless of size has an opportunity to participate. Kudos to them!

It’s cooperation like this that allows Tweenies like Verity to compete successfully with community and national banks who are many times our size. As credit unions, including Verity continue to grow, let us never forget the cooperative nature that got us here in the first place!

What makes a good career?

2007-03-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

I always find it interesting to read the rankings in US News and World Reports. Whether it is the best college, best city to live in, or best place to spend a vacation they seem to have a ranking for everything. In the March issue they rank the best careers for 2007 (click here for the link).

While reading the article I was struck by a sentence which gave the advice to pursue something you enjoy (it is hidden in the section that gives advice to recent graduates). Later that day I was announcing the winner of this month’s Extraordinary Feats Award, Melanie Mosshart, and it was evident that she enjoys her job and that has helped her make an impact. Just take a look at some of the things that were said about her:

· “Melanie has a tremendous amount of energy that she brings to work everyday.”
· “Whenever we have any idea that could possible impact our business Melanie runs with it and makes it a reality.”
· “Melanie shows enthusiasm, takes the time to think through what results we want to get and help us come up with a game plan.”
· “Her drive, determination and ability to open doors are truly extraordinary.”

When ranking the best careers US News looks at things such as median salary and job demand. Both of these things are valid but I believe the best careers for 2007, or any other year for that matter, depends on the individual. People like Melanie do not get comments like the ones above unless they enjoy their job.

Now I am a little biased as I am still waiting for Western Washington University to be ranked number one (I think we are all sick of seeing Harvard) in their college issue. Do you think that a magazine can rank the best careers or is that ranking always going to depend on the individual?

Sticky Situation

2007-03-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

While my husband and I were recently on vacation, I accidentally signed a credit card receipt at a restaurant without filling in the tip portion. We were two blocks away when I remembered that I had done this so we tramped back to the restaurant.

I used to work food service and I would never knowingly cheat someone out of a tip.

It reminded me of an interesting email I got from Passport Unlimited. As you know, we offer a VISA card that has the Passport logo on it and you get your second entrée free when using your Verity VISA card (cool, eh?) At any rate, a participating restaurant called Passport and said that one of our members had used their card and not left a tip. They wanted us to track down the member so the restaurant could ask them why they didn’t leave a tip.

Well, for all sorts of reasons, we couldn’t do this.

While I’m sad that there is a waiter or waitress out there that didn’t get a fair night’s wage, I am happy that the restaurant wants to know why.

The reason I am happy is that soon we are going to have a restaurant review forum where members can go and rate their experience at Passport restaurants. Was the food good? Was the service good? Did they know what to do when you gave them your VISA – that sort of stuff. I think it will be a good. Stay tuned.

Working Together to Spread the Word

2007-03-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Did you see our television ad during the Academy Awards? If you missed it, you can check it out on www.discovercreditunions.com

I’m proud of the way Washington state credit unions are working together to spread the word about the benefits of belonging to a credit union. I think there are 20 of us across the state that are working on this campaign.

Check it out.

Individualize Service

2007-03-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

I was reading a book in my leadership course at Verity University. The first thing I thought was, I better start marking this book with the little color sticky tabs to keep notes on questions I may have. By the time I finished the book, I ran out of sticky tabs. Yes, it was that good. Let me tell you why. I have been in the financial industry for nearly 8 years. Half of it was at one of the top three largest bank in the west coast and half with Verity Credit Union. I have been a teller, personal banker, business specialist, assistant manager, and information technology. There is a whole run through of positions that I have been in but the goal is still the same. I spent 8 years striving to give individualize service to everyone who approaches me with a service request or even a simple question. At the same time, I do my best to take their worries away while working on their issues. After reading this book about leadership and listening, I wanted to give the members or even others that are not part of the credit union an insight of the individualize services that Verity Credit Union have.

This book has illustrated a good point that Verity Credit Union strives to achieve for our members.

Southwest Airlines again stands out as the exception. Their flight attendants are experts in all the required safety procedures, but safety is not the point of their work. Fun is the point. Their passionate CEO, Herb Kelleher, instinctively empathized with air travelers. He realized that air travel is inevitably stressful. He knew that he would never be able to remove everyone’s fear and frustration. All he could do was encourage every one of his employees to make the flying experience as much fun as possible. Hence the songs, the jokes, the games, the coloring outside of the lines.” Kelleher’s intuition means that every Southwest employee is focused on the right outcome. (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999)

There are many employees at Verity Credit Union that I spend most of my day talking and helping them with issues or work enhancements. I feel like I know everyone here but not just myself. Everyone in the credit union is striving become part of this “right outcome”. Just like the example of book, Verity focus on creating individualized service with each member and give them the peace of mind that we will take care of their worries through great talent and listening.

-Flying Monkey

Something Crazy Happened in Credit Union Land This Week

2007-03-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, a peer shared with me the news of a new and unprecedented happening in credit union land…a hostile takeover attempt. This type of takeover attempt is very common in publicly held companies, including banks, but has never happened in our corner of the business universe. News of this is spreading like wildfire and individuals, regulators, trade associations and vendors are weighing in. What follows is a part of a letter that one of Verity’s vendors sent that describes the situation and includes some very useful links:

Over the weekend Wings FCU based in Apple Valley MN(Total Assets about $1.7 Billion), made what can best be described as a HOSTILE takeover attempt of Continental FCU(CFCU). They had turned down several overtures made by Wings FCU to merge. Wings FCU solution has been to go the press and slam CFCU as not providing needed services etc. to its members. Go to www.continentalwings.com/ASP/home.asp Wings set up this site without CFCU knowledge. CFCU currently offers GREAT services to its members and is working everyday to do MORE for its members just like you are. Wings just wants the CAPITAL of CFCU. Wings FCU has been acting like this is a great deal for all the parties. The president of CFCU Tom Glatt heard about the "great deal" when CU times called him to ask his thoughts. CFCU response to this ambush can be found at http://www.continentalfcu.org/news/NoStrings.php Check out the CU times articles www.cutimes.com breaking news section.

The letter goes on to ask us to write our regulator to ask that this stop today.

I am a capitalist and firmly understand the need for mergers and acquisitions that are sometimes hostile. Credit Unions however are unique types of businesses, which are trying desperately to distinguish themselves from banks. While this act is not against the letter of credit union law, it certainly flies in the face of the spirit of the credit union movement and seems very bank-like to me. We don’t need to give bankers another reason to attack credit unions and our tax-exempt status. Wings FCU actually considered converting to a bank back in 2003 but ultimately decided to remain a credit union. Its CEO, Paul Parish had this to say, “We feel there is great value in remaining a credit union. Our board has and will focus on remaining a credit union.”

If Wings FCU wants to act like a bank, then for heaven’s sake, just become one. Please don’t do this kind of stuff that could have serious repercussions across our entire industry!

Another look in someone's wallet

2007-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Remember in January when I shared the contents of my wallet? Well, the idea must be catching on. Trent, over at The Simple Dollar, posted something similar Thursday called What's In Your Wallet? How I Organize the Finances in My Pocket.

It's an interesting read. Mostly because he thinks in terms of security and thrift. For example, he doesn't keep an ATM card in his wallet because they have less fraud protection than credit cards and they allow him too easy access to cash he doesn't necessarily need.

There are so many people blogging about their personal financial situations these days. It's a good resource for those of us looking to help them gain solvency.

From Trent's bio page: The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds - we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

Training - Nice to have or a Strategic Advantage?

2007-03-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

Training Magazine, a national publication devoted to the training industry, named Verity Credit Union as one of the Top 125 training organizations in the United States. Tina had mentioned this in her blog on January 2nd. However yesterday we found out our official ranking. Are your ready for it...

Verity’s official ranking was 101st, ahead of such companies as IKEA, MasterCard Worldwide, and MetLife. In fact, Verity was one of only three credit unions named to this coveted list. Two of them happen to be in Washington State, which I think is pretty cool.

In the most recent issue of Training Magazine Verity is featured in an article naming and briefly describing the Top 125 training organizations. A nice feeling when you are included with such companies as Starbucks and the Ritz-Carlton (who received first place). Check out the rankings of all the companies that made this coveted list.

One of our vision statements is to be considered one of the Top 10 places to work. Since I am involved in training I have an obvious bias in the importance of receiving this recognition. It truly excites me! However I am interested in what you think. Does receiving national recognition like this help propel us towards being a Top 10 organization to work for?

Go see Maxed Out -- a look at America's debt crisis

2007-02-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

First of all, I have not seen Maxed Out. I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago and was intrigued by its promise to show me how the “modern financial industry really works.” Watch it here, at the movie’s fansite: MaxedOutBuzz.com. Looks interesting, no?

Here are some blurbs from the movie’s website:

Maxed Out reveals the secrets of the new bank. John Ballew, a Midwestern banker whose neighborhood bank has been merged so many times he's lost count, tells us why suggestive selling is the primary qualification for working at a modern bank.

Maxed Out reveals that the financial industry's best customers are the broke and the bankrupt. The most profitable niche of the industry is called "alternative" or "sub-prime"—euphemisms for a business formerly known as loan-sharking.

Maxed Out delves into the heart of the information business. David Szwak, a prominent Shreveport attorney, reveals that 90 percent of credit reports—those forms that now determine whether we get a job, a home and insurance—have errors on them, yet the credit bureaus aren't doing anything to correct the situation.Obviously this movie is anti-bank. I don’t know if it mentions credit unions at all, or if it offers any solutions for people looking to get out of debt. After reading the cast of “characters”, including Suze Orman, Bud Hibbs, Alan Greenspan, Elizabeth Warren, I’m optimistic there will be some impressive and insightful commentary.

Maxed Out is playing in limited release. It will show at Seattle’s Varsity Theatre on March 9. Check here for show times in other cities.

Side note: the director was raised in Seattle and the movie showed at last summer’s SIFF.

Poised with Promise

2007-02-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

This year it was recommended to me, as the Relationship Manager in Auburn, that the Auburn Branch of Verity Credit Union support the Miss Auburn Pageant by sponsoring a young contestant in the pageant.

What does that mean? Well, it means that Verity would support our own candidate both with financial assistance and with moral support from the credit union staff throughout our candidate’s pageant journey. It was a great idea, (thank you Kathy) and it’s been a delight from day one.

The pageant is kicked off with a VIP Hour at Emerald Downs where the public, the sponsors and families are introduced to the young women embarking on this trek to self awareness, confidence and poise. Because Auburn boasts the largest amount in financial scholarships for a pageant in the entire country, we watched 23 young ladies come forward to win the coveted title and the scholarship that accompanies it.

Ashley T. was our candidate: a vibrant, well-traveled, determined young lady with her eye on business or perhaps photography in her professional future. Her eye was also, as were the other contestant’s eyes, on the prize: several scholarships to be awarded. Ashley, a member of DECCA, is an accomplished writer and an editor for her high school yearbook, not to mention that she looks stunning in her black and white evening gown.

What many people fail to recognize about pageants is that they are a golden opportunity to put one’s best foot into the future. A young lady in the pageant learns poise, grace, how to speak, how to gesture when speaking in public, and most importantly in this world of Victoria Secret models, self confidence. I applaud all the contestants for their courage, their vision, and their promise…a promise of a bright future for each one of them!

Verity Credit Union’s Blog Making Industry News

2007-02-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

Recently, Verity Credit Union was featured in the well-regarded industry magazine, On-line Banking Report, as being one of the most innovative financial institutes of 2006.

Verity has also been asked to speak at the well-attended Net.Finance 2007 conference in April.

Lastly, Verity Credit Union was recently quoted through a podcast in the leading industry blog, Opensource CU.

I am proud to boast that we have a board of directors and management team who are willing to try new things, a staff that is dedicated and talented enough to keep a blog going for over two years and a membership base that appreciates and participates in this type of dialogue.

Who gets to say when paper checks go away?

2007-02-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Or maybe the question is, "Will they ever go away?"

Like many other financial institutions out there, we offer free Bill Payer and we used to have a checking account that rewarded members with a dividend if they consented to receive their statements and communications with us electronically. And yet we continue to have thousands of members that use paper checks, no matter what incentive we offer. I have yet to hear of a bank or credit union getting rid of paper checks altogether, but it appears that one particular mass retailer might be discouraging their customers from using paper checks. Or maybe it was a lapse in training?

A friend of mine experienced this and she blogged about it:

"I recently got back from a quick trip to the grocery store. I've been putting it off for over a week now. I find that now that I don't have my own income, I procrastinate doing things that involve payments. Grocery shopping is high on the list of things I would rather do with K... part because two kids, two parents... part because, then he can pay for the goods.

I'm used to using my debit card when I'm out. It's convenient and it takes the money directly out of my account. But, I only have a debit card for my account, not our joint account. That means that while I have been unemployed, I've had to write checks for groceries. UUUGH!

My dislike of the paper check is apparently shared by many. I've pulled out my check book numerous times these past several months and I hear moans and groans from those in line... as was the case tonight. It made me think about the time I went to Walmart when they just opened.

It had been opened for maybe a week. I had to get some necessities late at night (they are open 24 hours) and, of course, I had to write a check - I can't believe how much just one can of formula and one package of diapers cost! The cashier looked at me like I was insane. When I asked for a pen, her expression changed from obvious disbelief to sheer panic.

Cashier: "Are you going to write a check?"

Me (I hate obvious questions): "That was the plan."

Cashier: "Uhhh"

Me: "You do accept checks, right?"

Cashier: "Uhhh... I'm not sure. They didn't cover this in training"

She had to call a manager over. The manager had to consult with someone over the phone. They consulted other cashiers and eventually I was able to write my check.It made me wonder... am I really the last of a dying breed? I'm not a fan of the paper check... but at the same time, shouldn't stores be equipped to take all forms of payment... or if they aren't, have it posted on the doors and at the registers? The whole ordeal took nearly 10 minutes... but more annoying than that, I left feeling
alienated.
Of course, I still haven't gone in to get a debit card to that account because it requires both of us to be there... and when we have time together, we don't want to go to the CU (sorry Verity!). I'm not sure I really have a point... and I know it's taken me a long time to get to the end of a pointless blog. I guess I just felt like sharing my thoughts on the paper check and the experiences I've had surrounding them lately. Perhaps if anyone associated with Walmart is reading this... they could put in a request to include the acceptance of paper checks into their training."

What do you think? Will paper checks go the way of the dodo bird or are they here to stay?

BTW, I emailed my friend and told her she didn't need to go into a branch to get a debit card. She commented back on her blog-- thanks for the shout out, K!

"Kayce said...
Now that's customer service! Granted, I used to work at the Credit Union... but a staff member there read my blog and took it upon herself to email me and let me know that I can call to have a debit card issued on the joint account... no need to go into the branch!Take note Walmart! She wasn't sure what the proper procedure was... but instead of trying to talk me out of using the debit card, she asked around and got me some answers. I like that about this company. The employees take it upon themselves to take care of their members and make them feel important. If you are in need of a financial institution, I'm still a big fan of Verity Credit Union. "

Shameless plug, I know-- but seriously, will paper check usage ultimately be replaced by debit cards and online bill pay?

Aw yeah, share the love!

2007-02-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

On this special Valentine’s Day posting I wanted to share the love. (Is someone’s HR Alert sounding?) In this case I’m talking about employee referrals. We have many employees who come to Verity through referral by another employee. Not only does this make my job easier, it also helps us foster a dynamic corporate culture. Kathleen Miller, one of our Member Service Reps at our Beacon Hill Branch, recounted her story:

"Last Fall I was pondering going to work for a former boss at a large financial institution when I ran into my neighbor, Melanie Mosshart, at our mailboxes. She is always fun to talk to and was really excited to tell me about her new job at Verity.

After hearing her rave about the company and discussing some of the products, my interest was definitely peaked. She gave me a promotional Passport card and said that she’d let me know if she found out of any openings. I got online and checked Verity out. It’s pretty rare to hear someone talk about their job and company in such positive light so I checked it out! I applied for a position at the Beacon Hill branch during the 10 for 10 promotion and anticipated waiting to hear anything when I got a friendly call from the HR department! The hiring and training process was an absolute breeze and having medical insurance available right away, (even for part time!), that’s amazing to me.

I am very happy here and have learned a lot already. As far as Verity University, the self study STAR books and online training is really helpful. Other companies that I have worked for seem more interested in production than encouraging their employees to further their education. I have met a lot of really fun and talented people here at Verity and it has all been a really positive experience for me!”

Call me a nerd, but it really excites me to hear stories like these. Kathleen – and don’t call her Kathy – has since transitioned into a fulltime role at the branch. She exhibits a lot of great attributes that we look for in Verity employees. I’m happy to say that this is just one example – I’d need another set of fingers to count all the referrals we currently have at Verity. Now that’s sharing the love…in an HR appropriate way, of course. :-)

Real Life Myths Exposed

2007-02-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last week a friend introduced me to a show called Mythbusters. The premise of this show is that these two guys go around trying to prove if myths are true or not. Important things like if a jawbreaker is heated in the microwave and then bitten into will it blow up (the answer is yes and it will burn you pretty bad). In the spirit of my new found knowledge I thought I would share the answers to two of the more interesting myths I have encountered.

Myth Number One: Pirates wore eye-patches to cover their glass/hollow eye.

This turned out to be false. The real reason (beside the obvious fashion statement) is that it allowed one eye to adjust to the dark more quickly. They were constantly going below deck where it was dark. By simply moving the eye patch to the other eye they were able to see their way around more quickly. It was simply a method to improve their night vision.

The weird thing is when I first heard this my reaction was not that I was surprised or even impressed. My reaction was how did I never, in all my years on this earth, wonder why the eye-patch. I just sort of accepted that was what pirates did, sort of like taxes and death. Random tangent but seriously have you ever questioned the whole purpose of an eye-patch for a pirate?

Myth Number Two: Nice guys finish last.

This one I became the myth buster on (but not with the same title as that would be a copyright infringement). Look at the two nominations that were submitted for this month’s winner of our Extraordinary Feats Award. It is people like Pete that make me glad that I work at Verity Credit Union (and it isn’t because of his endless candy supply...well maybe it is a little).

Nomination 1:
I would like to nominate Mr. Pete! Mr. Pete ALWAYS greets everyone with a smile, and is always ready to help with anything that he might be able to assist with. I think he goes above and beyond with his kindness towards all employees and members, and demonstrates what it means to be a great roll model. For those of us who have had the pleasure of attending the 7 habits classes, I think that Pete creates his own sunny happy weather- and shares it with all who come in contact!

Many times, I have been in the Branch, and at every opportunity to serve- he is there. This, I believe, goes a long, long ways in having the best Quality Service for our members. It is obvious that he takes great pride in what he does, and for this I believe he deserves to be recognized with an Extraordinary Feats Award.

Nomination 2:
Extraordinary can sometimes be found in the beauty of a very ordinary day. Take your typical day and you will find Pete offering to help most anyone that comes his way, whether this has to do with branching, staffing, or eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. He is this beacon of light that shines on us and warms us with laughter, kindness and joy. He cares and now I will give my soap box speech about caring: you can’t pay people to care; they either do or they don’t. He does. This is good.

When I think of extraordinary I think of the kinds of things that we would want our ideal employees to do. Be a model of our corporate culture, promote servant leadership and strive to make things (no matter how big or small) better. Pete does that. I think it’s inspiring. If you need a specific story, here goes:

I was working on a Saturday and Pete noticed. He said, “what are you doing here?”
“Trying to crank things out but my computer is all frozen right now. That’s so frustrating because I can’t get it fixed” I replied.
He nodded in empathetic agreement and said, “but you look fabulous, just so you know.”
I laughed. Pete has a way with words.
Not five minutes later he sends Val over with an interoffice envelope. She said, “I am supposed to give this to you but not bother you in case your crank is turning.”
I open the envelope. It’s filled with candy.
My day is better, because of Pete.

Pete is both a nice guy and a winner. Clearly, with the help of Pete, I have proved this myth wrong. I think there could be a future career in this for me.

3 Business Books I Think You Should Read

2007-01-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

I think one of the greatest aspects about being human (versus hanging out in trees all day flinging poo at each other) is the ability to read. I love reading. I really do. Not only is it FUNdamental, like the poster says, I like the mind-bending-paradigm-shifting-“wow-that-was-cool” opportunity that comes with each new book. Three books that I would recommend for any business environment:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Stephen Covey
Empowering. I read this one while in Hawaii and I highly suggest you do the same. I think this book addresses just about any question about personal strategy. Why do I procrastinate? (Habit 3) What kind of manager/co-worker/human do I want to be? (Habit 2) Why do I yell at people in traffic? (Habit 1). I’ve facilitated this class to almost half the employees at Verity. I really enjoy watching the personal connection that students make with the material. It is quite profound and richly satisfying. And I’m not just typing that because profound is one of my favorite words.

First, Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham
Practical. I saw Marcus speak at a conference and charming British accent and dreamy blue eyes aside, he has excellent points to make about management philosophy, approach and workplace systems. Our entire executive team and a majority of our managers have read this book. We also use the survey to gauge employee satisfaction and proactively find ways to enrich our culture. This is the kind of book I flagged with little post-its and hand-written notes because there were so many salient points. It’s a good, solid, motivating read for any manager or manager wannabe.

Death By Meeting, by Patrick Lencioni
Relevant. I can’t believe this book didn’t make the New York Times Best-seller list. Paris Hilton’s “book” makes it and this, which could potentially and exponentially impact workplace effectiveness does not. I shake my blond tresses in utter disdain. Anyhoo, back to my recommendation: the ideas and tips have changed the way I conduct meetings, for the better. Do not let the title mislead you; this is not about eliminating meetings. Rather, it’s about the focus, drama and function of different kinds of meetings. This book is a quick read because of the set-up story used to illustrate the point.

There you have it. Cue “the more you know” NBC theme music (ding ding ding diiiiiiiiing)….and let me know what you would recommend.

Reports of another credit card compromise put Verity on the offensive to protect its members

2007-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

It looks like yet another compromise of credit and debit card information has reared its ugly head.

On Thursday, January 18, 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported that a “giant retailer” had a customer security breach. You can read about it here (not the WSJ article, but one on MSNBC as you have to pay to read the entire WSJ online version.) According to the article, millions of shoppers that shopped as far back as 2003 at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and other TJX stores (their parent company) could be affected.

Verity is working aggressively with Visa USA to contact any members that may have been affected. In a nutshell, here is our game plan:

We normally receive daily reports from our credit card vendor (who receives this information from Visa). Credit cards listed on this report mean that there is a possibility that a compromise of information may have occurred. Verity staff checks every card listed to see if it is one of our member’s debit or credit cards.

In light of this incident, the reports are longer than usual, however, there has been no need to do a mass reissue of plastic cards.

The good news is that there have been no reports of fraud so far. However, we are taking the following steps to minimize risk and inconvenience to our members:

If a member’s debit or credit card has been reported, we will contact the member in writing.
A new debit or credit card will be reissued to the member immediately. We have determined a time frame that will allow the member to use their current card until the new card arrives which allows the credit union to close the account without denying the member access to their funds.

If you have any questions about your account or this incident, please call our Member Service Center at (800) 444-4589 or call (206) 440-9000. Any updates will be posted on this blog.

Good news if you have $ to deposit!

2007-01-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, our COO shared with me a recent WSJ article titled "Banks' Cry, Give Us Your Cash". The gist of the story is that our national savings rate is at an all-time low, while loan demand remains high, which translates to Banks (and Credit Unions) scrambling for deposits to fund loan demand. This article definitely struck a nerve with me, as I spend much of my working day trying to figure out how Verity is going to continue to fund loans while maintaining an ample interest margin. Interest margin is the difference between the rate we charge for loans and the rates we pay on our deposits. This margin is the primary source of revenue for banks and credit unions and provides for us the resources to build branches, offer technology and maintain a skilled staff.

Verity, and most other financial institutions have seen margins erode during the past 12-18 months. This is due in large part to the flat/inverted yield curve, where short term rates are equal to or higher than longer term rates. Most financial institutions price their deposits off the short end of the curve, while loans are priced off the longer end of the curve. Another major factor, as I alluded to earlier, is the low/negative national savings rate. Increased competition, including sky-high rates and fantastic offers is a third major contributor to our margin squeeze. We did this ourselves with our recent "Pick Your Term" CD special where we offered 5.6% APY for a 6, 9 or 12 month CD. While the dollar results of that special were fantastic (it was our largest dollar-growth special ever), I am finding it difficult to find investment outlets for those dollars where Verity can make much of a spread.

"So what's your point", you might ask. I think 2007 is going to be a very interesting and challenging year for financial institutions. We at Verity are not forecasting much of a change in interest rates, at least for the first part of the year. That means, if we want to grow we will need to be aggressive with rates and innovative with products. That's ok, we've got some great things in the hopper and at the end of the day, it's great for consumers; especially those with dollars to deposit.

Yes Summit exercise: my life's an open wallet

2007-01-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

If someone asked to see your wallet, would you show it to them? I did -- on the first day of the Yes Summit to a bunch of people I’d never met before. I like to share.

Actually, it was a group exercise. The youngest person at each table was asked to share the contents of his or her wallet and then answer questions from the group that might help them draw conclusions about how the 18-30 demographic spends money and what kind of products and services they use most. I’m 31, just slightly older than the target demo, but I was the youngest person at the table, and let’s face it, I still think I’m 21 most of the time.

Answer: I only write one check a month – my rent check. Occasionally I write checks for charitable giving or to small places, like my CSA, who do not accept plastic.

How do you pay your bills then? I use Bill Payer.

Do receive paper bills or do you prefer paperless? It’s a mix of both, really. If a company makes it really easy for me to switch to paperless, I usually will as long as they send me email reminders that my bill is due.

I usually take withdrawals for $40 from the cash machine, so that’s usually the most I ever have on me at one time. Unless I’m traveling and then I might have up to $100.

Debit card.

If the purchase is more than about $50, I’ll use my credit card.

It’s mostly psychological. I don’t want to see a big hit on my checking account. I’d rather have a large credit card bill and pay it off once a month. I know, it makes no sense.

I carry two in my wallet: a Bank of America card that earns rewards points that I use for cash back, and my Verity Platinum Passport card for dining out. I have two more cards at home that I only use at specific retailers.

I have this B of A card because when I moved to Boston in ‘99 I got a Bank of Boston credit card and eventually they became B of A. I’ve never had any reason to switch cards. I pay my balance off every month, so rates aren’t a big deal to me, and I’m not really that into rewards programs because I don’t charge a lot to my card. I’ve never charged more than $2k in one month. I’d say my average bill is $500. I’ve thought about switching cards to get one that gives money back to my alma mater, but it’s too much of a hassle and I like the fact that I’ve had this card for a long time.

I’ve got my health insurance card, my library card, 2 grocery store club cards, a Fred Meyer gift card and a Blockbuster card.

No. When I go out for dinner or drinks or just to hang out with friends, I try to only take my ID and either my debit or credit card. I hate having a wallet full of stuff.

No. B of A sends me those when my card renews and I shred them right away. It makes me nervous to have that on my keys. It’s just one more opportunity for theft.

My wallet. My cell phone can’t buy coffee.

The point of this exercise was to show how much you can learn from someone by asking them about their wallet. Why not have a promotion where you give your members $10 for letting you ask them questions about their wallet? Imagine what you might learn. You’ll get so much more information from them this way than by just asking them things like, “What kinds of financial products do you use? How happy are you with your current credit card?”

Everyone at my table agreed that the information I provided was valuable. Isn't this the kind of juicy stuff we try to get out of our members through focus groups and surveys? And I just gave it all up, for FREE.

New Year's resolution: make brain hurt

2007-01-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

One of the most challenging aspects of my job is that I find it hard to take off my marketing hat when I’m not at work. For example, if I’m out with a group of people, I will not hesitate to check out what credit cards they use to pay their tab and then ask them why they use that particular card. Or, if someone I’m just meeting asks me what I do for a living, I will tell them I work for Verity Credit Union and then ask them if they’ve heard of us. If they haven’t, I usually start off by saying we’re a not-for-profit financial institution…blah, blah, blah. If I’m lucky, this will result in a response that sounds like this: “Not for profit? What do you mean?” Well, I’m so glad you asked.

It’s not that I love talking about work all the time, it’s just that I’ve had enough conversations to realize that credit unions have a real public relations issue on their hands. I rarely come across anyone outside our industry that even knows what a credit union is. The question I hear most often is: Don’t you have to belong to a union to join a credit union? I hear these comments a lot too: “I think my grandpa belongs to a credit union” and “I only use online banking, so a credit union wouldn’t work for me.” OUCH.

Not only do people not know what a credit union is or how it differs from a bank, they think as a whole we are old-fashioned and frumpy and don’t offer innovative or even modern products and services.

I recently attended the YES Summit in San Diego which focused on serving the 18-30 demographic.* We talked about how important it is to be innovative and not just copy what the competition is doing. We had young folks come in and talk to us about their financial needs and how they perceive credit unions. We did a lot of brainstorming and group activities to get our creative juices flowing. And while I learned a lot at YES and came back to work pumped and ready to go get these young whippersnappers, I realized that much of what we discussed can be applied to people of all generations. Being innovative isn’t only going to attract the under 30 crowd. Finding out what people actually need instead of just offering them what everyone else does is going to get us noticed.

I hope that the year 2007 will be one of innovation and fresh ideas and positive changes for us. One of my resolutions for this year is to make this happen, even if it makes my brain hurt.

*Stay tuned for future posts on the Summit.

Mac ad parody shows that credit unions should be the apple of your eye

2007-01-04T15:50:00.000-08:00

I am a diehard MAC fan.

I am the only G5 MAC at work (due to my web and graphic design demands). I have a G5 and an iBook laptop at home. I have a first generation iPod and a 3rd generation iPod. I created a DVD using iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD to document my son's first nine months for the grandparents.

I don't have a life-- I have an iLife.

And the only reason I have a dark blue Dell next to my pretty silver G5 is because there are some financial applications that just don't jive on a MAC. I live in a two-platform world.

So, yes I enjoy MAC products and of late, I've been enjoying those MAC ads featuring the straight-laced, corporate PC guy and the hip, laid-back MAC guy. The ad does a great job of giving a face and personality to two very different computer products. Certainly both computers can give you the tools you need to do what you want, but the ad cleverly plays into the human need to belong or to be "someone." Do you want to be the hip, cool kid or the tie-wearing conservative guy? According to the ad, You are you're computer and vice versa.

I was forwarded a link to a website where the MAC ads was parodied to show the differences between credit unions and banks-- and it does a great job. Here is a link: http://www.bankerspank.com/Site/Blog/Blog.html

In the parody, the "PC guy" is replaced by a well-suited "Bank" and the "Mac guy" is replaced by a casually dressed "Credit Union." There are three parodies in all, emphasizing the differences between the bank and the credit union with the same back and forth comedic tone and dialogue that the MAC ad uses. I found it to be an entertaining way to show how credit unions are not-for profit cooperatives that serve their members.

Check out the parodies yourself. After watching them, don't you feel glad to be a member of a credit union?

And if you aren't, don't you wish you were?

How to become President?

2007-01-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Before I start I need to clarify that this will only work if you are trying to become President of a company. If you want to be President of your country you will have to get advice from a different blog. So how do you become President of the company you work for? Here are three options:

1. Print up business cards referring to yourself as President (of course this is a lie and you will be found out). On a side note I have a friend that recently started his own business. He had business cards made stating that he was owner. He noticed that when he gave them out to potential customers no one was taking them seriously. Then he changed them so it stated that he was President. He tells me that there is a marked difference in how serious people treat him now. That was really random but for some reason I find it interesting.

2. Start your own business. Downside you need something to sell and money to get started. Upside you are in fact the President.

3. Treat the people you serve with an extrodinary level of service. Solve their problems, anticpate their needs, and create a trusting relationship. This might not actually make you president but to the people you serve you will be viewed in a whole new light. Want an example? Look at the nomination for this month's winner of our Extrodinary Service Award. In this member's eyes he is the President of Verity Credit Union.

I have been sitting next to Chris since August and have noticed him being especially kind to a certain member. At least once a week this member comes in and plops himself in front of Chris. To some, this could be a cause of annoyance or frustration. But Chris patiently listens to his problems and helps him to the best of his abilities. Two weeks ago, this member came in and had a problem paying a Sam’s Club bill. I don’t know the exact situation, but Chris was on the phone with a few different people trying to sort out the issue. He was in here for what seemed like more than an hour but Chris patiently helped him out and he left with his predicament resolved. This is not a one time occurrence. As I said before, this happens at least once a week. This member will come in and be talking back and forth with someone about some problem on his cell phone and tell them they can talk to the “President of my Bank.” Anyway, he always has a positive experience when he comes in and Chris helps him with whatever he needs.

That my fellow bloggers is one way to become President (at least to one person).

Verity Wins Top 100 Award

2007-01-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

We made the Training Magazine Top 100 list. This is a national award which, in the words of the selection committee is, "the most elite ranking among Fortune 500 companies for Training and Learning Development." Last year, only one other credit union in the nation made the list, WSECU. Here's a link to the 2005 list:

http://www.trainingmag.com/training/images/pdf/T100chart.pdf

We will find out in February what rank we achieved.

Frankly, I'm so excited I could throw up. But I won't. I enjoy working at Verity and I tremendously enjoy working with Justin (who championed the entry process...there is no way we would have won without his efforts). This is nice icing.

We have earned two other national training awards. The Credit Union National Association acknowledged our internal university and our executive alignment with the training function with the Chi Pi Delta and Training Champion Awards, respectively. It is exciting to win this award among other for-profit companies, like IBM, The Ritz-Carlson and Home Depot, in addition our credit union peers.

Points for All? We'll Pass For Now

2006-12-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned last week, we had a very nice marketing consultant come in and give us some advice on growing our credit card portfolio. One of the things he suggested was to put travel points on all of our credit cards.

His logic is sound enough, I guess. If you look at our VISA card that offers points, it is doing far better in all categories than the other cards in our product line.

I don’t thing giving points to everyone is wise. Here is why:

1. I am worried about point inflation: Twice The Economist has noted that there are more points in circulation than there are dollars in the U.S. economy. Many leading economists believe that inflation is caused by the increase in the supply of money. This theory could hold true for points too, couldn’t it? I mean, if I wake up one day and find that I have a billion points on the books, wouldn’t it make sense for me to raise the cost of each travel redemption so I don’t end up losing my shirt on my points program?

I don’t want to come to a place where we must charge members one million points to get to Spokane.

2. I am worried about a run on the points. When I look around, I see many indicators that travel costs will continue to increase - - rising fuel costs, failing airlines (loss of competition), increased security costs, and climbing demand. There are not many foreseeable reasons for this trend to change. The price per ticket for the credit union has already gone up twice in the past two years. I predict this will happen again.

Here’s where things get a little complicated. You see, all points programs rely on the fact that a majority of people will never redeem their points. However, it seems to me that if airfare continues to sky rocket, people are going to start remembering they have points and taking the time to figure out how to redeem them. Suddenly, the logarithms we have relied on in the past are not going to be correct anymore.

For these two reasons, I want to make sure that the people who are currently in our points program are there because they are actively using their card to rack up their points and they are committed to redeeming them. That is why we have a $35 annual fee and why we expire points. These two things make sure that members self select into the credit card program that is right for them and they pay attention to the program when they are in it.*

I want to avoid giving points to members who don’t notice or don’t care. I still have to accrue those points on our balance sheet, whether the member wants them or not. I also think points are a bigger liability than most institutions realize.

I am actually a minority in this line of thinking. Many institutions are adding points to their debit cards and giving points for other relationships (open a CD and get 5,000 points, for example). Believe me, we revisit this topic often. But for now, we are taking the conservative route and keeping our points on our VISA Journey Scorecard only.

We are however, looking at some other incentives for our debit/credit program that I think our members will LOVE. I can’t say much more than that, but watch for some good stuff in 2007.

*It also helps offset costs and plan for redemptions more accurately.

Do you work with someone like this?

2006-12-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Being in HR I get the opportunity to talk to both external canidates and internal staff about what they like about their job. One of the most common things people that like their job mention is that they work with great people. The winner of this month's Exrodinary Feats Award is one of those individuals whose willingness to help makes everyones jobs easier. Just read this nomination that was sent in:

Kathy came in Friday (her day off) just to say hi. As she entered the branch she noticed that it was just Christina and I and that we as a branch were short on a GSA and Military payday (one of our busiest days). Kathy, without even asking if we needed help, logged into her computer and pulled a drawer. This went a long way in helping our members in a timely manner. Kathy stayed the whole evening and everyone, members and staff, were very thankful for her presence. I also asked Kathy if she would be willing to help out on Saturday since we were going to be short handed again. Kathy, without hesitation, offered to help. Kathy has always expressed great team dedication and this weekend is one of many ways she has shown that dedication.

Do you work with someone like this? If so I bet that you enjoy your job.

I Just Can’t Do It

2006-12-19T05:11:00.001-08:00

Last week, the business development consultant from our credit card processing company paid us our annual visit. Every year, they come out and give us suggestions for growing our credit card portfolio.

The fellow was very nice. I feel a bit bad for him. He and I disagreed on a few points and I can be, well, passionate about some topics.

The two topics on which we went toe to toe were Platinum and Points. I understand his position, I do. When you look at our portfolio, our Platinum card and our Journey card (the card with travel points) are doing much better than our Classic, our Credit Builder and our Cascade card. There are several examples of credit unions that converted all of their cards to Platinum and saw an increase in usage. There are several credit unions that put point programs on all of their cards, including debit and saw an increase in usage. These are two things that are hard to argue with. But let me try…

Platinum for all –

So awhile back, VISA lifted all restrictions on Platinum. Now, any card issuer can give any consumer a Platinum card (I didn’t just tell the world there is no Santa, did I?) So we could, technically, give the 18 year old off the street, or the member with terrible credit a Platinum card.

Right now, the Platinum card itself has no added benefit except prestige (this – please note – it not the case with Verity’s card. I’ll explain later). I asked the consultant if anyone in the industry was worried that if we give everyone Platinum, then it would no longer be prestigious. He said then we give the Platinum people Titanium. Hmmm…

I tried to picture myself sending out 11,000 mailing pieces that say, “since you are such a great credit card holder, we are changing your credit card from orange to Platinum.” It just doesn’t sit right with me.

Maybe I am old fashion, but I like the fact that our Platinum card is more difficult to qualify for. You have to have a better credit history, a good income and to have been wise with your finances. I also like the fact that we aren’t just giving prestige with our Platinum card. It comes with lower rates and higher limits. (which one may argue is why it is outperforming our other cards – wait, I did argue that.)

I asked the consultant if they had used the data gathered from other credit unions in a regression analysis – you know, to see if it was actually the color of the card that spiked usage or was it the rate, the additional marketing or some other factor. They had not.

I thought about what would happen if I sent all of our Credit Builder folks this “You now have a Platinum card” mailing. I don’t profess to know a lot about Gen Y, but it seems like their reaction to a communication like that would be apathetic at best and annoyed at worst.

I don’t know. Changing the color of our cards to a more prestigious color just doesn’t seem like the best use of the credit union’s money. So for right now, I am going to leave them like they are.

If you want a Platinum card (and I would highly recommend it, because, by the way, it comes with a Passport logo which gets you two for one dinners at hundreds of upscale restaurants in our area), then apply for the real Platinum. You’ll get a better rate, a higher limit, and what the heck, some honest bragging rights.

Tune in tomorrow when I take on Points…

We've got the power!

2006-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce that power is back up at Verity so all phone systems and remote services (Home Banking, Telephone Teller) are now available.

Branches that are normally open on Saturday will be available for their regular business hours today.

A special mention for Home Banking Users: If you were expecting automatic ACH deposits in your account yesterday, we were able to process them normally. However, if you had automatic ACH debits scheduled yesterday, please note that they did take place, but you may not be able to see them in your Home Banking account register. The power outage caused our main system and our Home Banking system to go out of sync,so some transactions (ACH or not) may be missing from your view. If you have any questions, please call a branch at (206) 440-9000 or (800) 444-4589.

Thanks to our members for your patience! We hope that everyone has weathered the storm and is warm and safe this weekend.

Power Up, Power Down

2006-12-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Electricity was finally restored in the early afternoon, enabling us to power up our systems. Unfortunately, the electricity went out again shortly thereafter. We are hoping that it will return this evening.

In the meantime, Home Banking remains in stand-in mode (see earlier posts below for details.) All branches will be open tomorrow for regular business hours.

Stay tuned for further updates on this blog and on our website.

Power Outage Update

2006-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Add the Alderwood Branch to the list of branches open for business today. The Northgate branch is still closed.

Members are encouraged to get cash at any of the ATMs in our network. Call 888-SITE-COOP (888-748-3266) to find one of the 20,000 ATMs on our member network. Using any phone, callers simply say a street address or cross street to find the nearest location-- whether its 100 feet or 25 miles away.

Or click here to find a shared branching location near you.

Another option for getting cash is to use your debit card when making a purchase at the register. Just enter the amount you need and it will be added to your final purchase amount.

Power outage at Verity

2006-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

A major windstorm swept through the Puget Sound area overnight, causing power outages along the I-5 corridor and in outlying areas. Verity was no exception.

Our Beacon Hill and Federal Building branches are open. Our other branches are currently closed due to lack of power.

The following services are unavailable or have limited availability:

Our phone systems are unavailable. You will be unable to contact Member Services or our branches at this time.
Home Banking is in stand-in mode. You will be unable to see real-time balances. You will also be unable to make real-time transfers between accounts. Bill Payer is available to schedule payments, but it is in stand-in mode as well. ezCard is available, so you can view your credit card information and schedule a payment.
Telephone Teller is unavailable.

We are working to restore all systems and to get our other branches open for business. Please continue to check our blog and website throughout the day for updates.

Fruits of Our Labor

2006-12-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

Recently Verity was chosen as a winner in several categories for the 2006 People’s Picks awards! This is an annual award hosted by NWjobs.com, and is designed to acknowledge top Northwest employers.

Being a representative of Verity’s Human Resource department, this award is particularly exciting. Why? Essentially, winners are chosen based upon submissions by individual people. Verity was competing with the likes of Starbucks, Premera Blue Cross, Microsoft, and others. It’s extremely satisfying to know that our employees think highly of Verity. It brings us a step closer to achieving one of our Vision Statements: “Verity will be one of the 10 best places to work.”

We have employees who are talented in their work and dedicated to the credit union industry. Whenever we get the opportunity to showcase our company culture it generates positive feedback from employees, members, and the general public. In my function as a recruiter for Verity, I speak to many individuals who want to work for us just because they have perceived Verity as a great place to work. It makes my job a whole lot easier when people are already excited about our company; and I wear my passion on my sleeve when it comes to credit unions. I may be biased, but Verity is a great place to work!

My hope is that this kind of recognition is just a sample of things to come. We take our commitments very seriously, and will continue to work hard to earn the title as a best place to work. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by like-minded individuals. Together, we create the synergy that is Verity Credit Union.

Check out the details at: http://marketplace.nwsource.com/job/peoplespicks/2006/

Heart of the Game

2006-12-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we (Verity Credit Union) treated a roomful of our investment services clients to a dinner and presentation by Bill Resler.

If you haven’t already heard the hype – Bill Resler is the UW Accounting professor turned high school girls’ basketball coach who was featured in the documentary Heart of the Game. Bill is also a good friend of Dave Nelson, on our Investment Services team.

The documentary follows the Roosevelt Roughriders girls' basketball team for six tumultuous seasons capturing the drama and exhilaration of youth and the inspiration of a passionate coach whose lessons of self-esteem, confidence and compassion go far beyond the court . . . (excerpt from the official website)

I have not seen the documentary and I am not involved in local sports well enough to completely understand Bill’s local reputation, however, his presentation was amazingly engaging and interesting. I think I can safely say that everyone there was mesmerized by his stories.

One of my favorite stories was about when he went on the movie release tour with Darnellia Russel and Chris Bridges (know to most people as Ludacris). Ludacris narrated the documentary. When they were being prepped for an interview on CNN, they set Ludacris in the middle – arguably due to his ‘star appeal’. He, however, insisted that Darnella sit in the middle, because, as he put it, ‘she was the real star’.

After getting to know him a little better, Bill admitted to Ludacris that he had tried to listen to his music, but it was too violent and misogynistic for his tastes. He asked how such a good guy like Chris Bridges could have such a thug alter-ego. Chris explained to him that the money he makes as Ludacris allows him to give back to his community – like narrating a documentary on girls basketball.

There is rumor that Heart of the Game is going to be nominated for an Academy Award. I think that anything that promotes Title IX and equality for girls is a good thing.

I also think we should all go buy the movie. Whenever we have greatness amongst us – be it in film makers, coaches or basketball players, we should do our best to support it.

Do You Believe

2006-11-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Do You Believe ?

When I was a little girl, Christmas was all about Santa Claus, Christmas carols, Christmas lights and Christmas trees. When I was little girl, Christmas was all about what I wanted most in the world: a Barbie Dream House. And Santa, in his ultimate generosity and to my delirious delight, provided me with just that on Christmas morning.

Now, I didn’t realize at the time how much more fun it is to do the giving rather than the receiving. However, over the years (no, it didn’t really take me years to learn this) I’ve learned that lesson, and recently got a small taste of exactly what it feels like to play Santa to many unsuspecting school children.

Verity hosts a Corporate Citizenship Committee whose sole purpose is dedicated to providing charitable donations to worthy causes in King County. V.E.R.B.S.: Verity Encourages Resources for Back to School is one such cause. Generous members and employees alike donated school supplies and money for those children whose circumstances didn’t allow for their parents to purchase backpacks, pencils and notepads for them for that “back-to-school” debut.

Lea Hills Elementary in Auburn and Asa Mercer Middle School in Beacon Hill were the delighted recipients of the VERBS donations from Verity's Auburn and Beacon Hill Branches. They expressed grateful appreciation to Verity and our members for their generosity.

Lea Hill's Principal Ed and the Student Body President, Jackson, stood in front of a beautiful mural at the school to accept Verity’s donation from Operations Manager Robyn, and myself.
They received a $561.00 check as well as a variety of school supplies.

At Asa Mercer, Student Body President representatives Adriana and Sade accepted a check for $561.00 as well, in addition to a large tub of school supplies from our Beacon Hill Operations Manager, Tim and me.

The pleasure of seeing such happy, smiling faces at the sight of this gift from Verity and our members was such a treat for me personally, that I can hardly wait for our next adventure in giving: Share the Warmth-- contributing coats and mittens to homeless children and their mothers here in King County. I have that same little girl anticipation of waiting for Santa, only this time, I’m playing the role of Santa Claus through Verity Credit Union.

Other Institution Reports Phishing Attack

2006-11-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Another financial institution that was caught in the same spoofing attack as Verity has just informed us that their customers received a phishing email today.

While there is no indication that any email addresses were gathered in Verity’s spoofing attack two weeks ago, we do want to remind members that we will never send you an email that directs you to a site where you are asked for credit card numbers or any personal information.

In addition, we will not be sending you any emails in the next few days that instruct you to log on to Home Banking.

If you receive any emails that look like they came from us, please do not click on any links embedded in the text. We will no longer be sending emails with links to our site.

If you have any questions, please call us at 800-444-4589.

Latest Information on Weekend Spoofing

2006-11-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

As you can see, we brought the website back up. We have put several enhanced protections in place and are monitoring the site very closely.

As a precautionary measure, we are requiring password changes for all Home Banking users. You will be asked to change your password the next time you log in.

Additionally, we urge any member who gave any credit card or personal information to the redirected site on Saturday, November 11 to call us immediately at 800-444-4589 so that we can cancel your credit card account and issue you new numbers.

Please make sure that your home computer is equipped with up-to-date anti-spyware. Also, it is critical that we have your current phone number. We are monitoring all accounts closely for any signs of fraud. We will call members immediately if we see any suspicious activity.

Once again, we thank everyone for their patience.

Re-Setting All On-line Passwords

2006-11-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

As a precautionary measure, we have instructed our Home Banking vendor to reset all passwords.

Starting at about 2:45 pm today, when you log on to Home Banking, you will be asked to change your password.

If you do not have up-to-date anti-spyware software on your home computer, we recommend that you protect your computer immediately. There have been two reports of the spoofing link trying to download spyware onto a computer.

Again, we recommend www.trendmicro.com

In addition to the password changes, we have restricted certain functions within Home Banking.

Please call us if you have any questions. 800-444-4589.

Spoofing Update - Monday Morning

2006-11-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

We have learned that we are one of several financial institutions that were affected by this spoofing scheme. We are all working together on the problem.

We have decided not to bring our website back on-line until we have more information. You may see the site come back up temporarily – this is so we can run a few reports. After we have the information we need from the reports, we will pull the website down again. If you log in and see the site up, that is fine. We are monitoring the link to Home Banking closely and have enhanced several protection measures.

In the meantime, we encourage all members to CALL US if they logged on between 6:30 am and 12:00 pm on Saturday November 11 and gave any credit card or other identifying information through the hi-jacked site. We will close your credit card account and change your Home Banking password. Our number is 800-444-4589.

As always, we remind you to keep your anti-spyware updated on your personal computers. Here is one product we recommend. (click there to be redirected)

We will continue to keep you posted through this site.

Again, we thank you for patience.

Home Banking is Now Accessible

2006-11-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

We have taken down the website and initiated a direct link to Home Banking. This is a safe and secure way to access Home Banking. Click here for the link.

We will continue to keep you posted on the progress of bringing the entire website back up.

Thank you.

Spoofing Alert

2006-11-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

It appears that our log-in button has been re-routed to an unauthorized website. We are in the process right now of trying break the link or pull down our site.

Please do not log in to home banking at this time.

If you did try to log on earlier today and were asked for your credit card numbers AND YOU GAVE THEM, please call this number immediately to notify us at 1-800-444-4589 option 2. Please leave us a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

We will keep you updated on this blog site.

Thank you.

Lavinia Peters Member of the Year Award

2006-11-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

It was on January 28th, 1953 that Lavinia Peters first walked through the doors of Verity Credit Union.

Of course, at that time, we weren’t called Verity. We were NW Federal Employees Federal Credit Union. We weren’t at our nice modern building on Meridian either. In fact, we were in a very small, slightly rundown building on 2500 Elliott. Lavinia remembers that Bob Salen was the president of the credit union (but back then, CU presidents were simply referred to as the “credit union manager”).

Through the years we have helped Lavinia with the things she is most proud of – assisting her son through medical school, purchasing her two condos and buying her 1978 hot pink Dodge Aspen.

That’s right. Lavinia (also known as the “Pink Lady”) drove a hot pink Dodge Aspen for many years. The staff at Verity would love to see her drive up, with her PKLADY license plate and her great smile, when she visited the branch every Saturday.

Lavinia knows most of us by our first names. She has kept track of many of us who have left. She stops by just to say “Hi!” She refers Verity to her friends and neighbors. She has been known to catch a dividend calculation mistake or two over the years. She gives us suggestions. She gives us praise.

And on October 25, we honored her with the first ever “Verity Member of the Year Award.” After she gave her acceptance speech, the room exploded in applause. She received a standing ovation from all of Verity’s 100 employees.

It is not often that a company can call a woman like Lavinia Peters a friend. We are proud and fortunate that we can.

Lavinia, we appreciate you.

The State Or Quality of Being True or Real

2006-11-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

As Verity Credit Union nears our 4th anniversary of our “new” name, I watch my fellow credit unions forge their way through name changes.

If you haven’t heard, King County Credit Union is becoming Prevail Credit Union and Weyerhaeuser Employees' Credit Union is becoming Red Canoe Credit Union.

They’ve been taking their lumps in the press. I have great empathy for them. Reading the blog comments and the recent editorials, makes me cringe for the staff over there.

I’ve been doing some remembering about when we changed our name. Credit unions change their name for a variety of reasons. In our case, we were converting from a federally chartered credit union to a state charter. We had to drop the “federal”.

In the 73 years we have been a credit union, we have actually gone through several name changes. We started out as Postal Workers Credit Union #8. We then changed to Federal Employees Credit Union a few years later. In 1969, we became NW Federal Employees Federal Credit Union. That was a lot of Federals for one name, so our forefathers took one out in 1978 and we were NW Federal Credit Union for many years.

When it was time to take the other federal out, we decided to tackle another issue that had become a bigger problem with the advent of the world wide web.

See, NW was not short for Northwest (as many people believed). As a matter of fact, there is a Northwest Federal Credit Union in Virginia. (although I never knew what was Northwest about the state of Virginia). As more and more people started relying on websites for their source of information, there became more and more confusion between the two of us.

So… since NW didn’t represent an employee group nor the word northwest, we decided to change our name all together.

I’ll never forget the process. It’s hard. If you have ever named a child or a pet, you know what I am talking about. Now, imagine you had to name your child or pet AND they were 13 years old AND you had to get the buy in from everyone in your family (from siblings to distant second cousins). That is what changing a credit union’s name feels like.

We had a few criteria for our name. We wanted something that was a real word – you could look it up in the dictionary. We wanted something that was unique (lots of credit unions in this area have names with northwest connotations and we wanted to stand out). We also wanted something that resonated with our staff.

I remember when I told Dave Miller, our consultant from Phinney Bischoff, that we were going to put the names out to our 23 managers and decide as a group. He had been through the process several times before and gave me strong warnings against that tactic.

Man, did our team ever deliver! We put out the ten suggested names for scrutiny. I remember catching the nervous look on Dave’s face as we engaged in an extremely vigorous debate over each name candidate. But after about an hour, I suggested we each vote.

But after a lively back and forth, we eliminated all but two of the names.

The next day, a smaller group reconvened and after thinking about it for a night, we all agreed on Verity. It was the name that just seemed to fit. It was an easy choice.

Verity means the quality or state of being true or real. It is the word that verify is derived from.

That concept really spoke to us. Being truthful, honest and acting with integrity is a critical part of our core values. We liked the idea of naming ourselves after one of our fundamental creeds.

Of course, I took some ribbing about it. Shortly after we announced the name, the latest James Bond movie had Madonna playing a character named Verity. Many people asked if we had named our credit union after her. My husband asked me why we chose a name that most west coast people can’t pronounce (we tend to be lazy with our t’s and say things like wadder, ledder and veridy instead of water, letter and verity). We did get our share of member complaints. Change is hard.

But four years later, we have a name that our members have come to appreciate and our staff has come to love.

Do I, like everyone else, have an opinion on Red Canoe or Prevail? Well, I know the president and marketing person over at King County Credit Union and they are good people. So I don’t wish any negative press on them. I do have to admire Weyerhaeuser’s spunk in choosing a name as different and memorable as Red Canoe. I guess at the end of the day, I am just thankful we made our change before the invention of the blog.

finally, some of my thoughts on the Blog Business Summit

2006-11-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

So, I’ve had a little time to digest the information I learned at the Blog Business Summit a couple weeks ago. Unlike a lot of the other attendees, I didn’t blog live from the Summit. I’m kind of old-school in that I like to actively listen and take notes with pen and paper. Then, I go over my notes and think about them before I write anything down that I’m going to share. It scares me to write and think at the same time. It reminds me of people who just blurt out their thoughts as they enter their mind. Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back.

Anyway, I still haven’t had time to really go over my notes, but a few things from the conference have been stuck in my head and I’d like to share them before too much time passes. Here they are:

I enjoyed the speakers at the conference and thought for the most part they were interesting and informative. At the same time, I felt like they are so keyed into the blogosphere that they don’t really know how to relate with people who aren’t. I contribute to 2 blogs right now, I use RSS and Bloglines, I know how to navigate Technorati, I’m somewhat comfortable with del.icio.us, and I know what the term Google Juice means, so I’m probably more familiar with the concept of Web 2.0 than a lot of folks out there. But, I didn’t relate to most of the “elite” bloggers (or bloggerati) at the conference who referred to themselves as tech geeks.

One of the things I would’ve liked to have learned is how to get people involved in blogging. There are many people out there who simply don’t get blogs. I have a handful of friends that contribute to blogs or read them; the rest of my friends think they are just online diaries full of inane ramblings. Sure, some of them read blogs without even knowing it, and I try to point that out, but for the most part they have no interest in the blogosphere. To them it has a negative connation, like MySpace has to me. How then, do we get them involved or interested? The feeling I get is, “if you build them, they will come;” that blogging and Web 2.0 is like the internet was in its infancy. People didn’t really understand the value of it at first, but over time it became an easy and important tool that everyone has accepted and now uses.

I still don’t understand how to measure the success of a blog. For example, we are a credit union who offers membership to those who live, work and worship in Washington State. If people in New Jersey are reading our blog, that’s great, but my goal is to reach out to people in my immediate community who can benefit from Verity’s products and services. I guess I don’t see how having good ratings in Technorati and Google make us successful. Maybe I shouldn’t even think about the success of our blog, but just as another way to communicate.

Right before I was set to post this, I came across Jeremy Pepper’s blog. I think he nailed some of what I was thinking (and definitely in a more succinct way) in this post.

where will we get our smoked almonds and trail mix now?

2006-11-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Sadly, one of unofficial perks of working at Verity officially ended yesterday.

Every Thursday following pay day, you could count on the following email hitting your in-box: "The Mountain Man is here!"

If you were a new employee at Headquarters, it became your rite of passage to be escorted down to the lobby by your boss or co-worker to be introduced to the Mountain Man and his cart of treats. I still remember when Shari, my boss did this; and her boss, our CU president, did this for her as well.

The Mountain Man would come to the main lobby of our Headquarters building in Northgate and set-up shop. His "shop" was a small metal cart full of snacks and goodies ranging from smoked almonds (our CU president's favorite) to Tropical Trail Mix to Honey Glazed Beef Jerky to Yogurt Covered Raisins. I was partial to the rice crackers and the occasional Beef Jerky.

Once the email went out, you could hear employees opening desk drawers throughout the office gathering purses and wallets to pick up snacks to hold them until the Mountain Man's next pay period visit. It always ended up being a nice gathering around the cart, sharing "how ya doin's" and making recommendations (try the malted milk balls, they're really good." )

And now that's over. I didn't go yesterday because I figured I'd catch him at his next visit. Where the heck am I going to find butter toffee peanuts as good as the Mountain Man's?!?!

According to his thank you-farewell letter (posted on our company Intranet), the Mountain Man (aka Christian) has gotten himself a new full-time job that will allow him to continue his photography business and coach soccer. Of course we wish him well, but we will miss his smiling face, kindess and ability to remember what your favorite snack is.

But all is not lost. True to great customer service form, the Mountain Man will still be able to satisfy our snack cravings once a month. He put together instructions and order forms. These have been posted on our company Intranet as well. These will no doubt be the 2nd most downloaded forms off the system (behind our member forms, of course!)

Exclusive Interview

2006-11-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

Every month this blog shares with you an extraordinary feat in service performed by one of our employees. The previous blog posted by Melanie already breaks down why Kenressa is so deserving of winning this month’s EFy Award. So in the theme of Halloween I am going to play the role of the hard hitting reporter and Kenressa is going to play the role of…well Kenressa (I didn’t really think this out to good). Anyway here are the hard hitting questions that Kenressa answered for this exclusive interview.

What was the first job you ever held?
Like so many other kids it was at the fine establishment of McDonalds. This is unrelated but did you know that McDonalds website has a merchandise shop where you can buy a whole McDonald's outfit. For some reason that amuses me. Do you think if I come dressed in all McDonalds clothes they would give me a discount?

Is there a member service experience that really stands out to you?
The one that comes to mind is the one that all the buzz is about. This involved spending time with a member to truly get a sense of their needs, offering a solution that Verity could provide for them, and helping them move their business over to our institution. It also involved an invite by the new member to a family event!

How long have you been with Verity and in what position did you start?
I have been with Verity 3 years and 3 months (not that I am counting). I started as a floater (someone who travels from branch to branch), then was given the position of a full time teller (good for my car), from there it was on to Head Teller and then I was promoted to Operations Supervisor of the Auburn Branch.

What CD is in your car right now?
A mixed CD I made from my MP3s.

What is you favorite flavor of ice cream?
Jamocha Almond Fudge, yummmmmm.
Editor’s note: This is a great answer as Jamocha Almond Fudge is delicious.

Settle this debate, what is a better pet a cat or a dog?
Without a doubt it is a cat. I have two of them named Lilly and Bynx.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
It is between recently graduating from Verity University, and buying a house.

Star of the Month

2006-11-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

In focus. That describes our “Star” of the month, Kenressa. Kenressa works at the Auburn Branch as the Operations Supervisor, and she comes in daily with a fastidious focus on maintaining a smooth running branch by providing outstanding customer service and team spirit.

Allow me to introduce Kenressa to you, so that when you visit our friendly little branch in Auburn, you’ll know who I’m talking about. Kenressa has been with Verity for three years and has worked for a little over a year at the Auburn Branch as the Operations Supervisor. She’ll have a bright smile and a twinkle in her eye when you sit down at her desk to discuss your new account, your CD or your problems with accounting, which is just the sideline, because she also runs the teller line and audits the branch monthly.

That’s precisely why we are highlighting Kenressa this month. She’s a jack of all trades yet she’s still eager to help members in financial difficulty with their budgets and saving for their future. She’s a recent graduate of Verity University, a program specifically designed to enhance the career path of the employees here at Verity. The University is unique to our credit union, and we are pleased that Auburn’s Kenressa has spent the two years and countless hours of her own time learning more in depth details about the financial industry as well as developing her own system for helping members in financial turmoil. Her project, Financial Planning and Education, is designed to assist people who have derailed in the middle of their track to financial success. She will patiently work with a member to determine a budget that will fit their finances and get them back on that track.

In addition, Kenressa is focused on creating a comfortable atmosphere for new members, and has had many people move accounts from their current financial institutions to Verity because of the personal touch with which Kenressa approaches each new member. So when you sit down with Kenressa the next time you’re at the Auburn Branch, be prepared to open a new account, fix your financial future, or share a little bit of your life with her. And if you happen to be in the military, as is Kenressa’s new husband, be prepared to “sit a spell.”

10 Signs You Need to go to the ER

2006-11-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

I’ve got death and dying on the brain. It started after my visit on Saturday to Bodies: The Exhibition, which left me thinking about how complex yet fragile the human body is and no matter how well we take care of ourselves, our bodies could very well decide to shut down on us at any time. Then, I spent most of Monday in a first aid and CPR training class for work. Now I’m convinced everyone needs a defibrillator in their home and at the workplace. Sorry to be a downer!

Today I came across an article on how to tell when you need to go to the ER and I thought I’d pass it on because even though there are now at least 10 of us in the office who are certified in first aid and CPR training, we’re not always going to be around. And I want my co-workers, friends, family and readers to know when they need to get themselves medical attention.

Here are 10 warning signs from the American College of Emergency Physicians:

Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
Changes in vision
Confusion or changes in mental status
Any sudden or severe pain
Uncontrolled bleeding
Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
Coughing or vomiting blood
Suicidal or homicidal feelings

Now, to lighten things up, how about a joke? A really bad joke about dying? Ok, I’ve got one right here:

This guy goes into a doctor's office. The doctor says, "Oh, Mr. Jones! We have the results of your test. Do you want the bad news first or the very bad news?" The guy shrugs and says, "Well I guess I'll have the bad news first." "Well the bad news is, you have 24 hours to live," the doctor replies. The man is distraught, "24 hours to live? That's horrible! What could be worse than that? What's the VERY bad news?" The doctor folds his hands and sighs, "The very bad news is...I've been trying to contact you since yesterday."Thank you, I’ll be here all week.

I'm digging HomeStreet ads

2006-11-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Along the same lines as Shari's post from early August, here's another bank trying to distance itself from the whole "banks are evil" image. I've been clipping out HomeStreet ads lately, and there are two in particular that I really like. One says, "1/3 less banky than other business banks" and the other says, "Do your business banking direct with our bank's owners."

Pretty clever. I wonder why they chose "1/3 less banky" though? Being 2/3 banky is still pretty banky. And wouldn't you rather actually be an owner of your financial institution, instead of just dealing with the owners when you go into the branch? Credit union members are credit union owners.

Nice effort HomeStreet, but you are still a bank.

PIED PIPER

2006-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Looking into the faces of today’s youth after they’ve had a long day at school is a reminder of how important it is to do something special when you want to get their attention. I thought to myself, what could we do to reach these kids and make the important things we have to say stick?

As the Relationship Manager for the Beacon Hill Branch, I’m charged with the delightful duty of creating a Verity presence in the community. So when Jean, a Youth Director from the Jefferson Community Center in Beacon Hill contacted me about hosting a class regarding financial responsibility to at-risk kids, I was eager and excited at the prospect.

First, I contacted our traveling Financial Guru, Alicia, a former DFI fraud-buster and skilled speaker on identity theft and investments. I thought she would be the perfect presenter to these eager young people about ideas on protecting their identities and on how they could invest in their own futures.

Our presentation followed a gentleman who had talked about investments, and, as I got up to introduce Alicia and myself, I recognized that familiar rolling back, lid-heavy, slight glaze, that doe in the headlight look over wide teenage eyes that said: “peace out”.

I gave a brief presentation about the differences between Credit Unions and banks, debit cards and credit cards, answered several questions, and told them I’d be happy to open an account for them when they were ready.

We took a moment for everyone to stretch and take 5 before Alicia started her presentation, and I took the opportunity to run downstairs and pick up the awaiting “attention getter”.

I was the Pied Piper of Pizza, and as I noticed the trail of teens behind me, I said, “Okay, who’s going to open an account with me today?”

Absolute teen SILENCE. You could hear a pin drop. “Okay, just kidding!” There was a group sigh of relief as they descended upon the pizza and pop. They were now refreshed and all ears.

Alicia took the stage for the next hour or so engaging the rapt attention of the alert teens. She shared pictures of her own youth and monetary mistakes to giggles and smiles. Then she got them leaning forward in their chairs when she spoke about chasing the bad guys: identity thieves. The group was also very impressed with the graph in which she demonstrated how a very small investment today could lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in the future.

These are smart kids and they had some great questions for Alicia. So, to reward them for their attention and to get them started on their financial futures, Alicia handed each of them a $5.00 bill to use an investment in themselves and their future, or perhaps an investment in Taco Bell later that eveing.

Member Thoughts Requested

2006-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I had a very nice chat with a representative from KPLU. They are one of the stations that broadcasts NPR in the Seattle area.

His initial phone call came to me with interesting timing. I have been grappling with this idea of reaching folks with a proclivity for affiliation (or, in more understandable terms – those people who like the idea of belonging to something bigger than themselves).

So I had been grappling with this idea since mid-September and I was at a dinner party. One of the guests mentioned that he loves This American Life.

Now, I have to state, I love NPR. I love the Click and Clack Brothers, I love All Things Considered and I love This American Life. An interesting thing happened when he made that statement. When he said that he loves This American Life, I immediately put him in my mental category of “he is the same as me”. This fellow was of a different age, ethnicity and gender as me, but with those words I classified him as ‘same’ to me. But more interesting, I saw others in the group responding similarly.

You know that feeling that you get when you find a commonality with someone you don’t know well? When you stumble upon something that you both have in common, you are suddenly more at ease. I saw this happen in the room. With those simple words, the group started to gel, the conversation picked up and the night took a turn towards the engaging.

So, being a fan of NPR and seeing how it can bring together like minded people, I was excited for our meeting.

One of the things that the rep showed me was an opportunity to sponsor a high school band project. KPLU is working with local jazz greats to record various high school bands playing various jazz hits.

High school band…. I remember how the band was when I was in high school. Now there is a group that bonded. I remember I wanted to be in band, but my 6th grade music teacher told me my upper lip was too skinny to play the flute and that I should really lean towards the tuba. I decided the tuba wasn’t for me. My mom told me at the time that she probably already had too many girls trying out for the flute and was just trying to fill an open tuba spot and that my lips are just fine. That is what I chose to believe in those awkward years. But my upper lip IS really thin. That’s OK. I joined FBLA instead and all worked out. Ooops, sorry for the totally irrelevant transgression.

Back to sponsoring high school bands through KPLU. This seems like such a great idea to me. As Chief Marketing Officer for Verity Credit Union, my objectives are this:

1.become involved in the communities surrounding our branches
2.communicate with teens that credit unions (ours in particular) are the best financial alternative for them
3.encourage more people to use our credit union to sustain our financial health and well-being.

It also feels right. I mean, I can’t get over the fact that Seattle is one of the most educated cities in the country and one of the most affluent, yet we are closing grade schools left and right. I don’t know a lot about high school programs yet, but it seems to me, if the schools are struggling financially, the extracurricular activities really have to be hurting. This seems like a sponsorship that could do a lot of good locally and reach an audience that would be interested in joining our credit union.

Thoughts?

Proclivity

2006-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the experience when you spend time trying to convey an idea and then somebody looks at you, pauses, and repeats back to you what you were trying to say but with clarity and grace?

That happened to me the other day. I gave a presentation to our board of directors. I was trying to explain to them why we are investing more energy into our business blog and how we plan to expand on social media in the future. I was basically saying that blogs foster a sense of community among like-minded people. The board was receptive to what I had to say but I was stumbling a bit in the telling of it.

After I was finished, one of the board members came up and gave me the url of a site that her company uses to “foster a communication medium for those people with a proclivity for community mindedness”.

Gosh, I wish I had used the word proclivity in my presentation. I love that word. I don’t use it enough.

It seems to me that folks who enjoy writing blogs and reading blogs, have a proclivity towards learning and teaching and being affiliated with others who are thinkers. To me, that sums up the type of person who would embrace the idea of a credit union. Credit unions are meant to be financial co-ops designed for members to benefit from one another. The two seem like a good fit.

Marketing Just Popped A Tooth

2006-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

As a mother of two toddlers, I know a growth spurt when I see one.

Growth spurts look like this: The kids eat and sleep a lot, they get cranky and suddenly, I put them to bed looking one way and they wake up looking another – whether they have grown an inch, sprouted a tuft of hair, lost their baby fat or popped a tooth – they suddenly look much different.

Recently, I’ve been noticing that my traditional marketing (TV, radio and print ads), eats a lot (of my money, that is), sleeps a lot (in terms of results) and generally makes quite me cranky.

Then, on September 28, the Seattle Times had a large picture in the business section of the “bedroom of the future”. The interactive wall paper could allow someone to project their computer screen onto their walls. They mentioned how this might be popular with teens. In this article, I witnessed the phenomenon of a growth spurt. I went to bed with media looking one way and woke up with it looking another.

I thought about my life as a teen. From third grade on, I was addicted to the telephone. I remember spending hours talking to my friends on the phone. I remember the day we got call waiting, the day we got a cordless phone, the day I got my own phone in my room. These evolutions in communications each meant huge transitions in my social life. Call waiting meant I could prioritize who I talked to (and conversely, who talked to me). Cordless meant I didn’t have to sit on the tile in the kitchen anymore. A phone in my room…. well, that meant all sorts of late night and early morning calls.

The teens I have in my life now text each other constantly. I watch the dexterity of their thumbs; mesmerized by how quick they are – and how connected they are to their social groups.

I think of what it would have been like it I could wake up in the morning, enveloped by my MySpace friends in the sanctuary of my room. What would it have been like, when I was a teen, to open my eyes and see the things my friends from around the world had posted while I was away from them for that nine hours that I had just spent in sleep?

If I had that when I was a teen, I would have never watched TV or listened to the radio. Never. Kids today are weaned on iPods and TiVo and YouTube (and soon Holodecks). It makes complete sense that they are not hearing the ads we put on the radio and not paying attention to the ads we place on TV. I don’t blame them.

I don’t blame them, but I still want to talk with them. Our credit union, like all of the other credit unions in our area, have a great financial alternative for them. Not only are our rates and fees more reasonable than any bank around, we also care about their financial well-being. We have all sorts of educational opportunities, like credit university and our free classes, to help them make better financial decisions. Belonging to a credit union also means belonging to something bigger than yourself. From everything I have read and seen about this generation, they like the idea of an affinity to like-minded people. We can offer that, banks can’t.

But how do I talk with them now that the media landscape is changing so drastically. I don’t know. But just like when my kids had growth spurts and took leaps in development (like learning to walk and learning how to ask ‘why?’), I figured it out. I’ll keep working on this one.

Warning: Working at Verity could be hazardous to your waistline!

2006-10-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

When I walked in to work this morning I was greeted by the smell of fresh baked cookies. Our mortgage director Wendy took it upon herself (she may have had help from her staff) to make enough cookies, brownies and other goodies to feed most of Northgate. Why did she do this? Just to say thank you.

I've helped myself to a small sampling of the smorgasbord: one lemon square, a brownie with what appears to be cream cheese filling, and a chocolate-chocolate chip cookie. I may go back for the peanut butter brownie or a regular chocolate chip cookie. We'll see how I'm feeling after lunch.

Dang, I should've worn elastic-waisted pants today!

Trash Talkin'

2006-09-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

In Washington State, organizations can participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program. Verity has been tending to its adopted 2 miles for a number of years.

Today, a group of us dressed in our grubbies, but before heading out we watched a safety video featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy. (The video tape was circa 1991, but still enjoyable.) Our outing was organized by Vivian, one of our relationship managers and Joe, one of our relationship associates. Joe went to the trouble of fashioning pick-up sticks made from a dowel and a nail so we wouldn't have to bend over so much to pick up trash. We headed out around 10:30 a.m. with our orange reflective vests and yellow hard hats. You may have seen our Verity van parked on the shoulder.

It's amazing what people will throw out of their cars as they drive along the freeway or toss over the walls that reduce highway noise. This is a short list of what we picked up today/saw:

half a mile of shredded documents (we couldn't pick it all up because it was embedded into the ground)
a football
a wedding thank you card with a photo of the blushing bride and groom enclosed
$10 cash (our CMO found that)
an unopened graduation card
a Seattle Mariner Game ticket from 2005
an unopened package of ear plugs
a program for the Daffodil Festival
lots of beer bottles surrounding a spent roman candle

It was a beautiful day to pick up trash-- and, we got a pizza for lunch and the rest of the day off. With incentives like that, I'm sure you'll see more Verity folk along I-5.

EFy Winner - October

2006-09-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

In the financial industry the overall goal is to create loyal members. Different instiutions have different ideas how to do this, but it still is the overall goal. A loyal member is someone who will stay with you even if they can get a higher rate somewhere else, move out of the area, or even experience a mistake on their account. They are the people that refer others to our instituiton and help drive growth. Creating a loyal member is not easy, in fact it is quite difficult.

The winner of this month Extrodinary Feats Award (EFy) has his own "following" of loyal members. It really isn't a secret how he does it, he treats everyone like they are the priority and provides solutions. Don't take my word for it just take a look at the following member comment:

My husband and I have been Verity customers for many, many years. During the course of those years, we have dealt on many occasions with Tom of your office. Tom is the consummate professional. Tom has always been polite, ready to help, calm and collected when we have a banking problem (and we are not calm), and he is very knowledgeable about Verity policies, and banking in general and in specific. Over the years problems have arisen, and Tom has always taken the time to help us work through those problems to our satisfaction. He makes every customer of Verity feel special and important. If every banking professional had Tom's skills, the public would be well served and very satisfied with their bank's customer service. Tom is the standard by which we judge other members of the banking community at large.

Tom is one of the primary reasons that we have remained happy, contented and well serviced Verity customers. Where Tom goes, we will go. His commitment to excellent customer service has produced customers who are very loyal to him. Verity should be proud that Tom is in its employ. He represents Verity in the best possible manner every time he picks up the phone or meets with one of your customers.

Succinctly, Tom is an extraordinary professional (and would be in whatever he did), and whatever we say to you, words cannot adequately convey how highly we regard Tom. Verity is quite fortunate to have Tom, as are we.

People Who Work at Verity Do Unique and Interesting Things

2006-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Erica in the call center owns her own business. She designs wonderful skirts and handbags. Check out her work at PopulationOne.

Lee, in Admin Services, just donated over ten inches of her long, wonderful, healthy hair to Locks of Love.

Justin, in HR, fulfilled his childhood dream this summer and went to the World Cup in Germany.

That Woman Sounds A Lot Like You

2006-09-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a very nice email from Brent Dixon letting me know that the WCUL presentation we participated in was available on podcast.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to check it out while I was at work.

I’m not quite sure why the urge to listen to the podcast hit me during arsenic hour, but it did.

I walked through the door, set the baby down, went over to the computer and pulled it up.

As soon as the music began, I was hooked. When Brent started saying nice things about me, I was positively mesmerized. So enthralled was I, that I was oblivious to the three year old yelling into her microphone (she received a toy microphone from my mother-in-law that amplifies just like a real-live microphone. She resorts to this when I don’t pay attention to her whining). The one year old pulled a stool into the kitchen and was trying to climb onto the stove. The dog was running circles around the living room because she hadn’t been fed yet.

My husband walked in a few minutes later and looked at me puzzled. He doesn’t usually come home from work to find me standing in front of the computer, coat still on, kids and dog making shambles of the house.

“My first podcast!” I exclaim gleefully. His puzzled look does not go away as he takes the batteries out of the microphone, gets the one year old off the stove and throws a biscuit to the dog.

As we sit down to dinner, I turn the podcast back on. I try to listen to it as I talk to the girls about school. After about ten minutes, my husband gets another puzzled look on his face. He says, “this woman on the podcast sounds a lot like you”.

“I told you! This is my first podcast!” I say to him. To which he replies, “I thought you meant it was the first podcast you have ever listened to, not been on”

To make a very short story long, after listening to Trey and Brent at the League Convention, and realizing how behind the times I have let myself get (because I have to admit – it was the first podcast I had ever listened to), I am attending the Blog Business Summit at the end of October. Expect to see our blog stepped up a notch.

Oh, and if you want to check out my first podcast....

Back to the Summit

2006-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

As Terrell mentions below, us Marketing folk will be returning to the Bell Harbor International Conference Center along Seattle's lovely waterfront to learn more about blogs at the Blog Business Summit. Blogs appear to have taken up the prime real estate on my brain recently due to the fact that 1) it helped our website win the Spectrum Award from the Washington Credit Union League (again!) and 2) Our We Are V fans at Trabian talked about blogs and other social media at the WCUL Conference last week. My head is swimming with ideas on how we can redesign our blog, create new blogs, utilize podcasts and viral video, and on and on...

So why are we blogging about this? For one, I think conferences are a great way to network and get a fresh perspective on the new technologies out there. Two, in my line of work, you can't afford to work in a vaccuum. And, to be perfectly honest, the kind folks sponsoring the Business Blog Summit will discount conference fees if we blog and link about it. I'm all for saving money and promoting the heck out of blogs and those who encourage blogging, so there you go.

Blog Business Summit

2006-09-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Last year Laurel and I attended the Blog Business Summit; read my shout out here. Well, the Summit is back and this time Shari, our VP/CMO, is joining us for 3 days of fun.

Seriously, as far as conferences and seminars go, this is one of my favorites. And it's not just because it's held at the beautiful Bell Harbor Conference Center, although that is a big plus.

This conference couldn't come at a better time. Last week we attended a session on social media at the Washington Credit Union League convention put on by Trey Reeme and Brent Dixon of Trabian and OpenSourceCU, and now we are full of ideas about how to take our blog to the next level.

If you are reading this post, you probably already get blogs and understand a little about what they are and how they are changing the face of today's media landscape. But, there are so many people out there who still think blogs are just wordier versions of MySpace profiles. I'm just glad that Verity is progressive enough to understand and appreciate this form of communication. It makes me proud to work here.

Stay tuned for more posts about the Summit!

Sales

2006-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

When I started my career here at Verity I had no aspirations of getting into sales. My conception of salesmen was not a flattering one. Pushy, money hungry, and self-serving were the dominate traits I pinned on salespeople, as had been my experience with many. The good salespeople that I encountered went unnoticed, mainly because they did not fit my paradigm. To me they were customer service reps., just doing what they could to help me find what it was I wanted, and not trying to push something I didn’t. Little did I know these people were at the top of their profession; selling people what they needed and not scaring them away by being too aggressive.
It wasn’t until I began working as a teller at Verity, and giving our members advice on the most advantageous accounts for them, that I discovered that sales can be a noble profession. Gaining knowledge of all the accounts we offer is something that is stressed to all of our tellers and with that knowledge tellers are encouraged to inform members of the best accounts for their unique situation. I found that this was an area I excelled in, and best of all I’m proud of the advise I give members. Recommending a money market account to a member who has thousands of dollars in a savings account is in the best interest of that member; their money has the same liquidity as a savings account, but earns almost twice the interest.
My accomplishments did not go unnoticed, and in less than a year I was promoted to Relationship Associate. Now my main responsibility is to open accounts for current and new members. By asking member’s questions about what characteristics of an account are most important to them and then suggesting an appropriate account, I am providing a beneficial service and always feel great about helping people maximize their banking experience.

Current credit freeze policy leaves me a little cold

2006-09-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

This week, I attended the Washington State Credit Union League Conference at the Doubletree near SeaTac Airport. It was a good opportunity to get out of the office, mingle with other Washington credit union colleagues and listen to a few speakers talking about everything from multi-factor authentication (THAT is a blog posting topic in itself) to the social web (blogs, podcasts, RSS). One of the keynote presentations featured Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna who discussed Identity Theft, how credit unions have been a great help in educating their members about it and what his office is doing to help strengthen Identity Theft laws and protections for consumers.

No one is safe from being a victim. He shared stories of how a single working mom found out her identity was stolen after receiving a call from a dealership asking why they hadn't received payment for the new car she didn't know she had. Or, the Seattle businessman who found out that someone was claiming to work at his business in order to open lines of credit at several big box retail establishments. It was disheartening to hear that some of these retailers didn't bother to call and verify that the guy actually worked at the business. If a retailer did bother to call, the guy would walk out of the store and that was it-- no one reported what he tried to pull, leaving him to continue his fraud spree.

They eventually found the guy. He wasn't a very bright criminal, apparently. He used his own driver's license for ID and he was video taped. They found him at his home, which was filled with office equipment. He was selling the items online to support his meth addiction.

These stories were interesting, but the most compelling topic for me centered around the fact that a consumer cannot freeze their credit information unless they are a victim of identity theft.

A credit or security freeze means that your credit file cannot be shared with potential creditors or insurance companies. You, too, will not be able to open new credit while a freeze is in place. Individuals can request that a freeze be temporarily lifted for the purpose of obtaining new credit. You can read more about it on the Washington State Attorney's website.

One would think, then, if you weren't going to be buying a house or applying for a credit card anytime soon, you could put a security freeze on your information as a preventative measure. But current law states that you have to be a victim first. To paraphrase the example the attorney general made, it's like having a law that says you cannot purchase locks for the doors of your home until you are burglarized.

I hope that this law is changed soon, for everyone's sake. Identity Theft one of the fastest growing types happening nowadays. Washington ranks 7th in the nation for Identity Theft.

Until then, I'm going to continue to practice what the ID theft prevention pros preach. I'm going to get stop those pre-approved credit offers. I'm going to keep shredding my documents. I'm going to delete phishing emails and not click on any links I am unsure about. I'm checking my credit report annually. While there's no such thing as 100% protection against ID theft and fraud, I can at least make my information harder to get and fly under the radar of those potential ID thieves.

My development

2006-09-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged for awhile but I would like to let everyone know the progress of “The Flying Monkey”. It's probably been about 7 months since my official acceptance to Verity University. I have good news, since attending, I have taken the 7th Habits of Highly Effective People, Give 'em the Pickle, Star Books, and attending outside courses in Information Technology. The most important part of education and self improvement is staying on track. Verity is a great place that promotes learning and has a supportive staff to keep you up to speed. Justin, Daryl, and Tina (Our Triple Threat Teachers) has consistently paved my path to success. This includes one-on-one counseling, providing resources, and being an advocate of my education. Many thanks guys! I even have Verity University's Vision & Mission statement on my bulletin board to keep me motivated. It states:

Verity University
Vision & Mission
Statements

Verity University's Vision
Educate and empower employees by providing exceptional professional development opportunities.

Verity University's Mission
Enable students to grow, develop and enhance their careers to better serve our members.

-The Flying Monkey

I am Officially Old

2006-09-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

When I was 15, 16, 17, I remember the pained looks my dad would throw my way when I would crank the radio when RATT or Quiet Riot or Night Ranger would come on. I think I even remember making a promise to myself that I would never let myself get so old that I wouldn’t love popular music.

When I was 24, 25, 26, I remember my sister and I reading that your music tastes stop progressing when you are about 25. That is why companies like Mercedes use Janice Joplin in their TV ads – the people that can now afford Mercedes are of the age when their last favorite song was of that era. I do remember the pact my sister and I made that we would never let music tastes stagnate.

So here I am at 36. I just placed a series of radio ads on KUBE. The demographic for that radio station is skewed young – 18 to 24, and predominantly male. In other words, it is the station that plays rap music.

Up until last week, I was pretty confident in my hippness. I mean, I listen to T-Man occasionally (Tari Free is from my hometown). I have been to a Sir Mix Alot concert. I downloaded Rihanna on i-Tunes. I can hang.

So, once the ads started running, I tuned in to KUBE. As I listened to the station on the way home and in my house, I would catch myself making that same pained face my father used to make. (and turning the channel lest my three year old catch some of the lyrics in the songs! I am sure she has no idea what promiscuous means, but I don’t think I want Nelly Furtado teaching her).

No matter how much I wanted, at 25, to keep my music tastes evolving, I am accepting the fact that they are not. I listen to KUBE just long enough to hear our ad and then I quickly change the station. All is not lost though. I do turn the dial to KEXP, which is still kind of hip…. I think.

Do I really want her listening to Ludacris?

Good Ol Daze

2006-09-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

As I breathe a sigh of relief after giving birth to our "graduate" Honey Bucket for this year’s Good Ol Days celebration in Auburn, I will never look at ‘Honey Buckets’ in quite the same way. My name is Melanie and I am the newly appointed Relationship Manager in Auburn…and may I just say this year’s Good Ol Days was, for me anyway, a LABOR of love!

You may ask yourself what on earth an outhouse, or to use a more affectionate term, Honey Bucket, has to do with a credit union. I’d be delighted to tell you: absolutely nothing. Unless, of course, the credit union is located in Auburn, where the Honey Bucket is celebrated each year in the August Good Ol’ Days parade as part of the Honey Bucket Brigade. This year’s theme: Heroes Among Us. Our hero: the Teacher.

Because we chose teachers as our heroes, we decided to celebrate them by decorating our Honey Bucket in a grey and orange (our colors) cap and gown with “Graduate to Verity” printed boldly on the back. We succeeded in draping our silver-painted Honey Bucket in a grey gown with a grey cap proudly sitting on our Verity "V" and an orange and grey tassle swinging gently in the breeze...at least for a moment.

We were pleased with our 2-day effort, and we loaded our out-house on the out-bound truck to the parade. That gentle breeze however, suddenly whipped up and around our gown, stripping our out-house down to the pine and toppling the cap-wearing "V"to the ground. Not to worry. Our fast-thinking team, Amber, Joe and myself, grabbed hammers, glue and nails and by the time we got to the parking lot to line up for the parade, we had completely re-decorated our “graduate”.

We crowned our “V” with the cap and tassle just as we were directed to line-up. We were on the move. Success was ours! Our “teacher” Melissa, was picked up enroute and we prepared our pitching arms to get ready to toss Verity "stress" apples to the awaiting crowd. The girls on the Verity "graduate" Honey Bucket were a hit with the crowd. Even our adept driver, Joe, tossed Apples from the cab to those with outstretched arms. There were smiles all around as eager children caught the airborne Verity Apples, and our "Graduate" drove into the sunset, or at least to the end of the parade route.

I've got to admit, those little stress-releiving apples were certainly a relief to me in getting our Good Ol Days off to a Good Ol Start.

Free Credit Counseling

2006-09-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

MSN Money and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling are teaming up to provide free credit counseling services today. They’ve dubbed September 12 Get Out of Debt Day. Read about it here.

On Tuesday, during business hours, counselors at nonprofit consumer credit counseling agencies across the country will be ready for your questions about debt and personal finances at 866-481-6322 (866-481-NFCC). Counselors will listen to your questions and problems, and they'll either provide personal answers on the spot or make arrangements to help you further, by phone or in person.

Another resource for FREE credit counseling is Balance. Through Balance, Verity members receive free, unbiased information and assistance to help them achieve their financial goals. Counselors at Balance can help you with money management, debt repayment, credit report reviews and more. Counselors can be reached toll-free at 888-456-2227.

A feel good story

2006-09-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Every so often people will pass along comments that they receive about other employees to me. I LOVE when people do this. Hearing about the great service we provide our members really makes me feel proud about where I work. I can already feel that this is getting a little sappy so I will just share with you a comment that a member recently sent to our Mortgage Director about an employee in our Operational Support Department.

I have been a member for over 9 years and have always received exceptional service from all employees. Recently one of your employees went above and beyond for me, turning a very stressful situation into a positive one. I appreciated Brad's outstanding customer service so much that I wanted to let you know.

At 9AM on Thursday July 27th I was at my realtor’s office signing closing papers on the sale of our WI home at which time I also had North American Van Lines at my residence loading our belongings. At 8am that morning I had received a phone call from the North American that they needed payment in full prior to the semi leaving my residence on Friday. While at my realtors office I called members services and paid my Visa balance in full. Concerned that the pay off would not show up for 24 hours and that the moving expenses exceeded my credit limit on my journey card I phoned Wendy who was handling my escrow on the purchase of a new home in Oregon. She called Brad and explained my situation. Within minutes I received a call from Brad telling me not to worry about it and that he had a solution. First thing Friday morning Brad called me to let me know that my Visa payment had gone through. He then did a conference call with North American letting them know that they could charge my card. While I was still on the phone with Brad the full charge for my moving expense had been already posted to the card. Problem Solved…He was MY HERO and I wish to thank him for his excellent customer service. Please pass this on and let him know how much I appreciated everything he did.

EFy Winner - September

2006-08-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

The following is a comment that was received from one of our members. What really comes through is the extrodinary level of support Regine provided. This support was not only providing financial advice but also emotional support. At Verity one of our core values states, "Our success flows from focus on our members." It is clear that Regine lives this value with the members she has contact with.

Also keep in mind that Regine works in our Loan Control Department. How many financial instituions have a loan control department that gets comments like this? I would guess not many.

Here is the comment the member sent:

I was recently/currently delinquent on both my car and personal loans. I would like to take a moment to say a special thank you to Regine (in your loan department). After losing my partner, my home and my job, I wasn't able to keep up my payments and I had become extremely depressed.....not only was Regine there for me emotionally, but she also stuck with me while I tried to find a way to get these accounts caught up. Just recently I landed a new job and I am currently working with her to get my accounts brought forward. Regine NEVER made me feel bad though strongly encouraged me to continue trying to find help in resolving this matter. I now have a new life that includes a new job so that I can start to rebuild my history with Verity. If there is any type of customer service award available, I believe that it should go to Regine for her superb customer service, loyalty and for the grace that she showed during my darkest times. Thank you Regine!

money and happiness

2006-08-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Money doesn’t buy happiness”, and it was probably at a time in your life when you were financially strapped. While it’s good advice, it’s not exactly what you want to hear when you’re down on your luck. But, when heard at the right time and in the right frame of mind, the message makes a lot of sense. For example, a well written piece by Jonathan Clements in the Wall Street Journal helped put things into perspective for me: Money and Happiness: Here’s Why You Won’t Laugh All the Way to the Bank.

I’ve never really had an internal drive to be a millionaire or live like Donald Trump, but I have always wanted to live comfortably with enough cash to use for fun things like vacations and cute shoes. I feel like I’ve accomplished this goal, but at times I also feel it’s not enough and that maybe I should be making more money, driving a nicer car and living in a bigger apartment overlooking the water.

According to Clements, “people with higher incomes tend to spend more time working, commuting and engaging in obligatory nonwork activities, such as maintaining their homes.” What I take away from this statement is that in order to make more money, you have to sacrifice more of your free time to work. Then, when you do make more money, it’s likely you’ll accumulate more possessions and material goods which will mean you have to spend more time maintaining them. In the end, any free time you have goes toward maintaining the possessions you’ve worked so hard to acquire. This does not sound like fun to me and is a good reminder of why it’s ok for me to feel comfortable with my income.

Clements lists four things he believes lead to greater happiness (in bold):

Short commutes. I would rather pay more to live in-city and be closer to my job than spend less on rent and have a longer commute. Plus, the shorter commute helps keeps my gas bill down and my emotions (road rage) under control.

Having more time; working less. I work a 37.5 hour work week. I notice that most of my neighbors have already left for work by the time I get to my car in the mornings, and I’m usually the first one back to the carport in the evenings. I love this.

Spending your money thoughtfully. I am not am impulse shopper. Because I have less money to spend, I really do have to think about how I’m spending it. I can’t afford to be frivolous, so when I do buy something extravagant, I usually appreciate for a long time afterward.

Use your leisure time wisely. This is a hard one for me. When I do have time to do whatever I choose, I struggle between being productive and truly relaxing. I tend to forget that relaxation can help me be more productive in the long run. I think a lot of people also equate leisure time with vacations, expensive vacations. I've heard myself complaining to people that I haven't had a "real" vacation in a long time. The reality is that I can make any amount of free time a vacation if I do it the right way. You can't measure the quality of your leisure time by how much money you spent, only by how much real pleasure you got out of it.

It seems as if the keys to happiness have a lot more to do with what you do with your money than how much you earn. And this is good news because it’s never too late to become financially responsible. That’s what I call a happy ending.

Two for Two

2006-08-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

I got another email last week that made my day. (This is two weeks in a row that such things have come across my desk - I love that!)

One of our Board of Directors, Karen Hunt, sent a nice note to our President regarding the service she received from one of our Member Service employees. Now, I have to tell you, Karen is not an easy one to please. First, she has very high standards - as any board member should. Secondly, she works in the toughest of tough industries in regard to customer service - the cruise ship industry. So, to get a compliment from Karen is nothing someone should take lightly.

To really celebrate Erin's outstanding member service, I want to share Karen's comments with the rest of the world...

Good afternoon,
I just wanted to let both of you know just how helpful Erin in the call center was today. I called to ask if our credit cards provided extended warranties on purchases. While she did not know the specifics on our cards she directed me to and walked me through VISA.COM which had all of the information that I needed.

She was a true professional and a great representative for Verity.

Thanks,
Karen Hunt
Director

These are the types of correspondence that make me love my job. Great work, Erin. Thank you, Karen, for taking the time to pass along your thoughts. It was a great way to end the week.

My Traffic

2006-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

My regular daily commute takes me from the north end to Northgate every morning and every afternoon. I know the route. I know the alternate routes. I know that I can make it in 15 minutes on a superb day - and maybe 30 minutes when other motorists have decided to play bumper cars before me. I know how to tell when it's a good day and when the commute is going to try my patience. I know the twists, the turns, the quiet pavement areas and the grooves in each lane. I know which lane to be in at each point in the commute to avoid common slowdowns. I know my commute.

This week I've had the pleasure of commuting down South to Beacon Hill one day and Auburn the next. I know my commute - but I certainly don't know other people's commute. And I don't think I care for it, either. The Express Lanes - by pure virtue of their name - should indicate that it is a magical form of shortcut to help you sneak by all the other chumps stuck in traffic while you sling-shot ahead of them. Not so! The Express Lanes let you think you are rocking the traffic party, that is until you reach the point you actually want to join your I-5 brethren. At that point, the full cast of the Secret Society of Express Laners have to all merge into a single lane in order to rejoin the I-5 speedway. Apparently my fellow commuters that are far more experienced in this area have decided that this merger is done best while at a complete stop.

I may have just traveled the last 5 miles in 5 or 6 minutes - but the next 1/4 mile is going to take me 10-15 minutes. And I bet many a Sociology thesis have been written on the practice of those folks that ride the open lanes only to cut in a the last moment. Those folks likely think that they are the far superior commuter by virtue of their vast driving and time-saving abilities. The rest of us, on the other hand, have just waited 10 minutes in line and be damned if you think we'll let you merge in and further encourage the degradation of society.

And it's not just the Express Lanes - I just don't like other people's traffic. I don't really know how long it will take. I don't know the best lanes to be in along any particular point en route. And while I may apply a reasonable amount of patience to my traffic, I really have very little to give towards the traffic of others. Luckily it's not an everyday occurrence - because then it really would become my traffic.

eBay can be your crowning achievement

2006-08-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ebay is fantastic! Finding, watching, bidding and winning an online auction can be exhilerating. And scoring a great deal on a product is what brings most people to ebay. Something can be said for experience, though, and without it ebay can feel pretty intimidating and clumsy. So here are a few basic tips to maximize your ebay enjoyment:

~ Don't bid. At least not yet. Any bidding done before the waning seconds of an auction just drives up the price. If you spot an item you are interested in, just click "Watch this item" and you can easily consolidate your favorite auctions in your My eBay summary. About the only instance I can imagine placing an early bid on an item is when you find an item you really are hoping to win, and it has a low starting bid and a Buy It Now price, with no reserve. Placing the minimum bid, then, removes the Buy It Now option for other ebayers and ensures you have a fair auction until the end.

~ Bid smart. Take a moment to really evaluate how much you are willing to pay for the item - and stick to it! That will save you from getting caught up in the moment, bidding too high just to "win" the auction and then experiencing buyer's remorse. Also, don't forget to take shipping and insurance charges into consideration when you calculate your bid. For example, if you don't want to spend more than $100 for the new widget and the seller is charging $12 for shipping, make sure you stick to $88 as your bid. And since you are placing your bid in the last seconds of the auction, go ahead and place that maximum bid that you are comfortable with. Ebay is smart, if it only takes $74 to win the widget, you will win the item for $74 even though you put in your $88 bid.

~ Questioning the authenticity of the item or trustworthiness of the seller? Check their feedback and current auctions. A seller with a decent number of feedback (100+) and a high percentage of positive feedback (98%+) has demonstrated the ability to be a good ebayer. By reviewing a sellers feedback, you can also see what other items they have sold in the past few months. Also, check the sellers current offerings up for auction. If they are selling fakes, then most of their other auctions are likely fakes and may be easier to spot.

~ Pay quickly. It can only help expedite your shipping. Some sellers are lightening quick shippers, but most items seem to take a good 7-10 days to arrive - and it's that anticipation of your item to arrive in the mail that can try anyone's patience.

~ Feedback. Go ahead and leave feedback first. Most sellers wait until the buyers leave them feedback before returning the favor.

So go out there, have fun, ebay safely and enjoy the thrill of winning an auction for a great price.

Who Cares About Credit Unions?

2006-08-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a conference where I learned that 2 out 3 consumers believe credit unions should be taxed. Another statistic: more than 50% of credit union members do not know the difference between a bank and a credit union.

I believe in credit unions and I wish more folks understood our unique structure because I believe that with that understanding would come increased loyalty.

Credit unions are not-for-profit. We are not a charity and we are not a for-profit organization, like a bank. We are a cooperative. The difference is when we make money we either give it back to our members in terms of favorable rates or we set some aside for a rainy day or we build another branch or hire another quality employee. We don't have stockholders. Our members vote for eligible board of directors that happen to also be members. Every member can vote. Our board of directors are not paid.

Because we are not-for-profit only a select group of people can join our credit union, or any credit union. For Verity Credit Union, the common bond of all members is that they live or work in the state of Washington. We do pay taxes: state sales tax, federal and state unemployment tax, state labor & industry tax, federal income tax on non-credit union related activities, county property taxes, social security and Medicare taxes, and other employment related taxes. We do not pay a business tax and a federal income tax. A lot of other for-profits may not pay these taxes either, via sheltering or creative classification. At this conference I also learned that the total credit union exemption, about 1.6 billion, translate into about 10.6 billion in consumer benefits (loans, savings, etc.).

Credit unions have about a 5.8% market share in the financial services industry. Ten years ago, our market share was just over 4%. What we provide to the consumer is simple: a choice. Our not-for-profit model is unique and provide a different approach to business. I think these differences translate into a service model that is member-driven, member-focused and member-oriented.

What do you think?

Five ways visiting Verity can make you smarter (and even impress your girlfriend’s dad)?

2006-08-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Ok this might sound like a Cosmo article but I promise that you won’t have to take any quiz at the end. Last night I was talking to my girlfriends Dad, who recently retired. He started talking about this new type of account that he was looking into called a HSA. He asked me if I have heard about it.

Well at Verity we just happen to be one of a few financial institutions that offer this account. Furthermore we offer it with no monthly fees which make us one of the best deals in town.

In addition, I truly believe that in the next five years you are going to see this account skyrocket in popularity (it was signed into law in 2003) as it will offer opportunities for people to be more flexible (and earn more) on money set aside for medical expenses as well as saving them money on their medical premiums. It will also save organizations money on medical premiums they have to pay. Overall it truly is a win-win situation for everyone involved. This got me thinking about educational opportunities that Verity provides that can make anyone feel like they are financially savvy.

1. Ask one of our Relationship Managers or Associates about HSAs. Haven’t I already demonstrated why this is important?

2. Meet with one of our Financial Advisors. It is completely free and they can help you plan for your long term financial needs (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, they got access to it all). You all ready have a financial advisor, well it never hurts to get a second opinion. Did I mention that it is free advice?

3. Talk to our Mortgage Department. With all the different mortgage options out there why not meet with an experienced representative to help you choose the one that is right for you.

4. Talk to anyone at Verity about what it means to be a member of a credit union. Do you know all the benefits that come along with being a credit union member?

5. Explore our website. We provide articles, product information, and even financial calculators that can make you seem like you have all the answers.

My Wedding

2006-08-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

I recently married again after quite a few years of being the single father blessed with the opportunity of raising his two sons. That fact in itself is with worth several blogs but alas, I shall have to save these for another day.

My new spouse hails from the land of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. If any of you are avid movie watchers, you might recognize these names from the action adventure flick "Braveheart". In an effort to honor my bride and pay homage to her heritage I actually wore a kilt. Wow, you might be thinking, "that was a dumb thing to do if you are not Scottish" or "that was a kind and brave thing to do". If you ask me, I would have to say, none of the above. Granted, I was nervous but to show respect for another's heritage is neither dumb nor brave, but that is how I am today. If truth be known, had I met my bride even as little as a decade ago, I might not have had the nerve to pull it off.

In my current position as Business Services Manager, I cannot take a hide and seek approach. I am here to grow the department and help our current and future members. Armed with a great group of co-workers, we are about to embark on an ambitious task of calling on the businesses within our footprint. In other words, we are going to start knocking on the doors of the local businesses to introduce ourselves and show them what we have to offer. This type of business development used to have my knees quivering and my voice wavering. After a while, meeting people I did not know became much easier and today, I find it a rewarding experience. The object of these visits is not to "sell" the business anything but to let them know that Business Services is available to them at Verity. It is a hard thing for any business to change their relationship with their current financial provider and we understand that. We are just letting these hard working people know that we are here to help if they should ever want or need a change. The exciting part comes when they do make the change and we have the opportunity to view the workings of the business that these people have poured their life's blood into. That is truly an amazing thing to experience.

Ride it Like You Stole It

2006-08-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

I just returned from South Dakota. I was there to help my husband's family celebrate the 100th birthday of Frank Stukel Sr. We had a spare afternoon so I was able to visit Sturgis during the 66th Annual Motorcycle Rally.

Every year, over half a million bikers descend upon Sturgis (population 6,400). It is truly something to behold. A few of the highlights:

1. The tee-shirts. Almost without exception, each person had some type of tee-shirt that announced their love of motorcycles - particularly Harley Davidsons. My favorite is noted in the title of this post.

2. The tattoos. Interestingly, I was reading Denise Wymore's book "Tattoos: The Ultimate Proof of A Successful Brand" I can attest to her claim that Harley Davidson is one of the most requested tattoos. There were hundreds of them! Other brand tattoos I saw - M&M, Oakley, Apple, and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.

3. The manners. Everyone was so nice. I have to admit, I have seen many photos of the rally and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I am happy to report that I saw far more digital cameras and bottled water than I saw brass knuckles or Jack Daniels. (I didn't see any brass knuckles or Jack Daniels to be honest).

4. The camaraderie. I was struck by how much the crowd embraced their affiliation. It was like being there meant you were part of a big club. I am sure the people I chatted with on the streets were as different as different can be, but for one week, they all came together and celebrated their sameness. It was quite an experience.

5. The credit union. So... on the drive from Rapid City, we saw several huge billboards one after another. You can imagine the line up... Harley Davidson.... Budweiser.... Play Boy..... Jim Bean... and then..... Northern Hills Federal Credit Union! There they were advertising their drive through ATM (brilliant, if you ask me). Sure enough, their branch was in the thick of the motorcycles. Talk about people helping people They had taped to their door a sign that read, "Welcome Bikers. Here is what you need to know about Sturgis..." and then it listed where all of the Honey Buckets could be found; along with the pay phones, the churches and the hospital.

In closing, I must say, Sturgis, South Dakota during the Motorcycle Rally should be on anyone's life list. It is an incredible experience.

When the answer is NO

2006-08-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

I came across an interesting quote in Thursday's Wall Street Journal. It read, "It's not easy to tell people, 'no'. It's like telling them their dog isn't cute." The article was about an auto show that is reducing the amount of entries. The topic doesn't apply to Verity, but the sentiment does. Telling people no is something that front line customer service representatives struggle with everyday. We like to call it fancy things like providing solutions, but sometimes we are telling people no.
What do you say when there is not a viable solution for a member? I like to think that Verity has a wide array of products and services that can meet a customer's needs, but there always are exceptions. So, in my mind if you have to say no make sure you exercising excellent listening skills. Listening skills include making sure you understand the problem as stated, paraphrasing throughout the call and providing empathy. In real estate, location is the key. When telling people no delivery is key.
As a manager, I always struggle to train someone on their delivery methods. To understand the quality of service you are providing you have to look at it from the other person's perspective. Perception is reality.

I'm not sure what the best way is to train employees to properly deliver a negative message is. If you have any ideas or stories about when you told bad news and left happy anyways, let me know.

Not quite a Happy Friday

2006-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

It started out to be a great day.

I had a tall, vanilla latte' waiting for me this morning. My 5-month old son was in good spirits when I left for work. The commute to work was speedy and accident-free. It is a sunny, summer day in Seattle. I got settled at my desk, looking forward to putting in a productive day at work.

Then I checked my email.

I got reports that members couldn't see their balances in Home Banking. A staff member logging into their personal account couldn't make transfers. Another member couldn't access their credit card...

Home Banking is down. My work begins.

8:39 a.m.
I receive an email alert from our system vendor telling me we have lost real-time connectivity. This means when our members log-in, they won't see up-to-date balances. They won't be able to transfer funds between their accounts. They won’t be able to view their credit card. They will be able to pay bills online, but with limited functionality.

I send an alert out to staff letting know what's going because we are sure to get a flood of calls to our Member Service Center. I then create an update on the website and send out an email to our eWallet account members.

I spend the next hour or so fielding staff and member questions and monitor my emails, hoping for good news and a quick fix for our Home Banking woes.

10:43 a.m.
Another Update from our system vendor. They are still looking for the cause of the disconnection. Apparently, we are not the only ones experiencing this. All we can do is wait for them to get our connection back up as soon as possible. This could be a long weekend.

1:27 p.m.
Good news, bad news. The good news is that our system provider has found the cause and that they are testing every one of their clients' connections. The bad news is that until that is done, Home Banking is still not fully functional. I send another alert to staff and keep the notice on the website so members know what's going on.

2:39 p.m.
I finally get the official word from our system vendor that connectivity is back online. This means Home Banking is back! Time to alert staff and remove the message from the website.

2:54 p.m.
Write about my day on Verity's Blog.

Dealing with Home Banking downtimes and communicating the fact to staff and members is part of my job. It's not fun being the bearer of bad news, but I like to think that I am looking out for our members and staff when I send out those emails and website messages. Sometimes I will call the vendor if I haven't gotten an update in a while.

Most of the time, Home Banking issues are short-lived. But there are times, like today, when Home Banking downtimes go from minutes to hours. Sometimes I am frustrated because some technical issues must be placed in the hands of our system providers/vendors to get us back online and all I can do is wait. Meanwhile, I know more than half of our members use Home Banking and many of them are trying to get their bills paid or just wanting to see if a check cleared.

I take small comfort from the fact that we aren't the only financial intuition that has to deal with online banking outages. It happens to the "big guys," too.Take WAMU for example. Their online banking was down for FIVE days recently. It makes me wonder-- is there really such a thing as 24-7 online banking access when we are forced to rely on a intricate network of computers, hardware, software, telephone lines and electricity? And, how does human error play into this? I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts about this.

Perhaps that is a topic to blog about some other time. Home Banking is back online and I'm now looking forward to my weekend.

Did you know?

2006-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

I always hear how handy it would be to have a Lawyer, Mechanic, Plumber, Electrician, General Contractor, CPA or Doctor in the family. The assumption being that you would have quick and infinite access to their specialty of trade. Rarely on that list is a Relationship Manager! What about the depth of invaluable tidbits of consumer financial information I have to share with the world?!? So here we go - hopefully the first of many (or at least a few) . They may not all be gems, but at least they would be useful should you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

~Don't keep entering in a wrong PIN when at an ATM. Particularly if it's one of those that has just sucked in your card. A good rule of thumb is that you only have 3 tries at getting the PIN right. So if you aren't quite positive you are about to get it right on the third try, I'd suggest hitting "cancel" and take a breather (like 24 hours). If you strike out at a machine that sucked up your card, you can bet your skittles the machine is going to keep your card. And then you are forced with another evil fact: if you had your card retained by an ATM that is not owned by your own financial institution, you won't be able to get your card back. Then you are stuck having to order a new card and surviving a week or two without a debit card. Yuck!

~How did you use your debit card? Some of us do a fantastic job of maintaining a running balance in our checkbook. Some of us do a fair job of keeping up to date by reviewing our account register online. Some of us just wing it. But pretty much everyone hates to overdraw our checking account and run up fees. One common mistake people make is rooted in confusion over the use of their debit card. The simple rule is that purchases made using your PIN comes out of your account immediately and purchases made using your signature (or any time you didn't enter your PIN) can take a good 1 to 3 days to post to your account. That difference between immediate and 1-3 days can become pivotal when you look at your checking balance at any given time to determine whether funds are available for your next purchase.

~Buying a car! Man, this is a big one. There are so many aspects to buying and financing a car where your local Verity loan officer/processor can be helpful. First, don't buy GAP coverage for $500 at the dealership - it's half the price for the same coverage at Verity. Also, if you owe more on your trade in than the dealer is going to give you credit for, there is no magical fix. The dealer can make the deal happen for you, but they are just rolling the problem over into your new vehicle - you'll continue to owe more than it's worth. Payments over time are your only solution to this one!

I'm sure there are more consumer financial tidbits to share, but I'll have to save something for another day. If anything, though, always feel free to ask your local Verity expert. It feels good to be knowledgeable about something - even if I can't perform an emergency tracheotomy.

EFy Award Winner - August

2006-08-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever walked into a financial institution and been greated by a long line. What makes it worse is it seems like no one cares. Well I'm not saying that there is never any lines at our branches but at Verity I can say that we honestly care. We strive to give a high level of service to everyone. I know this sounds sappy but it is true. If you ever have meet with Ken, our Investment Services Program Manager, you know that he goes out of his way to make himself available to our members. No matter how hetic his day is you can always count on him greeting you with a smile and that he will provide you with exceptional service. This is why he is this month's winner of the EFy Award. Read the nomination below (writen by our VP of Marketing) to learn more about why he was choosen as this month's winner.

Yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, in my weekly meeting with Paul and Ken came briskly into my office. He looked at both of us and said, "is there any way either of you could go down to the branch and help members? The line is long and the members and staff are getting frustrated." He had already worked his way around HQ to see if he could find any other employees who could go downstairs and help out.

I hate to admit it, but I sometimes get complacent about member service. I see the long lines and think "we’re short staffed, people are on breaks, what can you do?" Well, Ken asked himself the same question and then said, ‘I can go try to find someone to help out.’ And he did. He found Paul and Paul went down and started tellering.

Ken has been here almost two years and I have never seen him be complacent about anything in terms of serving our members. He worked incredibly long hours during IRA season when we were down one rep and NEVER complained (in fact, he was quite pleasant through the whole ordeal). He always has his best foot forward when dealing with staff and members. His presentation (the way he dresses, conducts business, and interacts with others) raises the bar of professionalism here at the credit union on a daily basis.

I cannot stress strongly enough how much I think Ken deserves this award right now. The work that he does with our members often goes unnoticed because Investment Services is it’s own department. But Ken is so hard working and deserving of recognition that I hope that the team understand the extra hours, travel and work he has had to do since Blake’s departure and give him some props.

Can I Get An Amen!

2006-08-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

The below email was sent to us via our board member, Beth Naczkowski. Emails like this make my day! I just had to share it with others.

Read on:

Beth -

Just wanted to shoot you a thank you for mentioning Verity Credit Union. I’m soon to be a member with 2 car loans – not only are the rates excellent, but the service is outstanding.

The loan officer I’m working with is Terri J. She was quick to respond to my application, courteous enough to ask if the timing was appropriate and exceptionally helpful on the loan process – making sure I understood each step. In addition to all of this, she listened intently enough to recommend the additional services (checking, CD, etc) that fit my lifestyle.

My two interactions with Verity employees have been a refreshing change from the big bank that I’m currently banking with. Well, that is, that I WAS banking with until this week. I’ll be a signature member by the end of the month. The credit union I work with now used to be like this, and every interaction I’ve had with them over the last few years reminds me that they’re no longer the credit union with a small community feel. This is what I see in Verity.

Not to mention the loan rates blew everyone else out of the water!

-Christine Jenkins

Authorizations

2006-08-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

In the call center we often get calls from members who are confused by the difference between their current and available balances. Frequently, the difference is due to gas stations placing a hold on anywhere from $50 to $100. Gas stations aren’t the only ones to place holds, rental car companies also take authorizations to secure payment. While holds can be frustrating for members, a member service representative found this information on Visa’s website which explains their legitimacy:

Why do gas stations, restaurants, and hotels put holds on Visa check cards?

"To meet consumer demand for payment conveniences such as express/video check-out at hotels, pay-at-the-pump fueling and one-swipe payment at restaurants, Visa has established processes to protect Visa check card issuers, merchants, and cardholder. Similar to how check deposits can’t be immediately withdrawn, account deductions can’t immediately be cleared when the final amount isn't known—this typically applies to hotel, restaurant, and pay-at-the-pump gas station purchases. For these types of purchases, check card issuers may earmark cardholder funds to cover the estimated cost of the transaction. This process, known as a hold, safeguards both cardholders and merchants, ensuring cardholders don’t spend more money than they have and merchants are paid for the transaction. While most transactions have a less than a 24-hour hold, Visa protects cardholders by ensuring that all holds must be removed within 72 hours."

Balanced

2006-08-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wish you could go back in time and pay better attention to the first time you learned to balance your checkbook? It seems easy enough, but unfortunately too often we forget to write things down and the snowball effect happens. A member service representative found this site and wanted to share it:

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/20040723a1.asp.

Below are tips to avoid overdrawing your checking account from bankrate.com:

Enter every transaction into your checkbook register. Make sure to include everything: dates, checks, debit card purchases, deposits, automatic or preauthorized withdrawals or deposits and ATM withdrawals. Just as important, keep a running total of the balance of available funds.
Consider keeping a cushion of $100 or, in your case, as much as $900, that is not recorded in your checking account register as a buffer. When your checking account gets low, you will still have a safety margin.
Sign up for overdraft protection either from a savings account (where you could put the $900) or in the form of a line of credit. If you believe you will not abuse it, go ahead and sign up for this added protection.
Bottom line: If you do not have the money in your account, do not write the check, do not use your debit card and do not withdraw money that does not exist from your account.

marketing musings: shwag

2006-08-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Look on your desk right now. How much shwag do you have hanging around? (Shwag is a slang term for free promotional items.) Right now, as I glance around my desk I count 5 items that have been sent to me by vendors that serve no useful purpose other than to take up space. I have a stuffed animal, a stress ball, a slinky, a cow keychain and a rubber ducky. Out of the hundred or so items I’ve received over the course of the year, these items were lucky enough to make the cut. They have the rare privilege of getting to sit on my desk.

While I may be a bit indifferent to these freebies, I know this is not the case for everyone. For example, this weekend I passed by several street marketers at my local farmer’s market. They all seemed to work for beverage companies (fruit juice, energy drink, flavored water), and they were all handing out shwag. I was amazed at how many people were lined up to get their free keychains and band aids and fly swatters. Sometimes I forget how much people love free stuff.

As a marketer and orderer of shwag, I often find myself trying to find the most useful and reasonably priced items to give away. In the past I’ve ordered jar openers (very helpful in the kitchen), magnetic clips (to keep those important documents on the fridge because where else are you gonna put them?), and water bottles (hydration is important), to name a few. I struggle with deciding what to order because of my own feelings toward shwag. I don’t want to give out a bunch of junk that’s just going to collect dust, but I also don’t want to be completely boring.

Wandering through many festivals and events this summer has helped me to realize that people don’t really care how useful something is as long as it’s free. As long as people are willing to wait in a line 25 people deep to get a free stress ball toy, then I have no need to worry. The real question is, does this free stuff help spread the Verity name? Do people notice or pay attention to the logos scattered about their desk or in their home? What connection do they make from the shwag to the company and is it one of value?

There I go again, overanalyzing. If you have any comments on this particular quandary of mine, I’d love to here them. Oh, and if you've ever received a promotional item that knocked your socks off, let me know!

What Exactly Are Banks Doing?

2006-08-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have been watching with interest this new advertising message that a few of the bigger banks are using (Washington Mutual and Capital One spring to mind). Washington Mutual has billboards up all over the Seattle area with the mug of a sourly looking older gentleman with captions like “free checking? I was born rich, not stupid” or “free checks for life? Over my butler’s dead body”. I am sure I am not getting them exactly right, but it is the correct sentiment.

Capital One has these great tv commercials that have tiny little Lilliputian people that are supposed to represent small business owners. The big bankers actually catch them on fire with their magnifying glass.

I assume that Washington Mutual is trying to say that all other banks are owned and run by a bunch of thoughtless rich guys. Probably, Capital One is trying to say that other banks are careless and clueless when it comes to small business owners.

I find it really interesting that these two major players are trying to separate themselves from their categories. They are basically saying, ‘we know banks stink, but we are different’.

Then you look at credit unions. In Washington State, there is a co-op of credit unions (a co-op of co-ops, if you will) that have pooled our resources with the main mission of spreading the word about credit unions. We feel that the credit union category is a good one and if more people knew about them, we would all be better off.

In essence, we are trying to do exactly the opposite of what banks are doing right now. Banks are trying to distance themselves from their reputation, while we are trying to embrace ours.

Credit unions currently have about 6% market share in the financial industry. That seems so odd to me. It seems like people complain about their banks (they must or WAMU and Capital One would not spend as much money as they have in recognizing that fact). Why don’t more people join a credit union? I don’t know.

Members Make Me Smile

2006-08-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was having a pretty bad week at work. I know, even companies that aspire to be one of the top ten places to work have their off weeks.

But I had to call the winner of our recent spring cleaning promotion - you know - the one who got to pick between a housecleaning service, carpet cleaning service or a gutter cleaning service? So I spoke with the winner, Barbara Stehr. She told me that she had gotten a HELOC because she wanted to do a few upgrades to her home and wanted to help her children buy their first house.

Talking to her helped my outlook immensely. Even when office politics get a little rough, I like the fact that I can go home at the end of the day and say, 'my company helped someone live a better life.' There is a lot to be said about that.

Then I had to call Holly at Hollys Housekeeping and let her know that Barbara chose the carpet cleaning and not the housecleaning. Again, Holly is a great example of someone we have helped along the way. Holly is an admirable business owner who is doing a great job.

When you can look at your job with that kind of perspective, it makes the day to day annoyances seem much less important. I like that we do good things.

Thank goodness for Home Banking

2006-07-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

Twice in one week now I've had to go into my eWallet account to look at my cleared checks. First my doctor and then my landlord claimed that I owed them money I was sure I had paid them.

Luckily, there is Home Banking. All I had to do was go into my account online and sort my transactions by type so that all my cleared checks lined up neatly in a row. Then I just scanned the dates and amounts to figure out which checks were for what. And voila! I had proof right there that I in fact did not owe them any more money. I even saw scanned images of the checks I'd written, front and back.

If only my doctor and landlord were so efficient!

EFy Award Winner - July

2006-07-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Think of a time when you received great service? Maybe someone went above an beyond what you expected or maybe someone took the time to listen to a problem you had and then fixed it. At Verity our priority is providing great service to our members. This something everyone at Verity is committed too, including this month's winner of our Extrodinary Feats Award. Read her story below:

July's Winner: Venachia

Recently a disgruntled member came to the Northgate building with a problem related to his HELOC. The member demanded to talk to an employee that had the day off. Lisa from Consumer lending was asked to assist the member. After meeting with the member it was evident that he was upset and she asked Venachia to help her solve this member’s problem.

Our third core value states “Success flows from focus on our members.” Venachia set aside the project she was working on to solve this member’s problem. After researching the situation, Veniacha was able to locate the root of the problem and come to a resolution which was fair for both the member and Verity. She even went with Lisa to talk to the member so she could provide assistance in explaining the details.

After the second meeting Lisa commented on how Venachia was able to clearly and effectively provide the member with the answer to his problem and a solution that satisfied his needs. She used empathizing statements throughout the conversation to make sure that the focus was on solving the problem at hand, and this is exactly what happened.

Even though this seemed to be a no win situation, through Veniacha’s expertise it was resolved in an equitable manner. This is not the first time Veniacha has demonstrated her willingness and ability to help with difficult situations. She is highly regarded as an expert in many areas and employees seek her out for assistance. Veniacha is a constant reminder of our core values and is an exemplary employee who demonstrates quality service, both internally and externally, on a daily basis. We are very lucky to have some one of her ability and qualifications in our department and at Verity.

More On Mixed Messages

2006-07-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

I don't profess to be an expert on advertising in the least. We have just started advertising on the radio and we are certainly finding our way.

I did however, hear an ad yesterday that made me feel a little better about my common sense when it comes to where and how we place our ads.

A few mornings ago, the traffic report was brought to us by an RV dealer. First, I heard the name of the dealership, then a little tag line about seeing the country from an RV, then the typical Seattle traffic report - announcements of pockets of gridlock after pockets of gridlock after pockets of gridlock. I immediately made the association of sitting in stand-still traffic in a huge RV. It wasn't a pleasant thought. It didn't make me want to go out and buy an RV. In fact, it made me wish others didn't own RVs either - and that is pretty bad, considering our RV loans are great products and something I would like to see us make more of.

It did make me appreciate Cascade Bicycle Club. As I snaked my way through Seattle traffic on my way to work, I thought about how much I like it that there is a whole group of Seattle-it's who bike to work everyday and how proud I am that Verity has an affinity credit card that supports bicycle education. I think that is unique and cool. I also think Cascade should sponsor the traffic reports, rather than the RV dealership.

let's talk

2006-06-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

How often do you give feedback to companies or people you do business with? If you’re like most people, it’s usually when you’re frustrated beyond belief.

Two weekends ago I went to a cafe I’d never been to before. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. The food was unique and tasted great, the service was friendly and fast, and the environment was relaxing, quiet and clean.

As I was leaving, I noticed they had some comment cards, a pencil and a cardboard box on a small table by the door. I thought for a second about leaving a note, but didn’t feel like standing by the door, filling out the card with the one available pencil while people walked in and out. If I had just had the worst experience of my life I probably would’ve grabbed that pencil and filled the card up one side and down the other with comments.

That’s the challenge! How do you get a customer to talk to you when they’re not irate? How can you elicit constructive feedback and not just emotional responses?

I can think of a bunch of times where I’ve been at a restaurant or store and have wondered why they didn’t offer this or that. But did I say anything? Did I just come out and ask, “Why don’t you carry those raspberry scones anymore?” Actually, I did ask that once and I was told it was because they stopped making them, but I know that’s not true because I can still get them at their other locations. Where was I? Oh yeah, most of the time I don’t say a thing. I just think, “Oh, that’s too bad that they don’t have this bag in brown, because I’d totally buy it right now if they did.”

If someone at the café had asked me on Sunday whether or not I enjoyed my muffin I would’ve said, “Yes. It was awesome. You should make them a little smaller though. It’s hard to eat the whole thing in one setting.” That would’ve been a constructive comment. Or I could’ve told them that they should change their music selection every half hour or so since jazz isn’t really my thing. They might not have agreed with me, but at least it would’ve given them a sense of who I am as a customer. But no one asked. Instead they used the standard comment-in-a-box format, and I just walked on by.

At Verity, we try to get feedback from our members in numerous ways. We do the whole comment card thing, we’ve asked for feedback in our newsletter and on our website, we’ve had focus groups and have plastered our contact information on everything we publish. We will continue to try and find new and improved ways to start dialogues with our members. And if you want to comment on this post, you know what to do.

Baby Verity

2006-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have a new appreciation for working mothers. I became one three months ago. As did three other women working at Verity.

I will refer to my son as “Baby Verity” not because he’s more entitled to be called that than the other Verity’s employee babies, but because the title was directly bestowed upon him by one of my vendor reps with whom I work closely. It’s never too early to exercise a little privacy protection.

I don’t know about other workplaces out there, but I consider myself lucky to be working at Verity. Time and again, I’ve witnessed how Verity supports its employees in their parental pursuits and now I get to experience it firsthand. Without going into great detail, my maternity leave has allowed me to spend uninterrupted time getting to know life with Baby Verity. My husband and I chose to go back to work sooner rather than later, working part time in order to stretch out our leave a little longer and enabling us to take turns working while the other stays home with baby. My boss allows me to work from home on occasion to help with the transition. And, my husband and I are asked daily by our co-workers and colleagues about our little one. The interest and concern, not to mention the sharing of child-rearing info, has been appreciated, entertaining and valuable. On Baby’s Verity’s first visit to the office, he announced himself with a cry that brought staff members throughout the main office over to the Marketing Department to see him. Baby Verity didn’t even fuss when our credit union president held him for a time. Already cozying up with the execs, that one.

Besides the obvious physical and emotional changes that take place when baby arrives, there is also the not-too-surprising change in finances and security. I hope to share some of my experiences on the blog. Here are a few things we’ve learned and done in the last three months:

When we were at the hospital, we were given a document asking if we wanted to have baby’s birth announced in the local papers. It turns out that you don’t have to consent to this. We learned that when you have your baby’s birth published, your mailbox becomes flooded with all sorts of junk mail welcoming baby. No, thanks.
Baby’s Social Security Card arrived about a month after he was born. With all the stories you hear about babies having their SSN stolen by identity fraudsters and how babies grow to young adults only to find that they have accrued debt they clearly did not have anything to do with, we’ve safely locked away his card. Ours, as well. You should never carry your SSN card with you or give it away freely. Verity will never ask for this and any other kind of personal info via electronic or direct mail means. If you do get this kind of solicitation, let us know about it.
Did you know that you can open an account for your baby at Verity? Baby Verity became a member of Verity Credit Union a few weeks after he was born. He now has a savings account where adoring grandparents, mom and dad can transfer money for his future college education. Thanks to Home Banking, Baby Verity gets an occasional electronic transfer into his account. He’s too young to login to see this himself, so he relies on mom and dad who are in Home Banking on a daily basis.
It’s always a good idea to buy diapers in bulk. Baby wipes, too.

We Got Smarts

2006-06-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

One of our core values states, “we are dedicated to professional and personal growth”. One of the most rigorous and demanding training programs that we support is coming up soon and I wanted to highlight the achievements of those representing Verity Credit Union this year.
Western CUNA Management School (WCMS) is a management training program designed for key credit union employees. This program is facilitated on a college campus in Southern California and draws credit union participants from over 14 states. The curriculum is designed to promote strategy, a thorough understanding of operations as well as many other legal, political and philosophical issues impacting our industry at this time. The commitment is intense: three consecutive years of two-week/on-campus classes with two comprehensive projects (often exceeding more than 200 written pages when complete) that need to be conducted “back home.”

This year, we have four individuals attending the program. Two will be graduating and there is one second-year and one first-year student. This management training program is one way we promote the development of quality staff. I'm excited for these individuals and proud of our credit union's commitment to excellence.

Times, they are a-changin'

2006-06-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been thinking about how much things have changed in the past few years alone. For example, I now pay over $3.00 a gallon for gasoline without batting an eye. And I no longer give people weird looks when they’re walking down the street talking to themselves; I just assume they’re on a cell phone.

However, there is one change I’ve noticed that I do NOT want to get used to and that’s the new so-called standard for customer service. In the past week I have had issues with a phone company and a package delivery company. On both occasions I called their 1-800 number and had to deal with a voice recognition system. Instead of simply pressing buttons for service, “Press 1 for phone service, Press 2 for DSL service, Press 3 for new customer...”, the computer asks you questions. This is how one of my conversations with a computer went:

Computer: What can we help you with today?

Me: Uh…

Computer: Say something like “I have a question about my bill” or “I’d like to get cable service.”

Me: Oh. Um….I don’t know where my modem is.

Computer: I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you just said. Please repeat that.

Me: Modem

Computer: It sounds like you’re saying you want to set up internet service. Is this correct? If so, please say Yes.

Me: (silence)

Computer: What can we help you with today?

Me: (press zero, hoping to be connected to a real person)

Computer: I’m sorry, I don’t understand your response.

Me: (screaming into phone) Sales! Sales!

After I was connected to a live person, things went much better. But the whole experience was so frustrating that it will make me think twice about calling that company again, even when I need help with something. I’m starting to think they do that on purpose, that they actually try and discourage people from calling them. They must think that customers are just a lot more trouble than they’re worth.

Unfortunately it seems this level of service has become the norm. I am always surprised when I get to talk to friendly and helpful customer service reps and I don’t have to jump through hoops to get connected to them. It’s so rare these days.

Which brings me to a plug for Verity Credit Union. We make it easy for you to get in touch with us: call us! email us! stop by and see us! There are live people here waiting to help you out. You can even talk to the same person over and over again if that’s what you prefer. We are about developing relationships, which means we WANT to communicate with you. We want to hear what you have to say; we’re listening…

mixed messages

2006-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I recently received a birthday card from my dentist. The outside of the card had a cartoon on it. The first frame was a young girl holding a nicely wrapped birthday present; the second frame was her holding up a t-shirt that said "Don't forget to floss". The bottom of the card reads "Happy Birthday from your dentist."

Now, I appreciate that my dentist sent me a birthday card, but I found the card off-putting. Maybe I'm just being sensitive, but since I've shelled out well over $3,000 on my teeth in the past year, I feel like I deserve a little respect. After all, I am an adult, and I am spending lots of my hard-earned money to make sure that my teeth are taken care of. A simple "Happy Birthday from the team at XYZ" would have made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, but the cartoon made me feel like I was being playfully chastised.

Imagine if Verity sent out birthday cards to its members with messages like, "By the way, you missed a payment on your credit card" or "Hey, looks like you're in need of some financial counseling!"? I know we're in the financial services business, but it doesn't mean we always have to remind people of it. People are humans first, before they are customers. And they have a choice whether or not to continue relationships with the companies they do business with.

I will still be seeing my dentist because she does a good job and I like her, but the card did make me think about relationships and how even an innocent gesture can sometimes alienate people. Just something to think about.

Give Us Your Phone Numbers People!

2006-05-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here is what I love about blogging – I can say something like – give me your phone number!

In the newsletter, I have to use marketing-speak – something to the affect of “in order to help protect yourself against fraud, please ensure we have your most updated phone number”. In a blog, I can say, ‘ok, I know when you move, changing your address and phone number is a huge pain in the rump, but you need to do it. Put it on your list. Make it your mid-year resolutions; whatever you need to do, but do it.”

I can also tell stories. For example, last month I went to a conference in Florida. It was hosted by Fidelity, the company that processes our credit cards. I took a tour of their facility. It is huge. It has this X-files like call center that stretches out as far as the eye can see. Fidelity handles over a million calls each month.

One of the things we pay Fidelity to do is use a high tech behavioral software that monitors all of your credit card transactions. As soon as it spots something that is contrary to your normal behavior, it calls you. For example, in 2002, I had back to back conferences – a direct lending conference in Las Vegas and then the World Council of Credit Unions in Poland. Since the system had never seen me go from Seattle to Vegas to Warsaw in a 48 hour time span, it called my home. My husband verified that my card had not been stolen and all was good.

Back to this monolithic call center at Fidelity. They call tens of thousands of people each month to make sure their credit cards are not in the hands of thieves and one out of every three calls they make reaches a number that is old. ONE IN THREE! How are we supposed to protect you against fraud if we can’t get ahold of you when we suspect you are being a victim?

It’s us against the bad guys. And when you think about it – when are you most vulnerable? When you first move. That is the time when some things go to your new address and some to your old. You probably fall behind on your mail because you have so much to take care of. You are getting new bills that you hadn’t gotten before. You probably are not paying as much attention to your finances because there is so much other stuff going on. That is the time when thieves can strike and strike hard. It is exactly the time when we need your phone number so we can help do our part to keep you safe from fraud.

So, give us your phone number. Oh, and one other thing, if you are ever going to travel to someplace you haven’t traveled before, better let us know. It could save everyone time.

Our current phone number is 800-444-4589.