What's New

Are you planning to purchase or refinance a home in the near future? If so, you'll probably find that it's much harder to get a mortgage than it once was. Many of the big traditional mortgage lenders are making fewer loans, if they're making mortgage loans at all.

Fortunately, that's not the case at Columbus Metro. Our goal is to make more mortgage loans in 2008 than ever before. With that in mind, we've made two significant improvements to our mortgage program:

If you're thinking about purchasing or refinancing a home, think Columbus Metro for your mortgage loan. For more information or current rates, call Keith Louderback at 614.239.0210 or 800.986.3876, ext. 3026, or e-mail him at klouderback@columbusmetro.org.

Call For Nominations

Columbus Metro is now accepting nominations to fill three positions on its board of directors. Our 2009 elections will be conducted by mail and the results will be announced at our annual meeting in March.

At minimum, you must be a credit union member in good standing and willing to serve on a volunteer basis to be considered as a candidate by the board's nominating committee. You should be able to dedicate a few hours a month to board activities, including a monthly business meeting during regular business hours.

To apply, send your resume or a brief summary of your qualifications to: Nominating Committee, Columbus Metro FCU, P.O. Box 13240, Columbus, OH 43213-0240.

Applications must be received by November 14, 2008, to be considered.

Celebrate Your Credit Union Ownership!

Do you know who owns Columbus Metro? You do! And that is just one of the many things that make credit unions unique and one of the membership benefits we'll recognize on October 16, International Credit Union Day.

Credit unions are not-for-profit, democratically controlled, member-owned cooperatives. They exist to serve their members. Unlike most other financial institutions, credit unions do not issue stock or pay dividends to outside stockholders. Instead, earnings are returned to members in the form of lower loan rates, higher interest on deposits, and lower fees.

At credit unions, every customer is both a member and an owner. This year's International Credit Union Day theme — It Belongs To Me — celebrates the economic democracy and equal ownership rights of each credit union member, regardless of how much money that member may have in savings. On October 16, we honor our most valuable asset: our members. You are the reason Columbus Metro exists, and we thank you for your continued support.

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

For more information about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit www.nbcam.org. For additional information, contact any of the following: American Cancer Society, 800.227.2345 or www.cancer.org, National Cancer Institute, 800.4CANCER or www.cancer.gov, or Breast Cancer Network of Strength, 800.221.2141 or www.networkofstrength.org.

Be Alert For Fraud

Last month, Columbus Metro members were among those who received fraudulent text messages indicating that their accounts had been suspended for suspicious activity. Recipients who called the phone number in the message were asked for their credit or debit card number and other information. The message was a scam, designed to obtain valid card numbers for fraudulent use.

We'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that we would never send you an e-mail, text message or fax requesting financial information, and you should never provide information in response to such requests. If you wonder whether a request for information is legitimate, please check with us first by calling 614.239.0210 or 800.986.3876. We've also created a new fraud alerts page on our web site with information about the latest scams; visit www.columbusmetro.org/fraud_alerts.html for more information.

May I See Your ID?

Please keep in mind that any time you visit one of our offices, our staff may ask you for government-issued photo identification before completing a transaction or providing account information to you.

This is for your protection and ensures that we do not give cash, account balances or other personal details to anyone other than you and any joint owners on your account. This policy applies to all members, including minors. Many schools now issue photo ID to their students, and these are acceptable as identification. Of course, we'll also accept driver's licenses and state ID cards for those under 18.

Ohio residents, regardless of age, can apply for an Ohio Identification Card at any Deputy Registrar's office. For more information or a list of documents needed to obtain a card, visit www.bmv.ohio.gov or call the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 614.752.7500.

Calling All Real Estate Agents

If so, we'd like to help you meet the challenges of the current real estate market. While other lenders are cutting back or eliminating mortgage lending entirely, we're looking to make more loans than ever!

Want to know more? Give our mortgage specialist, Keith Louderback, a call. He'll be glad to tell you how Columbus Metro can help your clients with their mortgage loan needs and reduce their closing costs.

WHAT'S NEW: EXCERPTS FROM CREDIT VIEWS NEWSLETTER, OCTOBER 2008 (PDF)

In this issue: