In the Puget Sound, Stamp Out Hunger partners with several agencies to distribute food, including Food Lifeline, one of SMCU’s Feel Good Checking community partners. Food Lifeline is an award-winning organization that works to provide food to area food banks and other groups working to eradicate hunger.

In 2011, Food Lifeline distributed more than 35 million pounds of food to hungry people in Western Washington. Because of their focus on efficiency and a never-ending search for innovative sources of donations, Food Lifeline is able to use 96 cents of every dollar they receive to feed hungry people.

How can you help?

Place non-perishable food by your mailbox on Saturday
Participating in Stamp Out Hunger is easy. Bag any non-perishable food items you would like to donate and place the bag by your mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up. The letter carriers will bring donations back to their post office where volunteers will help deliver them to distribution centers like Food Lifeline.

Here is a list of suggested donation items and some guidelines for food donations.

Make a donation online
For about a dollar Food Lifeline is able to feed a family of four. If you would rather give cash than food, it is easy to do so online. You can donate any amount you would like above $10 using your credit or debit card. You can even set up a recurring donation.

Visit Food Lifeline’s Online Donation site to donate or learn more.

Volunteer
In 2011, nearly 9,000 volunteers gave more than 43,000 hours of their time to help Food Lifeline work toward their mission of eliminating hunger in Western Washington. Food Lifeline depends on volunteers to pick up and sort food, help at special events, and support their administrative offices.

To learn more about volunteering with Food Lifeline visit their web site or call them at 206-545-6600.

Open a Feel Good Checking account at SMCU
Because Food Lifeline is one of SMCU’s Feel Good Checking partners, you can support them by opening a new Feel Good Checking account. SMCU donates $20 for every Feel Good Checking account opened. When you open your account, tell us that you want us to send that donation to Food Lifeline. Since 2008, we have donated more than $95,000 to our partners through this program.

Cooperation can make a difference.

SMCU believes in the power we have as a community to make a difference. After all, cooperation is how the credit union was founded. When we all come together to lend a hand to those in need we are able to do some truly amazing things.

Learn more at www.helpstampouthunger.com

Of all the Cooperative Principles, Principle #3 just might be our favorite. Why? Because the idea of “member economic participation” is really what sets a credit union apart from a for-profit commercial bank. It means that the more you participate in your co-op, the more you should benefit from the co-op’s financial success. You know that as our credit union grows and more members bring their loans here, we are able to offer better products and more services to everyone.

Refer a Friend. Get Paid.

To make the Cooperative Principle of Participation even more tangible to our members, SMCU has created the “Grow Your Co-op” member referral program. It’s like other member referral programs, but with a Principle #3 twist: the more products you have with SMCU, the more you get for each new member you refer.

For example, if you have an SMCU checking account you can get $20 for each new member you refer. If you have a checking account and a loan, you can get $40 per referral. If you have a checking account and a first mortgage with SMCU, you can get $50 per new member.

Plus, get an extra $50 if the new member you refer funds a loan with SMCU within 30 days of opening their membership. That could mean up to $100 for each new member you bring to SMCU.

There are no limits on the number of members you can refer, which means there is no limit to the amount of bonuses you can receive. You’ll get paid once a quarter for all of the referrals you make; the money will go right into your SMCU savings account. Depending on how many new members you refer, you could use that money to take a vacation or pay off a credit card.

Participation is one of the key principles on which co-ops are based. When you participate in your credit union, you get more.

Check out the official member referral web page at smcu.com/refer.

SMCU’s newest SEG, Feet First, is Washington’s only non-profit that works to ensure that all communities throughout the state are walkable. Feet First’s efforts to improve community walkability focus on saving lives, improving health and expanding economic opportunities.

Feet First’s envisions communities designed for pleasure, health, and transportation where walking is always an option. Since 2004, Feet First has worked with 63 schools and 31 school districts across the state to support Safe Routes to School. Feet First also works with Washington’s growing population of retirees to advocate for communities planned with health and safety in mind, communities that support successful aging.

“Feet First is ecstatic about the opportunity to partner with SMCU to promote walking and strengthen the financial understanding of our Feet First members. We encourage SMCU members to consider joining our organization or volunteering with us at an upcoming event. With our quarterly Walk and Talks, ongoing Neighborhoods on Foot Map series, and Neighborhood Ambassador Program, there are plenty of ways to support walkable communities throughout Washington.” Lee Warnecke, Development Officer, Feet First.

Like Feet First, SMCU is dedicated to giving back to the community and creating a better place to live, through innovative products like Feel Good Checking® and numerous community partnerships. To learn more about becoming a Feet First member, or to volunteer at an upcoming Feet First event, go to www.feetfirst.org.

Interested in having your company become a SEG?

Please visit smcu.com/seg for full program details.

Young Adults

As you might imagine, parents of minor children are at the top of the list of those who probably need life insurance. If one “breadwinner” were to pass away, life insurance payments could make it possible for the survivor to maintain the family’s quality of life, send the children to college, and continue to set aside money for retirement and other long-term goals. But young adults don’t necessarily need children to need life insurance. For example, newlyweds might purchase life insurance so that if one were to die, the other could use the proceeds to help repay significant debts, such as a mortgage or car loan. Generally speaking, life insurance is cheaper and more easily obtained at younger ages.

Empty Nesters and Retirees

Even if your children are grown up and financially self-reliant, life insurance may still be an important part of your financial strategy. After all, a widow or widower may still need to pay off a mortgage and other debts as well as continue to plan for a comfortable retirement. Naming grandchildren or adult children as beneficiaries of your life insurance policy may also enable those family members to accomplish important goals long after you’re gone. Also, life insurance can help you accomplish a number of estate planning goals.

Business Owners

Offering life insurance as a workplace benefit can help a business owner attract and retain valuable employees. Naming the business as the beneficiary of a policy on a key employee can make it financially possible for the business to hire and train someone to replace that individual after his or her death. And life insurance proceeds can also make it possible for surviving partners or family members to eventually purchase a deceased owner’s share of the business.

Seek Qualified Help

Different life insurance policies and their costs, terms, and restrictions can be confusing. Consider working with a financial or insurance professional to determine which type of life insurance best fits your needs. At a minimum, be sure to include your life insurance needs whenever you review your overall financial planning needs regardless of your age.

Is it time you spoke with a Financial Consultant? Contact us at (206) 398-5707 or by email at InvestmentServices@smcu.com with your questions.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. LPL Financial is not affiliated with SMCU.

Congratulations to each of our recipients!

(top row) Laura Beaty, Rayna Ceaser, Jessica Gonzalez (middle row) Anjelina Hill, Patrick Spencer, Alexander Springer (bottom row) Joycelyn Thomas (not pictured) Jordan Bolden, Elsa Hagos, Jason Kim

Do you have what it takes?

Tony Marino Scholarship applications for the 2013-2014 academic year will be available in our branches and online on October 1, 2012.

Save Money

Buying a new car? Before you go shopping, stop by smcu.com to save thousands of dollars. When people finance a car at the dealership, they often only look at the monthly payment without considering all of the interest they’ll pay over the life of the loan. These shoppers could save thousands of dollars just by arranging the loan separately and getting pre-approved before heading to the dealer.

As an example, a $25,000 car financed at 10 percent for five years will have a monthly payment of $531. Over the full life of the loan, the borrower will pay more than $6,870 in interest, making the total cost of the car approximately $31,870. That same car financed at 8 percent for six years will have payments of $506 per month and will cost $30,414, a savings of more than $1,400.

By getting a preapproval before you go to the dealer you’ll have the power, knowing that you already have a great deal on your loan. That allows you to negotiate the price of the car, rather than the payment. You can even buy GAP or Mechanical Breakdown Protection through SMCU at a price that can be significantly less than the products you would get through the dealer.

Save Time While Saving Trees

SMCU offers a fast and easy online loan application. You can get an answer within a few minutes. We’ve also partnered with DocuSign, a leading electronic documents firm, to allow you to sign your loan documents online. By cutting down paper required in the lending process, SMCU is helping to conserve valuable natural resources.

How does it work?

Apply Online
Go to smcu.com and apply. You can use the online payment calculators to figure out how much loan you can afford and use that amount to complete your application. You don’t need to know what kind of car you want to buy to get a pre-approval.

Once your application is complete, you’ll usually get an answer in just a couple of minutes. Some applications need a bit more information, though. In those cases, one of SMCU’s specially trained loan representatives will review your application and get back to you within 24 hours to let you know what else we need.

Find Your Car
Once you are approved, you go shopping. When you find the car you want, get a purchase order, including the purchase price and the details about the car. Then fax or email the purchase order to your loan representative.

Sign Online with DocuSign
Once SMCU receives your purchase order, your loan representative will draw up your loan documents and send you a link via e-mail to log into DocuSign to affix your digital signature. After you submit your electronically signed loan documents, we will cut you a check. Take it to the dealer when you pick up your new car and drive away happy. You spend zero time in the finance office and get the car you really want.

SMCU’s Autoland Program: A Real Person to Guide You Through the Auto-buying Process

Of course, you can also avoid the dealership altogether by taking advantage of Autoland, our in-house auto-buying service. They’ll scour the whole west coast to find you the exact car you want at the price you’re looking for. Autoland will negotiate with their extensive network of dealers to find the right vehicle for you. Once they find your car, they will deliver it directly to you or to any SCMU branch. The small Autoland fee can even be financed directly into your SMCU auto loan.

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What persuaded you to choose Autoland?
Late last year I was thinking about purchasing a new car and actually applied for an SMCU auto loan. I got pre-approved but never ended up going through with the purchase. I stalled because the thought of entering into negotiations with a dealership made me very nervous. After that, I was pretty much settled on keeping my current car.

Just after the first of the year I got an unexpected phone call from Heather Sanneman, a loan representative at the Downtown Branch. Remembering I had applied once before, and that my hesitation towards negotiating was the reason I didn’t follow through, she suggested that I may be interested in a new SMCU service called Autoland. She told me that the entire car buying process (including negotiations) would be handled for me. It seemed appealing so I decided to come into the branch and see for myself what Autoland was all about.

What was it like purchasing your new car through the Autoland buying service?
Nicki, SMCU’s Autoland representative, was such a joy to work with and the process from start to finish was shockingly simple. Everything I needed to know or sign was presented to me right up front. It was refreshing to know that there weren’t going to be any surprise fees or agreements along the way. She even assured me that the trade-in of my ‘05 Toyota Corola would be handled by Autoland to make my experience as seamless as possible.

Even though this was my car purchase, my role was very much hands off. Once we found the car I was sure I wanted, Nicki took over and handled all of the negotiating for me. In my opinion, this was the best part about the process. Having a professional negotiator on my side made me feel certain that I was going to get the best deal without being forced to make any sacrifices. If there was ever a need for me to do anything or sign anything, Nicki would meet me at the Northgate Branch because it was the most convenient location for me. I loved that Nicki made it a priority for me to be comfortable through the entire process. She was always there for me when and where I needed her.

It took roughly two weeks from the day I decided to use Autoland to the time my new Toyota Rav4 was delivered (to the Northgate Branch of course) from Oregon. When it arrived, I was given a thorough overview of the car’s features and was able to ask as many questions as I needed until I felt comfortable. They even set up the Bluetooth and synced it to me phone for me! Before I drove away, Nicki was also able to set up appointments for me to have the interior Scotchgarded and the exterior sealed with scratch protector. and have those costs rolled into my loan so I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.

I really have nothing bad to say about my Autoland buying experience. Everything from my trade-in, to finding my car, to getting the loan funded was really easy. I never thought buying a car could actually be fun.

How does Autoland compare to your previous dealership buying experiences?
The one drawback to Autoland is that you can’t test drive your vehicle before you purchase it. This can be overcome with a little homework and due diligence on your part, but even still I can’t imagine a better experience. You don’t have to deal with aggressive (and sometimes shady) salesmen or a complicated, and in most cases confusing, pricing environment. With Autoland you have a reputable, professional negotiator on your side. The service fee I paid was 100% worth the trouble and stress I saved from the traditional car-buying paradigm. I’m confident that even with the fee, I got a better deal than I ever could have if I went to a dealership first.

To learn more about Autoland visit the auto loans section of smcu.com, or stop by SMCU’s Downtown Branch and talk to our in-house Autoland specialist.

1. eStatements Are More Environmentally Friendly Than Paper Statements.

From wood pulp to the electricity required to drive the paper-production and printing processes, paper statements use a great deal of natural resources. Since eStatements don’t require any paper their impact on our environment is much smaller.

1. eStatements Are More Secure Than Paper Statements.

Identity theft is a major problem. In 2010 more than 250,000 people were victims of identity theft¹. To an ID thief your mailbox represents a one-stop shop for your personal information. By signing up for eStatements you have secure online access to your statements, while protecting yourself from crooks by keeping your financial data out of your mailbox.

1. eStatements Are More Convenient Than Paper Statements.

Avoid the clutter and hassle of paper statements. You can access 13 months of eStatements in SMCU’s Online Banking with just a few clicks. From there you can download eStatements to your personal computer for permanent storage.

1. eStatements Are Faster Than Paper Statements.

Why wait for your paper statement to show up in the mail? Your monthly eStatement is available for viewing in the first few days of the month. That can be up to a week earlier than you would receive your paper statement. With eStatements you can balance your statement fast and get on with your life.

1. eStatements Are Easy To Set Up

To enroll in eStatements, log into SMCU’s Online Banking and look for the eStatements link in the “Account Access” area. Follow the on-screen instructions, and you’ll be on your way to receiving your fast, easy, and secure SMCU eStatements. If you have any trouble setting up eStatements, please call us at 206-398-5500 or 800-334-2489 if you are outside of the Seattle area.

Win A Year Of Netflix

To celebrate the ease and convenience of eStatements, SMCU is giving away year-long subscriptions to Netflix’s online streaming service every week in April. Watch unlimited movies on your computer, tablet, phone and other internet-enabled devices without ever having to go to the store or the mailbox. It’s almost as easy as using SMCU’s eStatements.

Read the official rules here.

Sign Up Today

Taking care of the environment is a big part of giving back to the community, which is something we take pretty seriously. Signing up for eStatements is one easy way to go green and take advantage of the great benefits they offer.

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¹US Census Bureau