2008 | 2007
California Credit Union Recognized for Emergency Payroll Relief Efforts – CCU was recently acknowledged by the Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Award Program for their Emergency Payroll Relief Program. The credit union was honored with a second place award for the program, which financially aided educators during the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) payroll crisis in early 2007. The Louise Herring Award recognizes credit unions that demonstrate an extraordinary service to their members, above and beyond day-to-day operations.
During the 2007 payroll crisis tens of thousands LAUSD employees, primarily teachers, were paid incorrectly. Employees were either overpaid, underpaid or received no payment at all.
The credit union developed the relief program, which provided a variety of loan options to members including: a zero percent APR Payroll Bridge Loan up to $1,000, a five percent APR Personal Loan up to twice the monthly salary with no payments for 60 days, a Skip-a-Pay program allowing employees to skip two consecutive payments on existing loans, and No Fees for Payday Delays where the credit union reversed charges on returned checks due to the improper payments.
In addition to relief loan options, credit union representatives also visited the LAUSD payroll centers and provided one-on-one financial literacy counseling.
“Being able to provide superior service is important, but being able to make a difference in our member’s lives and community is inspiring. Our emergency relief loan programs were formed specifically to alleviate the stress of the payroll crisis. In times of need it is important that our credit union evaluate how we can make a difference,” states California Credit Union CEO, Ron McDaniel. For more information about the Louise Herring Award Philosophy in Action Award, contact Chris Kerecman at (818) 291-5526.
California Credit Union Underwrites Teacher of Year Program Honoring Los Angeles Area Teachers – Sixteen educators from Los Angles County were recognized as Teachers of the Year recently at a luncheon organized by the Los Angeles County Office of Education and underwritten by California Credit Union. The Los Angeles-based credit union has provided more than $150,000 in corporate funding over the past 4 years in support of the County’s teacher recognition program. The credit union supports the annual program by participating in the selection process, underwriting the annual luncheon, and providing monetary awards for each teacher.
The Teacher of the Year program pays tribute to Los Angeles County’s richly diverse teaching force and spotlights top-notch teachers in the community's education system. Teachers are selected and evaluated based on professional growth, commitment to education and overall leadership skills. “The credit union is proud of the educational community in our region. This event is particularly special because it recognizes the exceptional work of educators who mentor and foster a positive learning environment for our youth. We congratulate all awardees,” states California Credit Union CEO, Ron McDaniel. For more information about California Credit Union’s participation in the Teachers of the Year program, contact Chris Kerecman at (818) 291-5526.
Kathie Yonemura is a recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for 2008-2009. She has been teaching for 21 years and is currently a 4th grade teacher at Hesby Oaks School.
Carol Shaw is a recipient of the Teacher of the Year award for 2008-2009. She has been teaching for 25 years and is currently a 2nd grade teacher at El Portal Elementary School in the Lowell Joint School District.
California Credit Union Increases Number of Annual Scholarships to 75 – California Credit Union (CCU) is pleased to announce the fourth annual college scholarship program for graduating high school seniors in Los Angeles County schools and for students of Los Angeles County community colleges that are transferring to a 4-year college. In recognition of our 75th anniversary, the credit union will award $1,000 scholarships to 75 deserving students to help them defray the expenses of a college education.
“Begun in 2005, the California Credit Union College Scholarship Program has been a great success”, CCU Board Chairman Jimmy Figueroa noted. “And, this year, to acknowledge our 75 years of service to the educational community, we have increased the number of scholarships available to 75. We are proud to provide additional opportunities to students as they continue their pursuit of higher education.”
Scholarships are open to any California Credit Union member who is a graduating high school senior. Scholarships are also open to non-members who are graduating high school seniors in Los Angeles County or any Los Angeles County community college student transferring to a 4-year college. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must attend an accredited college or university in 2008. Applications must be received no later than March 31, 2008. Awards will be announced no later than 5 p.m. on May 15, 2008. Applications are available at any CCU branch or online at www.californiacu.org.
Since being chartered 75 years ago by a small group of Los Angeles teachers, the education-related community has built California Credit Union into a billion-dollar federally insured financial institution. CCU is a not-for-profit financial services institution serving nearly 75,000 members with 11 convenient branch locations throughout Los Angeles County. Membership is open to schools, school-related organizations and individuals in the California private and public education community. More information about CCU is available by calling (800) 334-8788 or by visiting our website at www.californiacu.org.
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New Phishing Scam
Visit our Phishing Information Page
Yet another new identity theft scheme is targeting credit union customers across the country. In the latest scam, spoof e-mails are directing credit union members to call a telephone number and confirm their personal information. The scam immediately disarms consumers by specifically warning about similar schemes.
One recently circulated e-mail reads:
Dear Credit Union Customer,
We regret to inform you that we have received numerous fraudulent emails which ask for personal account information. The emails contained links to fraudulent pages that looked legit. Please remember that we will never ask for personal account information via email or web pages. Because of this we are launching a new security system to make credit union accounts more secure and safe. To take advantage of our new consumer identity theft protection program we had to deactivate access to your card account. To activate it please call us immediately.
The e-mail provides a telephone number with a U.S. area code, adding to its air of legitimacy. In an especially brazen move, the e-mail offers identity theft tips and links to the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft prevention website. This is a type of fraud called “phishing,” and the goal is to gather personal information and passwords. If you receive an e-mail from CCU that asks you to update your personal information, do not follow the link or call the phone number. CCU will never ask for your personal information via e-mail. More information about phishing is available at the Federal Trade Commission's website, www.ftc.gov, or at www.antiphishing.org.
