Premier America Spotlight- Q1 2024

Dear Members, Another year has come and gone and 2024 has arrived! To begin the year, I want to say how thankful we are that you have chosen Premier America Credit Union as your financial partner. Over the past year, we have worked tirelessly to provide you with exceptional service matched with incredible products and rates. Our goal is to provide you robust the tools and resources to meet today's needs and prepare for tomorrow’s dreams. To that end, we worked diligently on a number of enhancements to make your experience with Premier America as seamless as possible. We launched CSUN-branded debit and credit cards, launched a high-yield checking account and  high-yield money market account, and improved our wire transfer process to make banking with us easier. As we kick off 2024, there are exciting enhancements just around the corner. Soon we will launch Digital Card Management which will allow all members to managed debit and credit cards effortlessly in our Mobile App. Also coming is a brand-new website to help you navigate to the information you need quicker and provide you opportunities to learn about new products and services as well as our growing community impact. Throughout 2024, we will also launch enhanced business offerings to support our local businesses that make our communities thrive. We are excited for what lies ahead and thank you for your membership with Premier America.

 

Working Together for a Better Tomorrow

At Premier America, being passionate is about deeply focusing on service, our community, and one another.
​Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished for our communities in 2023.
 

Fighting Against Fraud

Our members’ financial security is our top priority, which is why all of our team members are trained to help prevent or minimize financial loss to our members. With scams becoming increasingly cleaver, our team members have been hard at work protecting our members. 

Example of a Recent Fraud Attempt: A Premier America member received a check from a trusted source, who asked our member to cash it on their behalf. The check was made payable to our member as the beneficiary and was instructed to deposit the item to their account and transfer the funds.

About the scam and how to prevent it:
Fake check scams are a type of fraud where scammers send you a counterfeit check and ask you to deposit it, then you're asked to send them either some or the entirety of the funds. By the time the bank realizes the check is fake, you've already sent your money to the scammer. Here are some tips to help prevent falling victim to fake check scams:

• Be Skeptical of Unexpected Checks: If you receive a check unexpectedly, especially if it's from an unknown source, be cautious. Scammers often use this tactic to catch people off guard.
• Verify the Source: Contact the person or company that supposedly sent the check using official contact information. Don't use the contact information provided on the check itself, as it could be part of the scam.
• Check for Security Features: Legitimate checks have various security features, such as watermarks, security threads, and color-shifting ink. Examine the check carefully to ensure these features are present.
• Verify Funds with the Bank: Before depositing the check, contact the bank listed on the check to verify if it's legitimate. Don't use the phone number provided on the check; look up the bank's official contact information.
• Wait for Clearance: Even if your financial institution allows you to access some funds quickly, it doesn't mean the check has cleared. Wait for the check to fully clear, which can take several days, before using the funds.
• Use Secure Payment Methods: Whenever possible, use secure and traceable payment methods like credit cards or electronic transfers rather than checks.
• Report Suspected Scams: If you believe you've encountered a fake check scam, report it to your bank, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and local law enforcement.

You Spoke, We Listened: Improvements for our Members

We're always looking for ways to improve our member's experiences. With the help of our member's feedback, we'll be allocating dedicated recources to make the following changes and improve our member's banking experience.

Digital Card Management Expected Launch: Q1 2024 Our Digital Card Project brings an upgraded account and card management experience to our members who participate in online banking, including Card Management & Digital Wallets. This allows members to immediately access a digital version of their debit or credit card, freeze or unfreeze their card, change their PIN, and so much more!

Online IRA Contribution Form Expected Launch: Q1 2024 Our Core Values are like our North Star, they help guide us in our business decision making and keep us aligned with our Mission Statement. One of our Core Values is Find a Better Way, and this project is just that! We identified that our IRA contribution method had room for improvements, so our team decided to add the ability to make a contribution right from within Online Banking! Members will be able to simply make a transfer from their current accounts into their IRA.

Refer a Friend and track referrals online! Expected Launch: March 2024 What was previously tracked by the credit union will soon be tracked inside Online Banking! Our members will be able to digitally refer their friends and family directly from Online Banking. Members can also track who they’ve previously referred, when they’ve earned the incentive, and how many more members they can refer in the year.

From Our Members:

Allow us to highlight and thank our members for taking the time to provide us with feedback on their recent credit union experiences.

I love Premier America Credit Union here at CSUN. The best most friendliest and kindest people in the world! Diana and Marc are so friendly, informative and chill. My friend Aymie, introduced me to these two wonderful people and my life has changed because of their nice, happy friendly spirit. I even introduced Premier America to two of my friends here at CSUN! They always have incentives and friendly smiles each time I walk in! I love that I opened my account here! Come on by and meet the friendliest people here at CSUN!

One morning I needed quarters to wash and tried 3 different stores in the area that denied me quarters in exchange for a 10 dollar bill. Someone told me there’s a bank they should be able to exchange it for you. It was Premier America I was greeted by Calina very nice and understanding to the current dilemma and said sure I can help you. The next week I switched banks. Everyday I enter I’m always greeted with great energy and smiles the entire staff is wonderful I love it best bank ever. 😍

I love this credit union. You only need $1 to join. I have been a member for almost two years now and they never have long lines or give you problems about cashing a check, etc. Most of the time when you cash a check and leave it in your account it's immediately available. The manager and his staff are very kind and professional. They have great interest rates on loans, bonds, RVs, houses, checking accounts, and savings. Easy free parking. I am glad I became a member.