FIRST EDITIONUpcoming Seminars (September-November)

Wednesday, 9/14DIY Marketing Studio Roadshow,8:30am in the Freehold Corporate Office

Thursday, 9/22 Complimentary Income for Life Seminar,6pm in Toms River

Wednesday, 9/28Free Debt Reduction & Credit Management Seminar, 6pm in Freehold/Howell

1FALL 2016 • A Semi-Annual Member Publication

4 WAYS TO BE A GOOD FINANCIAL ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR CHILDREN

Your children may not always look like they’re listening, but they’re certainly watching. That’s why it’s important to make sure your actions line up with what you say, especially when it comes to managing your money. Robin Taub, chartered accountant and author of A Parent’s Guide to Raising Money - Smart Kids, said the key to raising financially aware children is to lead by example. “The first step to teaching kids to be money smart is to be a good financial model. We want to be able to lead by example. Our kids are watching and learning from us and they are aware of both our positive and negative behavior around money,” said Taub. Are your actions lining up with your words? Here’s how to be a good financial role model for your children.

Show your child how to shop responsibly. Both of you can start by taking stock of what you already have so that unnecessary purchases aren’t made. Once you’re ready to shop, work together on creating a shopping list. Demonstrate how to search for sales and find coupons. Don’t purchase items that are not on the shopping list (unless it’s truly necessary) so that your child can understand the importance of exercising self-control at a store.

Let your child see that you have to work for money. Demonstrate the importance of a strong work ethic and the value of contributing your talents in exchange for a paycheck. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is a great opportunity to show your child what you do at work.

Budgeting doesn’t have to be a solitary act. Instead of balancing your monthly budget alone, invite your child to watch you go through the process. Explain how to take stock of how much money is coming in and going out of the household for that month, and how you plan your spending so you don’t run out of money. This will help your child see that your pockets are not an endless source of cash. If your child receives an allowance, this is an additional opportunity to show him or her how to budget and spend responsibly.

Pay bills together. Even something as mundane as paying bills can be a teachable moment. Show your child how to write a check and balance a check register. There are plenty of downloadable and printable check registers. If you prefer, you can also keep track of your banking activity on an Excel

spreadsheet. Explain the importance of paying bills on time and in full, and how late payments can impact your credit score.

See credit union for details or visit www.firstffcu.com. Original article source courtesy of Sheiresa Ngo at Money and Career Cheat Sheet. http://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/4-ways-to-be-a-good-financial-role-model-for-your-children.html/?a=viewall

A great way to help your children learn about the value of saving is by opening a First Step Kids Savings Account. If they earn an allowance or receive money for holidays, they can come into any branch and deposit their earnings right into their own account! Plus, with our Dollars for A’s Program, for every “A” your child earns on their report card First Financial will deposit $1 into your child’s First Step Kids Account!* Stop by any branch or give us a call at 732.312.1500 to get started today.

Wednesday, 11/2Free Holiday Budgeting Seminar, 6pm in Toms River

Thursday, 11/17Complimentary Social Security & Your Retirement Seminar,6pm in NeptuneVisit First Financial’s event calendar to register for upcoming seminars at firstffcu.com or text “FFSEMINAR” to 69302 to receive updates and register on your mobile phone.

Note from the CEOAt First Financial, we’re like one big family. We care about you, and want to provide you with all you need and more when it comes to your banking. We strive to provide you with the convenience, trust, education, security, and dependability that you need day in and day out. We work in order to meet your needs while keeping you and your family in our best interest, so you can live the life you want to live.

We’ve had an action-packed year thus far at First Financial. From various new product launches such as our EMV Chip Debit Card to our big corporate office move in May, we’ve been quite busy – but are doing our very best to ensure a bright future for both you and the credit union. This year is also very special to us because it marks our 80th anniversary from when we started back in 1936, out of the trunk of Harold “Pop” Shannon’s car – the credit union’s founder. In honor of our anniversary, we’ve been able to offer several specials this year, and have been fortunate enough to help put money back into our members’ pockets. We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with you and look forward to another 80+ successful years ahead!

As always, we thank you for your continued support, loyalty, and membership with us. First Financial is pleased to be your financial partner – we are here for you no matter what the circumstance. It has been a true honor to be able to serve you and your family and friends for the past 80 years, and we look forward to the future in years to come. God bless!

Sincerely,

Issa Stephan, CCUE, President & CEO

FALL 2016 • A Semi-Annual Member Publication

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What could go wrong between now and 50?You never know – and that is why younger families absolutely need life insurance.

Securities sold, advisory services offered through CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. (CBSI), member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor. CBSI is under contract with the financial institution to make securities available to members. Not NCUA/NCUSIF/FDIC insured, May Lose Value, No Financial Institution Guarantee. Not a deposit of any financial institution. CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., is a registered broker/dealer in all fifty states of the United States of America.

1 - bankrate.com/finance/insurance/life-insurance-for-parents-why-you-need-it.aspx [5/1/15]

2 - valuepenguin.com/average-cost-life-insurance [8/2/16]

When you marry, start a family, buy a home, or start a business, your responsibilities change. Your family depends on your income to make ends meet. If you die, and that income disappears, what happens to your spouse, your kids, your house, and your company?

That “what if” is scary – and that is why life insurance is so crucial. Many young families aren’t aware of how little the coverage costs.

Life insurance is more affordable than ever. As a general rule, the younger you are, the cheaper it is. A 20-year, $1 million term life policy can cost a reasonably healthy 35-year-old as little as $50 a month. That same person could pay as little as $30 a month for a 20-year term policy offering $250,000 of coverage.1,2

Permanent life insurance costs more, but the premiums stay steady over time and the policy is capable of building cash value. These policies never expire as

long as you keep paying the premiums (you can convert some term policies to permanent policies).

If you are married or have kids, there really is no excuse for going without such essential coverage. How can you find a life insurance policy to suit your needs?

Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation appointment with First Financial’s Investment & Retirement Center

to evaluate your options by contacting us at 732.312.1564 or

Samantha.schertz@cunamutual.com.

Holiday Closings10/10: Columbus Day 11/11: Veterans Day

11/24: Thanksgiving Day

12/24: Closing at 1pm for Christmas Eve 12/26: Christmas Day (Observed)

12/31: Closing at 1pm New Year's Eve 1/2: New Year's Day (Observed) 3

FALL 2016 • A Semi-Annual Member Publication

Recipients (left to right)

Dylan Wisniewski, Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ)

Kelsey Quinn, High Point University (High Point, NC)

Lauren Harper, University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)

Max Witkowski, Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)

The First Financial Foundation recently awarded $500 scholarships to four deserving high school seniors who were accepted to a 2- or 4 - year college and will be attending in the Fall of 2016.

Applicants were given the option to submit an essay or create a 60-second video clip. This year’s essay topic: You and a friend decide that you would like to start building credit. Discuss with your friend what good credit is, ways to start building credit, how your credit union can help, and the benefits earned by having good credit. The year’s video topic: Create a 60-second video that covers the importance of financial literacy.

Congratulations to all of the 2016 recipients and thank you to all the students who submitted essays and videos this year!

2016 First Financial Foundation Erma Dorrer Literary Scholarship Recipients

EMV Chip Debit Cards are Here!Your new chip card is dif ferent from your existing debit card. It contains an embedded chip that uses secure technology to make it harder to copy your account information, better protecting you from fraud. Check out at retailers with chip - enabled terminals by inserting the card and following the prompts. You can also check out by swiping at retailers without chip - enabled terminals or by providing your card information for phone and online purchases. To activate your new EMV Debit Card and create your PIN, call 866-985-2273. Previous non-chip cards will stop working by 9/30/16 and you will also need to update any automatic payments.

FALL 2016 • A Semi-Annual Member Publication

Loan Connection 732.312.1500, Option 4

To Fax Loan Applications732.312.1530 (24-hour)

Member Relationship Center Phone Hours

Monday-Friday: 8:00am - 6:00pmSaturday: 8:30am - 1:00pm

Contact Us Local Callers: 732.312.1500 Out of Area: 866.750.0100

info@firstffcu.com

Neptune Branch783 Wayside Road

Toms River Branch1360 Route 9 South

Corner of Routes 9 & 571

Freehold/Howell Service Center389 Route 9 NorthFreehold, NJ 07728

Next to Howell Park & Ride

Board of DirectorsGordon Holder,

ChairpersonEarl Sutton, Jr.,

Vice ChairpersonDavid Graf,

Secretary & TreasurerElizabeth M. White

Laurita CarrCatherine McLaughlin

Karen Fiore

Supervisory CommitteeElizabeth M. White,

Committee ChairpersonRonald MinskyMitch Thaler

John CeresaniIssa E. Stephan,

CCUE, President/CEO

First Financial’s Supervisory Committee has the responsibility

to investigate Member complaints that cannot be resolved through normal channels. If you have a

complaint or suggestion to improve our service to you or if you have an unresolved problem, please

write to:

Supervisory CommitteeP.O. Box 751,

Neptune, NJ 07754

facebook.com/firstfinancialnj @NJBanking First-Financial-Federal-Credit Union blog.firstffcu.com FirstFinancialNJ pinterest.com/1stfinancialnj

Information contained in “First Edition” is intended to summarize products and services. It is not a complete disclosure of all terms and conditions. All rates and terms are subject to change without notice. This Credit Union is Federally Insured by NCUA. For full details, please contact First Financial Federal Credit Union directly at 732.312.1500, email info@firstffcu.com, or visit firstffcu.com. 4

We’re all settled in to our new home!

OUR NEW ADDRESS: 391 Route 9 North, Freehold, NJ 07728(Located directly behind the Freehold/Howell Service Center)

We look forward to serving you in our new headquarters and helping you achieve your financial dreams. Keep thinking first!

While mobile banking and payments are certainly making it easier and more convenient to handle one’s finances and conduct business, the same ease and convenience make them a ripe target for criminals, says Madeline Aufseeser, CEO of fraud-prevention company Tender Armor.

Consumers are turning to their phones more often to manage their finances, from depositing funds to paying bills, to splitting dinner and a movie among friends. Mobile payment apps are growing in popularity, particularly among Millennials. A 2014 survey by FICO found that 32% of consumers ages 18 to 34 had used some kind of mobile payment app, and 23% had used a peer-to-peer lending app. According to consulting firm Accenture, 94% of consumers under age 35 access their banking services through the Web and mobile apps. Accenture also estimates that mobile wallet transactions will explode to 1.31 billion by 2019, up from 240 million in 2014.

Don’t be a victim! Here are 4 ways to protect yourself and your finances:Update that OS. People who are not careful about how they use their mobile payment apps, where they use them, and how they manage their mobile devices - are putting themselves at risk. For starters, avid users of mobile payment services should always keep their mobile operating system (OS) up to date. Ignoring updates for Android or iOS means ignoring free security patches for vulnerabilities hackers already know how to exploit.

Update that app. The same goes for the apps themselves — keeping a payment app completely up

to date means keeping its security protocols as strong as they can be. Some apps introduce new security features, like biometric sign-in capabilities. Aufseeser stresses the importance of two-factor authentication for passwords and personal information to double down on account protection.

Beware of Wi-Fi. Accessing a mobile banking app or a payment app while on public Wi-Fi also makes it easier for criminals to “eavesdrop” on the information one’s phone is sending and accessing, exposing usernames, passwords and any stored information on the phone. This includes saved credit or debit card info from payment apps. Consumers with data to spare should limit their use of public Wi-Fi hotspots when accessing sensitive information, checking a bank statement, sending a payment, etc. Keep in mind, fraudsters and hackers can eavesdrop on any information sent over public Wi-Fi, so mind your browsing and emailing in public spaces.

Watch out for person-to-person payments. Besides guarding yourself from hackers, you have to be on guard about the people you do business with as well. The wild west of mobile payments has tangible, real-world fraud risks associated with it. The incredibly popular person-to-person payment app Venmo, has exposed some of the weaknesses in the mobile payment area.

While users expect their payments to be safe and instantaneous, the reality is more complicated. Payments take time to process, which leaves a period of time during which scam artists can abuse a clause in Venmo’s user agreement that prohibits “business, commercial, or merchant transactions.” The buyer cancels their payment

and the seller cannot get the money back because, technically, they broke Venmo’s rules. In short: If you sell something to someone and they take back their payment, you’re out of luck.

This phenomenon is not unique to Venmo — various frauds and scams have plagued person-to-person payment sites and apps since the dawn of the Internet. Fraudsters populate websites like Craigslist and Ebay and use PayPal scams to rip off unsuspecting users.However, as the Consumer Federation of America noted in its March newsletter, there is no federal law that provides payment dispute rights.

Without laws in place, it falls to the company that owns the payment platform to resolve disputes — and when it comes to cybercriminals and fraudsters, they are pretty good at covering their tracks and leaving their victims high and dry. The moral of the story is be mindful when sending payments with your mobile phone or tablet.

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Be sure to enroll in our Identity Theft Protection Program from Sherpa today. The best part? You can enroll right online, 24/7. You can trust in First Financial and Sherpa to help keep your personal information protected. Packages begin at just $5.99 per month – so visit www.firstffcu.com to enroll today!

4 WAYS TO AVOID CYBERCRIME WHEN BANKING AND SHOPPING ON YOUR SMARTPHONE OR TABLET

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/04/20/security-identity-theft-cybercrime-banking-shopping-mobile-phones/82466908/ by Benjamin Mitchell