Fraud Alertsfrom AmeriCU

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HSA + IRA Contribution Limits

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NEWS FROM AMERICU CREDIT UNION

AmeriNews

We know how important and expensive it is to get a college education and that’s why, every year, AmeriCU awards ten $1,000 scholarships! Eligibility is open to any AmeriCU Credit Union member in good standing (excluding employees, Directors, Committee Members, Volunteers and their immediate families) who is a full-time student at an accredited college, university or other institution of higher learning during the next academic year. To apply or for more information, go to www.americu.org/about/scholarships/ to download an application or visit one of our convenient locations! All scholarship applications must be received by February 1, 2019. Incomplete packets will be disqualified, so please follow instructions completely.

Are you (or someone you know) a graduating high school

senior or continuing college student?

Traditional + Roth IRA Contributions Limits for 2018

Traditional + Roth IRA Contributions Limits for 2019

(DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2019)$5,500: Age 49 and younger

$6,500: Age 50 and older

$6,000: Age 49 and younger$7,000: Age 50 and older

It’s not too late to make your 2018 contributions! See limits and deadlines below.

IRA + HSAREMINDERS

It is always a good idea to speak with a Tax Advisor to see which IRA is right for you and how much you qualify to contribute for the year.

AmeriCU’s Nominating Committee has announced that John Stevenson and Ryan Kuhns have been nominated to fill two open positions on the Board of Directors. As there is only one nominee for each position to be filled, the election will not be conducted by mail ballot and there will be no nominations from the floor. The two nominees will be seated at the annual meeting on Monday, March 11, 2019.

Board of Election Update

Start the year off right by contributing to your HSA and planning for your future medical needs.

• Tax deductible contributions • Tax-deferred earnings • Tax free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses

You must be covered by a qualified High Deductible Health Insurance plan and meet other criteria to contribute.

HSA Contribution Limits for 2018

HSA Contribution Limits for 2019

(DEADLINE: APRIL 15, 2019)Single: $3,450Family: $6,900

Over 55: $1,000 Catch up

Single: $3,500Family: $7,000

Over 55: $1,000 Catch up

Equal Housing Lender. Federally insured by NCUA. Membership restrictions apply.www.americu.org | 800.388.2000 | AmeriNews Winter 2019

THE FAST, STRESS-FREE

WAY TO DO YOUR TAXES!

20% OFFfor AmeriCU members

when you prepare and e-fileyour federal and state return!

To take advantage of our special member pricing and start filing, visitezTaxReturn.com/AmeriCU

Service offered by Hamilton Associates, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of

AmeriCU Credit Union. Equal Housing Lender. Membership restrictions apply.

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$100 CASH REWARD WITH EACH NEW LINE* Another BENefit of membership!

Visit LoveMyCreditUnion.org/Sprint to calculate your cash rewards. *Restrictions apply.

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Accelerated. Automated. Your best defense against fraud.At AmeriCU, we’re serious about protecting you.

By signing up for AmeriCU Fraud Alerts, you’ll be notified by text or phone when suspicious activity has been detected on your account. You can take action immediately by replying to a text or through our automated phone system. Representatives are also always available assist you, so you receive the best defense - right when you need it most.

TO SIGN UP FOR FRAUD ALERTS & PROTECT YOURSELF:

1. Visit www.americu.org

2. Log in to Online Banking

3. Select ‘Debit & Credit Card Fraud Alerts’ from the ‘Alerts’ tab.

4. Follow the instructions on screen.

The phrase “Loose Lips Sink Ships” originated during World War II as a way of reminding the military and civilians to avoid careless talk concerning secure information that might be used by the enemy. It may be time to re-visit this old saying and see how it can be incorporated into our lives today.

How often have you picked up a newspaper, gone to your favorite news site, listened to the radio, or turned on the tv and learned about some kind of incident related to user data on the internet? These incidents, big and small, impact our daily lives.

It’s important to be wary of people who are trying to collect your data, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other data points about you and then selling it to criminals. With enough of these data points put together, they can piece together a virtual you. If they’re missing an important piece of information, they may target you to try to get it.

Commonly, someone may pretend to be a company you trust. They’ll call you and make it look like the call is coming from a legitimate number (it is very easy to impersonate phone numbers). During this type of attack they will try to collect the data points that they don’t have, like the name of your first dog or your mother’s maiden name, to complete their impersonation of you.

How can you prevent this? Remember: “Loose Lips Sink Ships.” If you receive a call from a company you do business with and they start asking for personal information about you, or suspicious questions, you can refuse to answer the questions. Don’t be afraid to verify a call by hanging up and calling the company back at their number on record.

Remember:

1. AmeriCU will never contact you and ask for personal information.

2. Talk to your family about the need to keep family data private.

3. Consider making up false answers for recovery questions (like mother’s maiden name).

4. Change your passwords regularly.

If you have any questions, always please feel free to contact us at AmeriCU!

Loose Lips Sink Ships | Protect Yourself From Fraud

Equal Housing Lender. Federally insured by NCUA. Membership restrictions apply.

www.americu.org | 800.388.2000

FOR EVERY DAY. FOR EVERY THING.

B’ville Big Chill | Mercer Park, Baldwinsville | Saturday, January 26 • 12PM – 2PMAmeriCU is a sponsor of the 2019 B’ville Big Chill in Baldwinsville. This event features a “Best in Bowl” cook-off between local restaurants, activities for the children, and teams plunging into the icy Seneca River to raise money for our community and local charities.

AmeriCU Home Show | Turning Stone Resort + Casino | Friday – Sunday, February 8 – 10 Friday, February 8 • 1PM – 7PM | Saturday, February 9 • 10AM – 7PM | Sunday, February 10 • 10AM – 5PM Admission: Adults: $10, Seniors (age 55+), Military and First Responders $9, Kids under 16: FREE AmeriCU is again the presenting sponsor of the 2019 Home Show at Turning Stone Casino & Resort. At this event there will be experts on hand from a variety of home services to answer your questions on any aspect of home ownership and upkeep! The show is expected to bring in thousands of people looking for all kinds of advice and products, including design, building & contracting, materials & supplies, art & furnishing, energy, maintenance, and financing. For more information, visit www.homeshowatturningstone.com

Rome Indoor Walk/Run | Rome Free Academy | Saturday, February 9 • 8:30AM – 11:30AM As a supporter of the American Heart Association, AmeriCU will be present at the American Heart Association’s Indoor Heart Run/Walk at Rome Free Academy. This event features a heart healthy walk and run indoors and out of the cold. Pre-registration for America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk will be available there as well.

America’s Greatest Heart Run + Walk | Utica College Expo: Friday, March 1 • 9AM – 9PM | Utica Run + Walk: Saturday, March 2 • 6AM – 1PM AmeriCU is again a sponsor of the America’s Greatest Heart Run + Walk, which has raised millions of dollars to benefit the American Heart Association. AmeriCU will be present at the Expo all day Friday and at the walk the following morning. Join us at any or all of the upcoming Heart Walks and help support this worthy cause! If you can’t attend and still want to donate visit www.uticaheartrunwalk.org

Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Mohawk Valley Home Show | Jorgensen Center at MVCC, Utica Friday, March 8 • 5PM – 8PM | Saturday, March 9 • 10AM – 7PM | Sunday, March 10 • 11AM – 4PM Admission: $5, Kids under 12: FREE Whether it’s a big or small project; from tiling your bathroom to building your dream home, the HBRMV Home Show will have qualified experts in the field of homebuilding, remodeling and improving to answer your questions. This three day event will showcase a variety of home services such as home builders, commercial builders, developers, remodelers, subcontractors, building materials suppliers, Realtors, bankers, attorneys and many others. For more information, visit www.hbrmv.com

Annual Membership Meeting | Griffiss Park Office, Community Room | 231 Hill Road, Rome | Monday, March 11 • 7:30PM All AmeriCU members are invited to attend our Annual Membership Meeting. Your credit union’s 2018 performance and plans for 2019 will be reviewed. Refreshments and door prizes will follow the meeting.

Home Builders and Remodelers of CNY Home & Garden Show | NYS Fairgrounds | Friday – Sunday, March 15 – 17 Friday, March 15 • 10AM – 8PM | Saturday, March 16 • 10AM – 8PM | Sunday, March 17 • 10AM – 5PM AmeriCU will be present at the 2019 HBRCNY Home & Garden show, one of the largest events of its kind in the Northeast. Whether you’re building a home, remodeling or doing it yourself inside or out, the Home & Garden Show is a springtime ritual for homeowners and prospective homeowners. There will be experts on hand to accept appointments with questions and ideas about home building and improvement projects. For more information, visit www.hbrcny.com

Syracuse Heart Run/Walk | SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College | Saturday, March 23 • 8AM – 12PM Join us at the Syracuse Heart Run/Walk at SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College Saturday, March 23 8AM-12PM! AmeriCU is proud to sponsor the kid’s run at this event, and will be present at the event with a team. All proceeds benefit the American Heart Association.

Kids Heart Challenge | Valley Gymnastics | Friday, March 29 • 7PM AmeriCU is a proud sponsor of the Kids Heart Challenge with the American Heart Association. The Kids Heart Challenge is a half-mile obstacle course for kids from ages 5 to 12 at Valley Gymnastics. The challenge is a fun obstacle course that challenges kids on their agility, speed and balance (there are no water or mud activities in this course). The Kids Heart Challenge is free to attend; children must be accompanied by an adult at all times during this event. For more information, visit www.uticaheartrunwalk.org

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Upcoming AmeriCU Events

MARCH