FIRST QUARTER 2022
Ring in the New Year with a Loan You’ll Love!
Debt Consolidation
Loan
here We’re lp to he
you in
2022!
$
20,000 5.90% Get Loans Up to
Rates as Low as
For Up to
60
Months
*APR=Annual Percentage Rate and is accurate as of December 21, 2021. Credit criteria, additional terms, and restrictions may apply. A $20,000.00 loan with a 60 month term at 5.90% APR=a $385.75 monthly payment. Minimum loan amount is $1,000.00. For more information, contact a Gulf Credit Union loan representative at 409.963.1191 or 800.448.5328. Offer expires March 31, 2022. Gulf Credit Union membership is required.
gecu.org
409.963.1191 • 800.448.5328
GROVES • MID COUNTY • BRIDGE CITY • BEAUMONT
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ........................................2 NEW EMPLOYEES ......................................................................2 HOME EQUITY LOAN PROMOTION WINNER .................2 ATM SAFETY TIPS ......................................................................3 LIFESHARE BLOOD DRIVE ......................................................3
CONGRATULATIONS RETIREES ...........................................4 TURBOTAX ..................................................................................5 IRA CONTRIBUTIONS ..............................................................5 HOW TO AVOID A SCAM ........................................................6 2022 SCHOLARSHIP ................................................................ 7
WWW.GECU.ORG
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A Letter From The President Happy New Year! While 2021 continued to present us with several obstacles to hurdle throughout the year, we were able to complete many of our initiatives. Loan growth goals continue to be an issue for many financial institutions due to the ongoing pandemic and supply chain issues. As we evolve with the “new normal” we continue to seek alternatives to continue offering the best possible products and services to our members. With the sale of some of our property, we will be updating our branches and creating more digital opportunities for our members. With the addition of our new advertising Todd Gaudin President/CEO agency, we brought back our "Yes! Yes! You Can!" marketing campaign and are focused on highlighting our products and services in numerous channels and media outlets. We made some changes to our organizational structure, added to our Management and Executive teams and elected 2 new directors to join our Board. These changes were needed so we can address new markets, react to changes in product or service demands and keep up with new technologies or products from competitors. The Mission and Vision Statements were revised, and we are utilizing them in our staff development and business strategies going forward. As the year progresses, we hope to transition from our 2021 “Keep Moving Forward" mantra to “Together We Can” in 2022!
Announcing our New Employee I graduated from Lamar University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management. While pursuing my degree, I worked at Lott Contractors as the Human Resource Manager for four years. In 2010, I joined the hospitality industry as the Human Resource Director at the Beaumont Holiday Inn & Suites and Houston Marriott. Amanda Baldwin Talent Aquisition Manager Before joining Gulf Credit Union, I was the Human Resource Specialist at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas for four and a half years. I am married and we have three wonderful children, Ady who is eleven, twins Kinsler and Khloe who are seven and two fur babies, Elvis and Daisie.
Presented by, Dawanda Minor Mortgage Loan Manager
We would like to congratulate the winner of our Home Equity Loan promotion and recipient of the Solo Stove Bonfire, Ron Cameron. Thank you for being a member of Gulf Credit Union!
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ATM SAFETY TIPS PROTECTING YOUR CARD • Always protect your ATM/Debit/Credit card and keep it in a safe place. • Do not leave your card lying around the house or on your desk at work. • Immediately notify your financial institution if it is lost or stolen. • Keep your Personal Identification Number (PIN) a secret. • Never give any information about your card or PIN over the telephone. USING AN ATM • Be aware of your surroundings, particularly at night. • Have your card ready and in your hand as you approach the ATM. • Visually inspect the ATM for possible skimming devices. • Be careful that no one can see you enter your PIN at the ATM. • To keep your account information confidential, always take your receipts or transaction records with you. • Do not count or visually display any money you received from the ATM. • If you are using a drive-up ATM, be sure passenger windows are rolled up and all doors are locked. • If the lights at the ATM are not working, don't use it. • Use ATMs inside the building whenever possible. • Utilize our remote control card feature to assist in preventing fraud. SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS FOR USING AN ATM AT NIGHT • Park close to the ATM in a well-lit area. • Take another person with you, if at all possible.
LifeShare Blood Drive
Julie Williams
Nena Flood
Vanessa Speyrer
Just 1 donation can save up to 3 lives. We hosted two successful LifeShare Blood Drives, December 16th at our Mid County location and Beaumont location, and January 27th at our Groves location. We appreciate all of the donors who gave their time and their gift of livesaving donations. With your efforts, we were able to donate 13 units of blood. If you would like more information on how or where to donate, please contact LifeShare Blood Center at 800.256.5433.
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Celebrating
Celebrating
29 Years of Service
Rosalie Cook began her career with Gulf Credit Union as a teller in 1993. She proudly served the community on the teller line for six years. From there, she transferred to the loan department and was a Loan Processor as well as an Indirect Loan Processor. Fifteen years ago, in 2007, she moved to the Mid County location where she served as a Loan Officer.
Congratulations, Rosalie!
11 Years of Service
In 2011, I started with Gulf Credit Union, as a teller. I enjoyed helping people, and it wasn’t long until I was the receptionist, at the Groves location. It has been a pleasure serving our wonderful members for the past eleven years. I have made many friends along the way, and I will miss everyone.
Kathy Quirk
I’m so sad to go, but very excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I will always be incredibly grateful, to Gulf Credit Union, for every opportunity I have received.
Rosalie Cook
Sincerely, Kathy Quirk
Congratulations, Kathy!
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Save on TurboTax® and H&R Block® This Tax Season
Credit union members can get special savings this tax season. Whether you file on your own with TurboTax or get help from an H&R Block tax pro, you’re guaranteed to get your biggest possible refund. Visit https://taxservices.lovemycreditunion.org for TurboTax and H&R Block offer details and disclaimers.
IRA CONTRIBUTIONS If you couldn't max out your individual retirement account in 2021, don't despair. There's still time to make a contribution to traditional and Roth IRAs. The deadline for making contributions into IRAs for this year is April 15, 2022, giving savers an additional four months to contribute.
Shopping for a new car? Getting a tax refund? Check out our great rates! Are you in need of a new car, SUV or truck? Use your tax refund as a down payment for your new vehicle while taking advantage of Gulf Credit Union's great rates on auto loans. Get pre-approved for an auto loan from Gulf Credit Union before you go car shopping. It will make the car-buying process easier and help you avoid delays once you’ve found that perfect vehicle. What's even better, as a member of Gulf Credit Union you can save up to $20 on TurboTax. To access your discount, just click on the TurboTax banner on our website, www.gecu.org, and get started today!
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How To Avoid A Scam If you can say “YES” to any of these scenarios, you have been or are about to be SCAMMED! FOUR SIGNS THAT IT'S A SCAM Recognizing these common signs of a scam could help you avoid falling for one.
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HOW TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED • Block unwanted calls and texts.
Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations. They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID, so the name and number you see might not be real. Scammers say there’s a problem or a prize. They may say you’re in trouble with the government, you owe money, or someone in your family had an emergency. Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information. Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes, but you have to pay a fee to get it. Scammers pressure you to act immediately. Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you or take away your driver’s license. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way. They insist you pay by purchasing gift cards. They request that you take a picture of the gift card and send them the CVV code. Some will send you a check in the mail to deposit and have you send them their portion. The check will come back as fraudulent, and you will be left owing the entire amount of the check to your credit union.
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• Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn't expect. Legitimate organizations will not call or text you for your personal information, like your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card numbers. • Resist pressure to act immediately. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer. Ask for a supervisor's name and call back number. Chances are a scammer won't want to provide you with that information. If they can't give you a local number or address, hang up. • Never pay someone by gift cards, wire transfer or cash for items that you did not purchase. • A loan company will not ask for your account information to mobile deposit checks into your account, have you withdraw it and send to them as gift cards, wire, or cash. If it sounds too good to be true and you didn’t earn it, then it is probably a SCAM.
We believe in investing in our future. This spring, Gulf Credit Union is proud to award up to ten $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Applications are available online at gecu.org or may be picked up at any of our four convenient locations. Each applicant must turn in their completed application, along with the requested material, by March 1, 2022. Completed applications may be dropped off to any GCU location, or they can be mailed to: Gulf Credit Union Attention: Marketing Department P.O. Box 848 Groves, TX 77619
Please see the scholarship application brochure at gecu.org for more details. Please contact a member service representative at 409.963.1191 or 800.448.5328 to update your email address, home address, cell phone number and/or any other contact information that may have recently changed.
GULF INVESTMENT GROUP JOHN PAT WHITE, II CRPC®
Vice President, Wealth Management
+ IRA Rollover Services + Retirement Planning + Education Funding + Mutual Funds + Life Insurance + Long-Term Care Insurance + Wealth Management
Call Today for a no-cost, no-obligation appointment. GULF INVESTMENT GROUP
Located at: GULF CREDIT UNION 5140 W PARKWAY GROVES, TX 77619 Fax: 409.962.3584 Toll-Free: 800.448.5328, Ext. 7452 Phone: 409.984.7452
Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Gulf Credit Union and Gulf Investment Group are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Gulf Investment Group, and may also be employees of Gulf Credit Union. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Gulf Credit Union or Gulf Investment Group. Are Not Insured by NCUA or Any Other Government Agency | Are Not Credit Union Guaranteed | Are Not Credit Union Deposits or Obligations | May Lose Value
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GULF CREDIT UNION P.O. BOX 848 GROVES, TX 77619
GULF CREDIT UNION IS FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION. We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. All loans and rates are subject to credit approval. Rates are subject to change without notice.
VISION STATEMENT
Be the trusted financial partner by delivering innovative solutions that provide value and convenience to our members.
GROVES
MID COUNTY
5140 West Parkway
2779 Aero Drive
BEAUMONT
BRIDGE CITY
2360 Dowlen Road
4721 Hwy. 87 South
LOBBY HOURS
DRIVE-THRU HOURS
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 8:30 am – 5:00 pm FRIDAY • 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 8:00 am – 6:00 pm SATURDAY • 9:00 am – Noon
LOBBY HOURS
DRIVE-THRU HOURS
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 8:30 am – 5:00 pm FRIDAY • 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 8:00 am – 5:00 pm FRIDAY • 8:00 am – 5:30 pm
Mailing Address: PO Box 848, Groves, TX 77619-0848 • memberservice@gecu.org • 409.963.1191 • 800.448.5328
2022 HOLIDAYS
GULF CREDIT UNION BOARD OF DIRECTORS: NAME
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TERM ENDS
Johnny Lewallen, Chairman
2022
Barry Gorman, Vice Chairman
2023
Karen Brown, Secretary
2023
Robert Adams, Treasurer
2022
Logan Delcambre
2024
Joshua Lege
2024
Camille Jones
2022 Find us on
FEBRUARY President's Day Monday, February 21
SEPTEMBER Labor Day Monday, September 5
APRIL Good Friday Friday, April 15 Saturday, April 16
OCTOBER Columbus Day Monday, October 10
MAY Memorial Day Monday, May 30 JUNE Juneteenth Monday, June 20 JULY Independence Day Monday, July 4
NOVEMBER Veterans Day Thursday, November 11 Thanksgiving Thursday, November 24 Friday, November 25 Saturday, November 26 DECEMBER Christmas Friday, December 23 Saturday, December 24 Monday, December 26