Equity Plus Line of Credit - it's your money, use it!

With an Equity Plus Line of Credit you can draw on the equity in your home to meet your needs as they arise.  Apply once and have access to a line of credit, secured by your home, for whatever you need, whenever you need it.  With a variable rate, you will be assured one of the best rates around, plus the interest you pay may be tax deductible.  (Check with your tax advisor regarding your particular situation.) Even better, there are no closing costs when you have direct deposit to your DuTrac checking account.*  (View current rates)

*Quarterly variable rate based on the 13 week treasury.  Best current rate based on index would be 4.99% APR.  Maximum rate of 18% APR.  No closing cost offer requires direct deposit to a DuTrac Community Credit Union checking account.  A fee for appraisal may be required.  Some restrictions and credit qualifications apply.

Upcoming Trip - Irish Singer Daniel O'Donnell

Thursday, August 20 and Friday, August 21, 2009
Bloomington, MN

Pricing per person based on single occupancy is $385, double occupancy is $310, triple occupancy is $285, and quad occupancy is $275 per person.  Price includes deluxe motor coach transportation, one night hotel, one breakfast, two lunches, one dinner buffet, ticket to Daniel O'Donnell show, Heritage Farm Visitors Center and Preservation Gardens, Redwing Minnesota outlet mall, lunch at St. James Hotel, taxes and service charges on included items, driver gratuity, juice and donut on Thursday morning.

For reservations or additional information contact Karen at (563) 557-5001, ext. 7326, or (800) 475-1331.  Payment and reservations due by Friday, July 17, 2009.

Our way of saying "Thank You" for your business

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Member Appreciation Days. These special days are DuTrac’s way of saying “Thank You” to all of our members and the communities in which they live.

•   Friday, July 10 → Peru Road - DBQ 11:00 - 4:30 •   Friday, July 17 → Monticello 11:00 - 2:00 •   Friday, July 24 → Jersey Ridge - DVPT 11:00 - 2:00

•   Friday, July 31→ Maquoketa 11:00 - 2:00 •   Friday, August 28 → Asbury 11:00 - 5:00 •   Friday, September 11→ St Mary's - DBQ 11:00 - 2:00

Updated Rewards Program Makes VISA Platinum Even More Rewarding

Our VISA Platinum credit card has always been an exceptional card that offers a higher credit limit with a low interest rate and no annual fee.  But now this card doesn't stop there!  We've upgraded our VISA Platinum to offer you the opportunity to obtain multiple cards with different card numbers as well as enroll in a free optional rewards program.

By giving you the opportunity to obtain multiple cards with different card numbers you are able to carry a "spare" card in case of emergencies, have one card joint with your spouse and one individual card for yourself, or even give your child a card with a smaller limit for emergencies or to teach them how to use credit.

The free optional Choice Rewards program allows you to earn points for every dollar spent on purchases*.  Browse the Choice Rewards website to see the great options available for points redemption.

To enroll your VISA Platinum in free Choice Rewards or to sign up for additional cards, contact a Financial Services Consultant at (563) 582-1331 or (800) 475-1331. 

If you do not currently have a VISA Platinum, but would like to take advantage of these great options simply apply now!

DuTrac Community Credit Union has teamed up with GM and Chrysler as part of a nationwide commitment to assist our members Invest in America. All eligible current and new members have the unique opportunity to get a great discount on a new vehicle from GM or Chrysler. While the discounts vary depending on which vehicle you choose, everyone will drive away with a great deal. Depending on your choice, you could save up to thousands of dollars.

Due to the success of this program, GM and Chrysler plan to extend the program throughout the end of the year, and Chrysler has even expanded the number of vehicles available through the discount.

The “Invest in America” program offers credit union members with GM supplier pricing discounts (4.5% off MSRP) or Chrysler rebates of $500 or $1,000 on eligible vehicles. These discounts layer on top of most other incentives. Consumers may visit www.lovemycreditunion.org for more information on these programs.

To take advantage of the Chrysler program, credit union members need to bring proof of their credit union membership, in the form of approved credit union financing, member card or statement to the dealership. To take advantage of the GM program, members must complete a 3-step online registration form at www.gm.com/creditunion and print off the resulting authorization code, along with proof of credit union membership, to the dealership to receive credit union discount pricing.

The opportunity gets even better when you finance your vehicle at DuTrac Community Credit Union. DuTrac will take an additional ¼% (25 basis points) off its already low interest vehicle rates when any new or existing member purchases a new (not previously titled) vehicle of any brand in addition to GM and Chrysler. “DuTrac understands that consumers are in a difficult financial situation…as is our country as a whole. This is but one way that DuTrac Community Credit Union is doing its part to help out the communities it serves and the country as a whole,” states Jason Norton, senior vice president of marketing and business development for DuTrac Community Credit Union. “This is one way to get our members and our country on the road to financial recovery.”

DuTrac Community Credit Union will never ask you for any personal and/or private information via e-mail.  Should you ever receive a request for such information please contact a Financial Services Consultant at (563) 582-1331 or (800) 475-1331.

The Summer '09 Newsletter
is now available!


Click Here to read it now!

 Account access will be available through PC Branch, AccessLine or at an ATM with your DuTrac CheckCard Plus or Securecard.

Crooks Use High-Tech Scams to Commit Fraud
by Judy Dahl
from Home and Family Finance 

One of the most common methods of identity theft is through stolen purses and wallets, but, increasingly, crooks are using technology to commit fraud. Here are some of the most common scams and tips for guarding against them.

Skimming
How it works: Skimmers swipe your credit or debit card through a handheld device, or they install an overlay device—a slightly different color than the machine—on an ATM or gas pump. The device gleans information—your name, account number, expiration date, security features—off the magnetic stripe on the back of the card. The thief copies information from your card to a fraudulent one and sells it to a counterfeiter.

How to avoid it: Try not to let your card out of your sight when shopping or in a restaurant, and watch for devices on ATMs and gas pumps.

Pretexting
How it works: A criminal gets your personal information under false pretenses, such as by calling and posing as a survey firm, then sells it to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or investigate or sue you.

How to avoid it: Never give out your financial information via phone or e-mail unless you initiated the contact.

Phishing
How it works: Scammers send e-mails—often including the name and logo of a legitimate business or financial institution—luring victims to a "spoofed" or fake Web site where they're asked to enter personal information.

How to avoid it: Beware of e-mails that use a generic greeting (Dear Visa customer, or Dear friend) rather than your name, refer to an urgent problem, say that your account will be shut down unless you reconfirm billing or other personal information, or urge you to click on a link within an unsolicited message. Remember: A legitimate business or financial institution will never ask you to enter sensitive financial information via e-mail.

Smishing
Smishing is phishing via SMS (short message service) and it's targeted at cell phone users who use text messaging.

How it works: You receive a text message along these lines: "We're confirming you've signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2 a day unless you cancel your order." The message includes a Web link that routes you to the main phishing page, where you're prompted to download a program—a Trojan horse that turns your computer into a zombie controlled by hackers and used within a larger network to steal personal account information and perform other malicious activities.

How to avoid it: Be cautious about deregistering from a service when you're sure you didn't make a formal arrangement with the sender. Be as vigilant about security for your cell phone as you are for your computer. If you have children who have cell phones, warn them about this scam as well.

Vishing
How it works: You receive a phone call from an automated random dialer informing you that your credit card has been used illegally and asking you to call a fake 800 number, where you'll be asked to confirm your account details. Or you may receive an e-mail asking you to call a toll-free number.

How to avoid it: If you get a call asking you to give personal information, hang up and call the financial institution that issued your card, using the number on the back of the card. Your provider will know if the call is legitimate. Delete any e-mail requests making similar requests, and never provide personal information in response to an e-mail.

Pharming
How it works: When you type in an Internet address and hit enter, you're redirected to a fake Web site where you're asked to submit personal information.
A hacker may have hijacked the legitimate site and is redirecting all traffic.
Malware such as viruses and Trojans may be directing you to the site.
A minor misspelling of the domain name (vvestcu.org vs. westcu.org) may trigger the redirection.
It may be DNS (domain name server) poisoning, which is most dangerous of all—a poisoned server is redirecting traffic. Basically, you enter a Web address into your browser, and poisoned servers send you to a Web site other than the one you requested.

How to avoid it: Keep your firewall and virus-protection software up-to-date. Also, look for "https:" in the URL before entering sensitive information and for the closed padlock icon in your browser frame, separate from the vendor Web site window; these indicate secure sites.

Online payday loans
How it works: While all payday loans have certain features—such as loan- shark-high interest rates—in common, loans arranged online are even more troublesome than those applied for in person. The online loan applications ask for the personal and financial information anyone would need to steal your identity. And some online payday lenders lack secure Internet connections, so you could be broadcasting your personal information throughout cyberspace. You'd have to give the lender permission to access your checking account to withdraw fees and interest, which could result in overdraft fees from the lender and your financial institutions. Since lenders want you to renew or "flip" the loans, they often make it difficult to pay them off, and it's typically difficult to track the lender down.

How to avoid it: If you're thinking about a payday loan, call your credit union first. It likely offers low-cost, borrower-friendly alternatives. As Todd Mark, vice president of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, warns, "It's just plain and simple a bad idea to give a payday lender access to your account."