Posts by Francisco Saenz
Referral Rewards
Get Up To $500 A Year With Referral Rewards!
SRI Federal Credit Union will reward you for referring your friends or family. Referred new members will receive $50 when they open a new checking account. Referring members will also earn $50 for each qualified new member, up to $500 per year.
Simply fill out our Referral Rewards form found here, print it out and give it to a family member or friend and have them present it at the time of account opening. Opening the account online? Make sure the Referral Rewards section is filled out. After the new member joins, both of you will receive $50.
Referred members must meet the following requirements:
- Valid identification and proof of membership eligibility
- Establish a Savings account with a $5 deposit and a Checking account with a $100 deposit.
Referring Member must be in good standing with the credit union to qualify.
Spread the word about SRI Federal Credit Union and start earning Referral Rewards today!
Rates Are On The Rise
With interest rates rising, it’s a good time to review your finances to understand the effect of rate increases on your accounts. SRI Federal Credit Union has all you need to maximize your dividend yields.
You may have noticed our Certificate rates had a nice jump in July, and now we’re complementing those rates with stellar increases to the Savings and Money Market rates! With the introduction of additional balance tiers, you’re able to make up to 1.00% more on your deposits. Check out our new tiers and rates and don’t be afraid to spread the word!
That’s not all – our eye-popping Special 2.30% APY* Two-Year Certificate is still available through the end of August! Are you earning less than 2.30% APY elsewhere? Let us help you move those balances to SRIFCU and maximize your returns. This promotional certificate can earn you 2.30% APY for two years, with a minimum deposit of $10,000, new money only**. Click here to take advantage of this today.
You have lots of options and we would love to discuss them with you. Call us at 1-800-986-3669, email us at connect@srifcu.org or visit our branch.
*APY=Annual Percentage Yield
**New Money = For the purposes of this special New Money is categorized as any deposits made after July 1st, 2018
Protecting your accounts and identity
Our members’ security is a top priority. We’ll never ask you to send us personal information such as an account number, card PIN or your Social Security/Tax ID over email. If you do receive a request like this through the phone, text or any other suspicious phishing email, please forward it to us at connect@srifcu.org.
What you need to do:
- Be sure to keep your contact information, especially your cell phone number and email address, current. This ensures our fraud protection group can reach you if there is suspicious activity on your account. To update your address please call 800-986-3669 or send a secured message through online banking.
- Fill out a Travel Notification Form online to let us know of your travel plans. This will prevent transactions from being declined due to where the charges are originating from. Review your accounts regularly to verify all transactions are valid.
- Make sure your passwords are strong. Strength in numbers – passwords should not be shorter than 6 – 8 characters. There should be a mix of numbers, letters (both capital and lower case) and special symbols. Most importantly don’t use the same password for everything.
- Request your free credit reports annually and review them for inaccuracies. You can get complete information about obtaining your free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Beta testers wanted.
Whether you are new to SRIFCU or a long-time member, we are looking for those who are passionate about improving the SRI Federal Credit Union online banking experience. With an online banking upgrade rolling out in late summer, we are looking for beta testers to help us shape the user experience.
To be an SRIFCU online banking beta tester, you will need to:
- Submit an email request to cu@srifcu.org
- Receive pre-release beta software updates that may exhibit some stability issues, including occasional crashes, freezes, interface issue, etc. (Please keep this in mind if your account is a joint account)
- Report bugs, issues, feedback on a regular basis via e-mail and surveys
If you are interested in improving the user experience through online banking, we want to hear from you.
Take Control of your Student Loans – Student Loan Refinance
Are you juggling multiple costly student loan payments every month? Let us help streamline your debt with our student loan refinance solution! Featuring competitive interest rates (both fixed and variable options) and zero origination fees, our refinance loan can help you take control of your student loan debt. Refinance and consolidate both private and federal student loans, setting up one convenient payment and potentially lowering your rate.
Our student loan refinance option comes with:
-
- Competitive interest rates – Check them out!
- Loan limit up to $125,000
- Flexible repayment terms to fit your needs
- No origination fees or prepayment penalties
- Easy online application and instant credit decision
- Borrow from a not-for-profit lender you can trust
Whether you want to lower your interest rate, pay your loans off sooner, or reduce your monthly payment, we’ve got options to fit your needs. Don’t delay – take control of your student loan debt today by refinancing with SRI Federal Credit Union!
Apply online today, or visit our Student Choice website for more information.
Because 2.05% APY* makes it easy to commit
Are you looking for a better rate of return on your savings accounts but do not want to commit to a long-term CD? Do you have funds sitting around at other financial institutions that are not earning you competitive returns? Have you ever wanted to have your cake and eat it too?
Check out our special one-year CD offered at a whopping 2.05% APY*, with a $25,000 minimum deposit. It allows you to earn 46% more (with a rate 0.65% higher) than the regular one year CD and is available in both regular and IRA versions. With this special CD, you can earn a rate often reserved for longer-term CDs while only having to commit to one year. This offer will not last forever, so open one now!
*APY=Annual Percentage Yield
Special Rate ends May 31, 2018.
It’s time to come together.
All members and SRI International employees are invited to attend SRI Federal Credit Union’s 61st Annual Meeting to celebrate the Credit Union’s success during 2017. The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 21st, at noon in the International Building of SRI. Let us share with you the Credit Union’s 2017 financial performance, accomplishments and future projects.
Back by popular demand, Apryll Held, our Mortgage Loan Specialist, will be on site to answer any mortgage related questions you may have. To speak with Apryll one-on-one, call us at 650-859-5477 to make an appointment. Availability is limited, so be sure to schedule your appointment before spaces run out!
As always, we will have door prizes and giveaways that will not disappoint. Wear your “Let’s Be Real” T-shirt from the 2017 Annual Meeting and get entered to win a special prize! Following the meeting, we invite you to enjoy food and refreshments with other members and credit union staff.
Be sure to save the date, Wednesday, March 21st, at noon. See you there.
A Romantic Valentine’s Date Night.
Are you still trying to find dinner reservation for Valentine’s Day? Instead of paying marked up prices and trying to enjoy a romantic dinner for two in a crowded restaurant, consider a lovely homemade meal with your special someone.
Plan the right menu
Don’t let cooking scare you. You don’t have to be a Michelin rated chef to create a romantic meal for two. YouTube and Pinterest are your two new best friends, they can help you find easy and delicious recipes with step-by-step instructions. Don’t forget the ambiance! Set the mood by creating a romantic dinner playlist or by enjoying your dinner by candlelight.
Cook together
If cooking dinner for two is too overwhelming of an idea, split up the work instead! Enjoy a romantic evening preparing a meal together. This great bonding experience can help take some of the culinary pressure off you. So grab your special someone, set the mood and start cooking.
Have a backup plan
Not everyone is gifted in the kitchen. If this is your first time using a stove, it’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher and take-out menu handy! You definitely don’t want your date to go hungry on Valentine’s Day. Be prepared to order a last-minute pizza or Chinese food delivery, just in case.
If the holidays put a dent in your wallet, you may be strapped for cash this Valentine’s Day. To make next Valentine’s Day more special, open an SRI Federal Credit Union account and start putting aside money each payday. Visit a branch on Valentine’s Day and pick up some candy for your sweetie. Not a member and want to join? Click here to submit a membership application.
Equifax Data Breach
We are aware that a large data breach has been reported at Equifax with a reported 143 million records affected. Equifax is offering complimentary identity theft protection and credit file monitoring services to all US consumers.
Please note that although Equifax is reporting that some credit card numbers may have been comprised, SRI Federal Credit Union does NOT report credit card numbers to Equifax (or any other credit agency).
SRI Federal Credit Union recommends members to visit the Equifax website for more information regarding this incident.
We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates on our website when necessary.
New Online Banking
The credit union has a new Online Banking provider. This will allow members more choices of how to transfer money. The new system will require you to go through a validation process including setting up a new username and password. We have had some reports of members having trouble with the validation process. Please stick with us – once all the kinks get worked out you will love the new system.
• TRUSTS: If you have a trust account with the credit union, you will need to use the birthday of the trust as it is in our system. You probably don’t know this date so please contact us to get this date.
• STATEMENTS-On the Android Mobile App: Android phones don’t handle PDF files very well and you may find that statements are not coming up. This is a known issue with Android phones and if you have a PDF reader installed, it “should” come up. For now, please access your statements on a desktop computer (or with an Apple phone or tablet).
• BILL PAYMENTS-Bill payments, including recurring bills, did transfer over properly and are working. The new bill payment system works slightly different. Instead of taking the funds immediately from your account, if a check is issued, the funds are withdrawn when the check clears your account. For electronic payments, the funds are withdrawn when the transfer is made.
There are many new ways to transfer money including:
Electronic Deposit Time Frames
| Type of Electronic Deposit | Product Name on Online banking | Deposit time frame |
|---|---|---|
| Member to Member (M2M) | Member to Member | Real time |
| Person to Person (P2P) | Pay Someone | Next business day |
| Account to Account (A2A)* | External Transfer | 2-3 business days |
| Bill Payment** | Bill Pay | Up to 7 business days |
**Bill Payments can take up to 7 business days depending on what method they are sent out (paper check or electronic transfer).
Click here for Mobile Banking FAQs