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• Over 60 Years of Service •

Your Home YOUR COMMUNITY Your Credit Union FALL 2015

 

We’re in the Business of Making Fairytales Come True!

Get a magical deal on your next
set of wheels with an auto loan
from Hamilton Horizons! We love
lending money to help bring
dreams to life. So make us your
financial fairy godmother and
get ready to drive happily-everafter
with these fantastic auto
loan benefits:
Rates as low as 2.99% APR* for new, used and refinanced vehicles
Financing for up to 100% of NADA retail value for used vehicles and 110% for refinanced vehicles from another lender
Vehicle values available at NADAguides.com

• Rates as low as 2.99% APR* for new, used and refinanced vehicles
• Financing for up to 100% of NADA retail value for used vehicles and 110% for refinanced vehicles from another lender
• Vehicle values available at NADAguides.com
• Loans available for vehicles up to nine years old

Get pre-approved today! You can be pre-approved even if you are not a current member. Know your fate and the amount you can borrow before you shop. Apply online at hamiltonhorizons.org from your PC, smartphone or tablet

Contact us for assistance with signing up. Just call 609-631-4300.

Get pre-approved today! With our help, you won’t have to leave your dreams out in the cold. Simply apply online at hamiltonhorizons.org from your PC, smartphone or tablet.
*APR=Annual Percentage Rate.

Get a Chance to Win an Amazon® Gift Card and Help the Kids!

For every new e-statement user from October 1, 2015, to January 31, 2016, we will donate $1 to Children’s Miracle Network® and enter you to win a $50 Amazon gift card. We want you to give up paper and move to e-statements.* Helping your credit union will help you and the kids too. No more worries about shredding your old statements. You can download the PDF and save them in your PC indefinitely. Once you’re signed up, your statements are available through single sign-on self-service when you sign in to Virtual Branch. Sign up at hamiltonhorizons.org.

Go Local

Why use a big bank when you can open a free and uncomplicated checking account with your local credit union?

Not all banks and credit unions charge monthly fees. If you feel your financial institution doesn’t really want your business, open an account with us. We want your business!

With free checking including a free Visa® debit card and Virtual Branch, you can access your accounts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from anywhere. Use Virtual Branch, Mobiliti™ and Mobile Deposit on your smartphone or tablet to view accounts, make transfers, pay bills, pay friends or move money between your own accounts at any financial institution. You can even make deposits without a trip to the office.

At Hamilton Horizons, we have remained true to the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” and will do all we can to help you. We work for your success. Support your local credit union.

Open an account today – there’s no fee.

You can open an account if you live, work, worship, attend school in Hamilton or are related to someone who does. You can also open an account if you are affiliated with any organization in Hamilton. Bring the completed application, your driver’s license or passport, Social Security number and proof of address (such as utility bill) to open the account. Account application is available at hamiltonhorizons.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/HH_Application.pdf.

Not able to come into the office? Have the forms notarized and mail them in. To find out more, check out our website at hamiltonhorizons.org. If you’re eligible to open an account, so are your relatives. Deposits are Federally Insured by the National Credit Union Administration’s NCUSIF (National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund) up to $250,000; IRAs are insured separately up to $250,000.

 

Message Board

Holiday Closings

Columbus Day
Monday, October 10, 2016
Veterans Day
Friday, November 11, 2016
Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Christmas (observed)
Monday, December 26, 2016
New Year’s Day (observed)
Monday, January 2, 2017
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 16, 2017

Please plan accordingly.

Check out the new, updated website! Take a look at hamiltonhorizons.org

Hamilton Horizons was first chartered in May 1954 as Delaval Employees Federal Credit Union. We are pleased to be serving our members for over 60 years!

Hamilton Horizons’ success and longevity are due to the dedication of our volunteers.

We are always looking for members interested in helping out and being involved! If you have some financial background and are interested in volunteering, please contact Cindy Rein-Zima, President/CEO,at 609-631-4300.

Winter is coming!

Weather updates are available through our Twitter feed (link to Twitter at hamiltonhorizons.org). In case of inclement weather, please check the website or call the office for information on late openings or possible closings. Like us on Facebook and receive notices automatically.

Home Buying Seminar

Preparing for home ownership starts long before you drive through neighborhoods and attend open houses. It starts by getting your finances in good working order. If you do, you could save thousands of dollars in interest over the life of the mortgage.

Whether your goal is to own your own home, look for a different home or refinance your existing mortgage, the process requires careful planning, education, patience and a clear understanding of the costs involved. And because of the significant financial investment required to purchase a house, the credit union is here to lend a helping hand. Hamilton Horizons FCU will be hosting a free informational Home Buying Seminar on October 22, 2015, at 6 PM at the credit union.

Call Jim at 609-631-4300 x107 by October 22, 2015, to reserve your space.

Debit Card Users:

The expense of plastic card fraud affects all credit union members. We have experienced increased fraud in advance of the October 1, 2015, changeover to chip cards and are requiring the use of a PIN instead of signature at some merchants.

If the signature feature of your debit card is declined, switch to using your PIN. This will verify your identity and cut down on fraud. Thanks for helping prevent fraud.

Debit and Credit Card Users:

If you are traveling, please call us to let us know when and where. Out-of-area transactions are a fraud trigger and your account may be frozen until you can be contacted. If you’re traveling, the call may be to your home and you’re not there to answer.

Chip Cards are Coming!

At Hamilton Horizons, we’re committed to safeguarding your debit and credit card accounts. That’s why we will be issuing new plastic cards with chip technology, which helps protect your card from unauthorized use.

When you use your new card at a chip-enabled terminal, the embedded chip generates a unique transaction code that is shared with the merchant, instead of your card information. This makes it difficult to copy the card. You’ll receive additional information about the security features of the chip card and how to use it when your new card arrives. Since merchants out of the U.S. use chip cards almost exclusively, if you plan on traveling overseas, please contact us so we can expedite your card replacement.

Want to learn more? Go to http://GoChipCard.com.

You could win a Grand Prize Trip
to Super Bowl 50!

First Prize: $5,000 for you to host a Super Bowl Party for 50. Learn more about the Visa® Super Bowl 50 Sweepstakes at your nearest Hamilton Horizons Federal Credit Union branch or at visa.com/goldenmvp through November 30, 2015.

NO PURCHASE OR OBLIGATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THE VISA SUPER BOWL 50 SWEEPSTAKES. Non-purchase entries and purchase entries have an equal chance of winning. Open only to legal residents, 18 or older as of 9/01/15. For details on non-purchase entries, see Official Rules at visa.com/goldenmvp. PIN-based and ATM transactions are not eligible. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited. Sweepstakes begins 9/01/15 and ends 11/30/15. Sponsored solely by Visa U.S.A. Inc. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored this Sweepstakes in any way.

 If you do not wish to receive future promotional mailings from Hamilton Horizons
Federal Credit Union, please contact us at 1-800-449-3221.

Navigating through Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): Traditional and Roth

You are eligible to make Traditional IRA contributions if you receive compensation, including alimony, that is includible in gross income and are under the age of 70½ throughout the tax year. The term “compensation” means earned income. Compensation does not include pensions, annuities or other forms of deferred compensation. In a Traditional IRA, the contributions generally may be deducted from your total income to arrive at your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). There are circumstances whereby your contribution amounts may be reduced or not deductible to arrive at your AGI. Nondeductible contributions may be made to a Traditional IRA. The amounts earned in a Traditional IRA are not taxed until the distributions are made. There are early withdrawal penalties subject to 10-percent additional tax if you are under age 59½ and tax is imposed on the contributions in excess of allowable contribution limits. Upon reaching the age of 70½, you are required to withdraw a certain amount of money from your Traditional IRA. These minimum required distributions are known as Minimum Required Distributions (MRDs) or Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). A Roth IRA is a type of IRA consisting of aftertax contributions. The ability for you to make a contribution to a Roth IRA depends on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limits based on your filing status of your returns. The contributions to a Roth IRA cannot be deducted from income to arrive at your AGI and distributions are tax free, excluded from gross income. Roth IRA distributions are not subject to the early withdrawal penalty of 10-percent additional tax if it is considered a “Qualified Distribution” whereby meeting the five-year holding period and made on or after age 59½. Roth IRA contributions can be made after reaching the age of 70½. The maximum amount that you can contribute to a Traditional IRA and Roth IRA during 2015 is $5,500. If you are at least age 50 by the end of the tax year, you are allowed to make an additional contribution of $1,000 under the catch-up rule. You have until the due date of your tax returns to make the Traditional IRA and Roth IRA contributions to your IRAs for the return year. This is generally April 15th. There are other considerations when determining contribution limits to your IRAs, rollovers, conversions and exceptions to 10-percent additional tax for early distributions, etc. It is important to spend some time understanding the differences between Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs and discuss your options with a tax professional to help you plan for retirement, avoid costly mistakes and meet your Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements.

Carmelo Balliro, CPA, is the Owner of
Carmelo Balliro, CPA, LLC.
Contact him at 609-570-8288
or [email protected]
2620 Whitehorse-Hamilton Square Rd.
Hamilton Square, New Jersey 08690

Silver Citizen Club

For our mature members, 65 and older: We appreciate your dedication to the credit union, so we have started a special club just for you. You don’t need to do anything to join; we know your birthday! By virtue of your age,you receive one free box of checks (let us know when you run out), one free grocery bag full of shredding per year (just bring it to the office), free paper statements (we know, they were always free before, but almost everyone else will be paying for them) and a 10bps bump on one CD of your choice peryear. It’s the least we can do for you—a small thank you for remaininga member.

We Are the Alternative to the BIG BANK.

The big bank sets unrealistic sales quotas for employees. These quotas pressure employees to defraud customers in order make their quota and keep their jobs. The employees are terminated, big bank pays a $185 million settlement to the CFPB and the former consumer banking chief who oversaw those employees “retires” with a package worth $124.6 million. Sound familiar?

Why support the big bank when you can work with your credit union? We are a not-for-profit financial cooperative. When you open an account with us, you become a member. We put members’ interests first; we don’t have investors! We promise we will not open an account you don’t want, and besides…we don’t charge you anyway!

Open a free and uncomplicated checking account with your local credit union.

Not all banks and credit unions charge monthly fees. If you feel your financial institution doesn’t really want your business, open an account with us; we want your business!

We offer free checking with a free Visa® debit card and Virtual Branch—letting you access your accounts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from anywhere. Access through Virtual Branch, Mobiliti™ and Mobile Deposit on your smartphone or tablet allows you to view accounts, make transfers, pay bills, pay friends or move money between your own accounts at any financial institution. You can even make deposits without a trip to the office. We have over 58,000 no-surcharge ATMs through Allpoint® and we are part of Shared Branching with over 6,800 branches available. Access the locators from our website at hamiltonhorizons.org.

At Hamilton Horizons, we have remained true to the credit union philosophy of people helping people and will do all we can to help you. We work for your success. Support your local credit union.

 

Banking You Can Trust

3535 QUAKERBRIDGE ROAD
SUITE 600, IBIS PLAZA
HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY 08619
609-631-4300