At Georgia Federal Credit Union, it’s our mission to help you achieve your educational goals. You can access financial aid counseling, student loans, and financial management tools all in one place.

We’ve teamed up with College Loan Corporation, a top national student loan lender, to provide educational support and financing for you and your family.

College Loan Corporation offers expert counseling to help you choose your best option:

• Responsible counseling on federal loans and financial aid options
• Private student loans with competitive rates
• Personal loan consultants for every family
• Toll-free hotline available 24/7
• Resources available on how to pay for college and manage your student loan debt

Our friendly, knowledgeable consultants are on hand to help guide you through the student loan process. To speak to a student loan consultant today, call CLC 24/7 at 888-972-9274 or go online for more information at www.collegeloan.com/gfcu.

Congratulations to the winners of all GFCU scholarships. GFCU’s Annual Vernon E. Carne Scholarship, named for the founder of GFCU, received entries from across the state for this annual essay competition. The scholarships were awarded to:

2008 Vernon E. Carne Scholarship Winners

• 1st – Winnie Jo Markey - Forsyth Central High
• 2nd – Kaitlin Turner Watkins – Dalton High
• 3rd – Desmond Mariona Dennis – Southwest DeKalb High

• Carrie Janis Castleberry – North Forsyth High
• Ngozika Ugoeze Mbadugha – Stephenson High
• Allison Leigh Barnett – Northwest Whitfield High
• Tyler Gregory Grant – South Forsyth High
• Eric Blake Bahnsen – Stockbridge High
• Tamorie Elizabeth Mayweather – Martin Luther King Jr High
• Jasmine Danielle Phillips – Dunwoody High
• Amanda Jeanne Peabody – Union Grove High

In addition to the $10,000 awarded through our Vernon E. Carne Scholarships, 2008 also marks the first year of the John F. Donoghue Catholic Scholarship. Named for the Archbishop Emeritus who petitioned to allow all 69 counties in the Atlanta Archdiocese membership in GFCU, this $2,500 scholarship was awarded to Monica Kathleene Hogan, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School.

Looking for a Mortgage with 100% Financing? Now’s the Time to Finance a New Home with GFCU!

While market conditions have caused most mortgage lenders to stop offering 100% financing, Georgia Federal Credit Union now has an 80/20 no down payment program just for you.

• Low fixed rates and no Private Mortgage Insurance
• Save up to thousands with our low closing costs
• Buy or Refinance while rates are still low

Take Advantage of some of these great offers:

• 100% land loan
• Home Equity Line of Credit program with a fixed rate of 4.75% APR for 1st year
• 2nd Mortgages available up to 100% with no closing costs

As a full service mortgage lender with offices across the state, we’ll make it convenient for you. Give us a call at 888-493-GFCU or visit us at gfcuonline.org. Apply today and you may be eligible to win a $5,000 mortgage loan payment in our next quarterly 50th anniversary drawing!

Changing Jobs? Retiring?
Don’t Leave your Retirement Plan Dollars Up in the Air

If you’re changing jobs or retiring, you’re in the midst of an enormous change. You should seriously be considering what to do with your money in your employer’s pension plan, 401(k), 403(b)/TSA or 457 plan. After all, it’s probably one of your biggest assets. The wrong move could cost you thousands and greatly affect the quality of your retirement years.

Generally, there are four options for your retirement plan:

• Leave it in your former employer plan
• Transfer it to your new employer plan
• Roll it over to a traditional IRA
• Cash out and pay taxes and possibly penalties.

Each decision has its pros and cons. Need help deciding what option is best for you? Contact Steve Peake, the MEMBERS Financial Representative serving the members of Georgia Federal at 770-476-6400 for a no-cost, no-obligation Retirement Assets Consultation. The quality of your retirement years depends on it.

Representatives are registered, securities are sold, and investment advisory services offered through CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. (CBSI), member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor, 2000 Heritage Way, Waverly, Iowa 50677, toll-free (866) 512-6109. Nondeposit investment and insurance products are not federally insured, involve investment risk, may lose value and are not obligations of or guaranteed by the financial institution. CBSI is under contract with the financial institution, through the financial services program, to make securities available to members.

GFCU Celebrates 50 Years Serving You

Check out our special anniversary section of the website by clicking here.

Georgia Federal Credit Union is proud to be a participant in the statewide credit union media campaign that educates the public on the benefits of credit union membership. Visit the state web site at www.georgiacreditunions.org to learn how Credit Unions can benefit you. GFCU is here to assist you with all your financial needs, give us a call today!

CONGRATULATIONS, on your decision to be a part of Georgia Federal Credit Union. Be sure that your family members are also experiencing the same superior savings and service. Because you are a member, others are also eligible to join. If they haven’t already discovered the “credit union difference” – encourage them to enroll online here.

If your car isn’t financed with Georgia Federal Credit Union, you’re probably paying too much! Save money and lower your monthly payment when you refinance your car loan with GFCU. We may be able to drop your current interest rate by up to 2% APR* and match or beat your current remaining term.

• Your auto is financed with another lender
• Your auto is a 2002-2007 model

• The name & phone number of your current lender
• Your loan account number
• Your current loan balance

E-mail us! Phone Us! Visit a Branch! We’ll make it easy! Apply online at www.gfcuonline.org. Or, call or stop by one of the 14 GFCU offices nearest you during regular business hours. Or, call our E-Branch representatives from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Friday, or on Saturday, 9 to noon. You’ll soon be on your way to a lower monthly payment.

GFCU will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008! If you have a special story to tell about Georgia Federal Credit Union or how we’ve been your financial partner, please share it with us. Maybe we helped secure the loan for your first home or made your dream car purchase possible!

Submit your story today! You may e-mail your GFCU memory/story to GFCU’s Marketing and Public Relations Department at jsingl@gfcuonline.org or drop a card or letter to your local branch with the heading “50th Anniversary.” And, watch for the birthday presents and specials coming YOUR way in 2008!

Your Credit Union’s checking choices are designed to meet the different needs and lifestyles of our members. With all checking accounts, you’ll have:

• Free Identity Theft 911 protection, resolution and education services
• Convenient access to GFCU Online Banking
• Free ATM or Debit Card
• Overdraft Protection from Savings or a line of credit
• Free Online images of Cleared Checks

Have you been thinking about changing your accounts to GFCU but didn't know where to begin? Let our Switch Kit help you "switch" to a better financial institution today!

Protect Yourself Against Debit & Credit Card Fraud

VISA USA offers GFCU members the following guidelines to protect you against card fraud. These tips are also available at www.visa.com.

DO ...

• Shred all personal and financial information — such as bills, bank and credit union statements, ATM receipts and credit card offers — before you throw it away.
• Keep your personal documentation (e.g., birth certificate, Social Security card, etc.) and your bank, credit union and credit card records in a secure place.
• Call the post office immediately if you are not receiving your mail. To get the personal information needed to use your identity, a thief can forge your signature and have your mail forwarded.
• Be aware of your surroundings when entering your Personal Identification Number (PIN) at an ATM.
• Limit the number of credit cards and other personal information that you carry in your wallet or purse.
• Report lost or stolen credit cards immediately.
• Review and consider whether you need currently inactive card accounts. Even when not being used, these accounts appear on your credit report, which is accessible to thieves. If you have applied for a credit card and have not received the card in a timely manner, immediately notify the appropriate financial institution.
• Closely monitor the expiration dates on your credit cards. Contact the credit issuer if the replacement card is not received prior to your credit card's expiration date.
• Sign all new credit cards upon receipt.
• Review your credit reports annually.
• Use passwords on your credit cards, bank and credit union accounts, and phone cards. Avoid using the obvious passwords — your mother's maiden name, your birth date or the last four digits of your Social . Security or phone number.
• Match your credit card receipts against monthly bills to make sure there are no unauthorized charges.

DON'T ...

• Volunteer any personal information when you use your credit card.
• Give your Social Security number, credit card number or any bank or credit union account details over the phone unless you have initiated the call and know that the business you are dealing with is reputable.
• Leave receipts at ATMs, bank counters or unattended gasoline pumps.
• Leave envelopes containing your credit card payments or checks in your home mailbox for postal carrier pickup.
• Record your Social Security number or passwords on paper and store them in your wallet or purse. Memorize your numbers and/or passwords.
• Disclose bank or credit union account numbers, credit card account numbers or other personal financial data on any Web site or online service location, unless you receive a secured authentication key from your provider.