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06/01/09... How to get free financial counseling.

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A blog is short for 'web log'.  Blogs contain regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material.

Tell me more about GPO's Blog!

We hope you enjoy our blog!  If there is a topic that you would like us to talk about, click here to e-mail us!!

GPO's blog will be updated weekly, or if there is an immediate need to get a message to our members.  GPO's blog will cover topics such as Identity Theft, current scam attempts, education on products that we are currently promoting, upcoming events, or other topics of interest.

GPO's blog entries will come from GPO's staff-members.

Education Blog

Welcome to our blog!!  We hope you enjoy the content as it is posted by GPO's staff-members.  If there is a topic that you would like us to address, please click here to e-mail us!!

September 22, 2009 -- by Beth Park, Marketing Director

The nights are getting crisp, the leaves are starting to turn... Summer is over, and fall is here!

We look at the change of seasons as the start of exciting things to come at GPO!  Our long-standing members know that October is a busy month for us, and for you too -- October is Membership Appreciation Month!

While I can't let the cat out of the bag, I can tell you that we're working on many exciting things for you, our members, exciting new products, exciting events, and we're really looking forward to helping you save money!

Keep watching www.gpofcu.com for more details about Membership Appreciation Month 2009, full details will also be in our newsletter (it is mailed with the statements or available here, online). 

-- Beth

August 6, 2009 -- by Beth Park, Marketing Director

Giving back to YOUR community...

GPO was the sponsor of this year's Heart Run Volunteer Party.  The event was held last night at the FX Matt Brewery.  There were about 300 attendees (out of over 1,200 volunteers).  The event was so much fun, food, music, friends! 

Not only was GPO the presenting sponsor of the event, but GPO's staff was volunteering at the event.  Did you know that GPO's staff members are always out and about helping at events in your community?  We encourage our staff to get involved, and stay involved!! 

Next time you see us at an event, be sure to stop by and say hello!

-- Beth

July 9, 2009 -- by Beth Park, Marketing Director

Lower rates DO save you money!

As I type this, we are in the midst of our Great American Loan Sale!  We're giving our members rates as low as 3.99%APR!  That rate is valid for new loans, or loans that are refinanced from other institutions.  Why would you want to bring your loan from another institution to GPO?  Well, many people don't realize that a lower rate CAN save you money on your payments (or shorten your loan term!)

Let's take a $15,000 loan for example.  If you're currently paying 6.5% for 60-months, your payment is $293.00 and total interest is over $2600!  But, by bringing your higher-rate loan to GPO during our Loan Sale, you can lower your payment by $17.34 a month, BUT, your total interest paid becomes $1,572!!  That's a savings of over $1,000 over the term of the loan!

Refinancing isn't a hassle either.  GPO tries to make everything quick and simple... because afterall, we're always focused on our members!

If you're interested in refinancing, our loan sale ends at 4:00pm on Saturday, July 11th, so you MUST apply before then!  Information can be found on our main homepage (but when the sale is over, it's over!)

-- Beth

July 1, 2009 -- by Beth Park, Marketing Director

How to get FREE Financial Counseling

Times are tough right now, we all know that... It seems that more and more, people are worried about losing their job, companies are cutting back on overtime and reducing work hours -- how will you make ends meet if you were to have a sudden loss or reduction in pay?

GPO offers its members access to a fantastic program -- the BALANCE Program.

Balance is free and confidential financial counseling.  (It is all done over the phone, so those that might be a little shy about discussing their finances face-to-face, no need to worry!)

Balance counselors are trained to help you in almost any situation... including the loss of a job or sudden reduction of income!  Balance counselors will talk to you about your situation, and they can walk you through creating a budget (because we all know that we spend more than we usually realize... that cup of coffee every morning can cost you over $700 a year, but when we're spending $2.00 at a time, it doesn't seem so bad, does it?)

Just remember that when times are tough, your credit union is here for you.  Credit union's have adopted a 'people helping people' philosophy.  We're not here to give money to our shareholders, we're here to help the little guy -- you.

To speak with a Balance counselor call 888.456.2227
Monday–Thursday 8am–11pm // Friday 8am–8pm // Saturday 11am–8pm (EST)
or email info@balancepro.org  (Do not email any sensitive information including account or social security numbers!)

If you need the help, I hope you take advantage of this free service.  If you have any questions about the Balance Program, feel free to e-mail me directly at epark@gpoconnect.com.

-- Beth

(PS... Click here for GPO's Balance Website)