Save on tickets to Cedar Point! With more than 70 rides, Cedar Point offers the ultimate in summer excitement. Parkside Credit Union has a variety of ticket options available to members at discounted rates! Check and compare!

Anyone between the ages of 3-61 who is UNDER 48″ tall OR anyone age 62 or older qualifies for Junior/Senior pricing. Children age 2 and younger are free and do not require a ticket or season pass.

Watch “Despicable Me” for FREE with the whole family!

Saturday, June 9, 2012
7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
East Court

Enjoy free popcorn and water, as well as candy and fun activities! We hope to see you there!

Is your child a Parkside Super Saver?

Join us Thursday, April 26 at our Livonia branch and Friday, April 27 at our Westland Branch for special National Credit Union Youth Week Super Saver Events! Your children will enjoy fun photo-ops and special treats provided by Parkside.

As always, when you open a Youth Account with a deposit of $10, Parkside will also deposit $10 into the account for your child. Whether your child already has a Parkside Youth Account or not, stop by either of our locations to join the fun!

This scholarship is intended to assist our members and members of the community in financing their education following graduation from high school.  Parkside will award four $500.00 scholarships to high school seniors for the purpose of: Tuition, books and fees.

Criteria:

This scholarship seeks to recognize and reward those who demonstrate the following:

• Has achieved a grade point of at least 2.0
• Has been accepted into an accredited institution, community college, trade school, vocational school or university
• Has described in a 150 -200 word essay their personal and educational goals

Documentation Requirements:

• Complete essay – Do NOT include your name ON or IN the essay
• Complete this form
• Letter of acceptance from an accredited institution, community college, trade school, vocational school or university
• High school transcript
• List of community and/or school related involvement
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from influencing adults (for example:  teacher, coach, counselor, community leader, employer or other school staff members – may not be a related adult)

Submit required documents by May 15, 2012 to:

Parkside Credit Union, Attn:  Scholarship Committee
36525 Plymouth Rd., Livonia, MI  48150

Note:  Late applications will not be accepted.  Any incomplete application will be disqualified.  At Parkside’s discretion, the scholarship will be paid to recipient, recipient’s guardian or directly to the educational institution the student is attending.  Parkside employees, officials or their family members are ineligible.  Scholarships will be awarded by June 30, 2012.

Parkside Credit Union is proud to present Through the Eyes of a Child, a very special local school program with world-renowned photographer Monte Nagler.

Parkside Credit Union has teamed up with Westland Shopping Center and world- renowned photographer Monte Nagler to bring a very special learning experience to Livonia and Westland 3rd graders. Through this program both kids and adults alike will see that photos will truly speak a thousand words.

On March 29th and 30th 2012, Monte Nagler visited Grant and Hayes Elementary Schools in Livonia and Thomas Edison Elementary School in Westland. His purpose was to not only teach young children the art of photography, but to also inspire them.

Parkside Credit Union gave each student a disposable camera to take their own photos while keeping in mind everything that Mr. Nagler taught them. Then in two weeks, they will turn in their camera. Mr. Nagler will develop their film, and choose one photo that he thinks is the best from each child’s camera roll. Each of Monte’s chosen photos will be framed and on display at Westland Shopping Center in the near future on a yet to be determined date. Check back to our website for the official date and time.

Parkside Credit Union will also use these photos in a calendar for 2013, which will be free to all PCU members.

This event has received some publicity. Read the write up from the Detroit News here: Detroit News

And check out Grant Elementary Schools slideshow of Monte teaching the children here: Livonia Public Schools

Everyone is welcome to the ribbon cutting ceremony at Westland Shopping Center on a To Be Determined date in the near future. The photos will be on display for 2-4 weeks.

Parkside Credit Union is happy to now offer a 8.99% Fixed Interest Rate Visa! A fixed interest rate this low is the lowest around. Other credit cards may offer 0% or 1.99% when you transfer a balance, but after a few months they can shoot up to rates around 23.99%. Our Visa is 8.99% all the time for the life of the Visa. No surprise rate hikes or gimmicks… Just straight up 8.99%

• Competitive Rates
• No annual fee
• 28 day grace period on all purchases
• Member Service Available 24/7
• 24 – Hour ATM Cash Access
• Administer locally, credit union staff available for individual service

Our Gold and Classic VISA’s also include:

• Score Card Reward paints earned with every purchase and may be redeemed for travel or merchandise.

*Rate and limit based on credit score.

For more information, call 734.525.0700

Credit Unions Vs. Banks:  What is the Big Difference?

Why choose a credit union over a bank?  What are the advantages?  These are commonly asked questions.  Many people do not understand the difference between the two establishments. Therefore, they do not know which will best suit their needs. Both banks and credit unions are financial institutions, but that is about all they have in common.

First let’s explore banks. Banks do have some positive attributes. They are regulated by the government.  Depending on their charter, they are either regulated by the federal or state government much like credit unions.  Banks are also FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) insured. Knowing that these regulations and insurance are in place makes most people feel safer having their money at these institutions.

However, banks are also “for profit” organizations. Their main objective is high profits. As a customer of a bank, you are a means to an end. This does not mean that you will not get good customer service and be treated well. What it does mean is your business is supporting the overall financial well being of the stockholders or “owners” of the bank.  And banks have been so successful at making a profit that they have set record profit levels in the past decade. Lower profits for a bank means higher fees, higher loan rates or whatever it takes to get their profit margin back up.

Credit Unions, on the other hand, are a “not for profit” organization.  Their main objective is servicing their members with quality member service, lower fees and loan rates. They too are regulated by the federal or state government, also determined by their charter.  They too are insured, only they are supported by the NCUSIF (National Credit Union Share Insurance) which many feel to be a stronger fund than the FDIC.

Credit unions are owned by their membership.  In order to become a member, you must be eligible and this varies by individual credit union. Once you have an account at a credit union, you are a member and an owner.  You can run for the Board of Directors, have a voice in how that credit union operates. Because of this, credit unions work for the best interest of their members.  While it is true that credit unions can and do make a profit, these profits are turned into lower loan rates, lower fees, all of which benefit the members.

In conclusion, when looking at which financial institution you want to use, you must decide how you want to be viewed. If you want to be viewed as more than a dollar sign, a credit union is a great way to go. Because you are an owner, your voice will be heard.  You will be the most important thing, not high profits.

Parkside Credit Union was recently at Schoolcraft College’s School Daze event in which attendees could enter to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. We would like to congratulate Chris Vezima. He was randomly chosen to win. When asked what he will do with the money, he said that he plans to donate his winnings to a charity for wounded warriors. What a guy!

Thanks to Chris and all the others who entered our drawing. And congratulations again to Chris!

Most financial institutions, including Parkside Credit Union, use the credit score of the loan applicant as part of the decision when both approving and pricing credit.  The credit score most used is the FICO score.  What goes into the credit score?  Data from your credit report is divided into five major categories.  The scoring factors on each category varies, some weighing more than others.

35 percent = Payment History:  Your account payment history of current vs. missed or late payments.  Also in this category are any public records.

30 percent = Amount Owed:  This compares the amount owed to the amount of credit available. The closer ones balance is to their revolving line of credit limit(s), the greater the risk is to the lender.

15percent = Length of Credit History:  It looks at how long you have had credit and the average age of credit and account activity.

10 percent = New Credit:  It reviews newly opened accounts as well as recent inquires.

10 percent = Types of Credit Used:  The mixture of credit, such as Mortgage, installment, and revolving.

Although you can’t raise your score overnight, there are things you can do to help to increase it fairly quickly. Things like, paying down your revolving lines, and making timely payments will help to increase your score the quickest.