Tips when using SimpleLoan checks

Let’s say you get pre-approved for an auto loan with American 1. You’ve got your amount all set, we’ve cut you a SimpleLoan check, and you have an idea of what kind of vehicle you want.

Now what?

Since we don’t want to send you out without the proper preperation, here are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for a vehicle with your SimpleLoan check.

First, do some research on what you want to buy. If you have a vehicle in mind, see what it’s available for in the area. Do you want used? New? Hit the auto classified section of your newspaper to see what’s selling for how much. This kind of information is extremely powerful later in the process.

If you have a trade-in vehicle, do some research to see how much you can get for it. Sites like NADA and Kelly Blue Book aren’t always 100% accurate, so ask around. And check out sites like eBay Motors and Auto Trader to see how much you vehicle is going for in your area.

Negotiate for your vehicle without letting the dealership know you have a SimpleLoan check. You should first negotiate the price of your vehicle with all the options. Once you have a price you’re willing to pay, then you can work on payments and whatever else with us at the credit union.

Pretty soon, the conversation will turn to financing. Tell the dealership you have your financing taken care of. Let them know that you are writing a check, and that you don’t need any help finding financing. The secret is that you’ve already been pre-approved with American 1, and you’re armed with your SimpleLoan check.

Don’t let them know your pre-approval amount. If the dealerships knows that amount, they’re more likely to add extras to drive up the price to your limit. This also gives you walk-away power. Remember – with that SimpleLoan check and a pre-approval amount, you’ve got the negotiating power. Don’t be afraid to walk away if you don’t get the deal you want.

When you know the price, and you’re set to finance, then you can start talking about your trade-in vehicle. By now you’ll know what your trade-in vehicle is worth. Don’t be afraid to negotiate on your trade-in vehicle’s worth to get the maximum value.

Since you’ve settled on the vehicle you want, the price you can afford, the financing is set to go, and you’re getting a decent deal on your trade-in vehicle, you can write your SimpleLoan check right then and there.

For more auto buying tips, visit our Auto Loan Experts page, or browse through other articles here on our blog.

How to sign up for MasterCard’s Secure Code

Maybe you’ve been ready to purchase something online with your American 1 MasterCard debit card, but you get prompted by something called SecureCode.

MasterCard’s SecureCode is a security system to prevent online fraud and theft. It protects others from using your American 1 debit card, keeping your money safe.

There’s just a bit of set-up required. First, you have to make your way to American 1’s own SecureCode site, where you can begin the registration process.

When you click on American 1’s link, the first thing you’ll see is a “Register Now” button. Click that to begin the process.

Be sure to read through the agreement and click “I Agree” underneath.

On the next screen, you’ll enter your American 1 debit card number.

Then, SecureCode will ask for the rest of your information, including your card’s expiration date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your birthdate. This is to confirm that it’s actually you signing up with the SecureCode system.

Finally, you’ll pick your Secure Code – a 8-15 character password made up of both numbers and letters. Use something that you’ll remember, but is hard for others to guess, and the more numbers and letters you use, the better. If you forget your Secure Code, you’ll have to pick a new one.

Now, when you’re prompted to enter your SecureCode at online retailers, you’ll be set up with MasterCard’s security system.

Super Sale survival guide

If you haven’t heard about our Fall Vehicle Super Sale, I’d be surprised. We’ve been talking about it for weeks now, and it’s going to be huge.

Huge.

But how do you get ready for such a massive event? What prep work do you need to cover? What would a Super Sale to-do list look like?

That’s why we’re the auto loan experts, right? Leave it to us.

GET PRE-APPROVED: This one’s easy. Even if you’re only, slightly, maybe consider yourself in the market for a new or used vehicle, get pre-approved to give yourself an idea of what you can spend. Having a number in mind will help make your shopping decisions easier. Plus you get an extra entry into our $1,000 gas card drawing when you get pre-approved.

BRING COMFY SHOES: Since the Super Sale is so gargantuan, you might end up doing a bit of walking. In that case, bring your comfortable shoes. We’ll have golf carts on hand to help you navigate the colossal sale, but not at all times. Be prepared. Lace up and head out to the Jackson County Fairgrounds to walk the lot.

BRING QUESTIONS: Our new Auto Expert Expo will feature a bunch of vehicle smarties in one location, ready and willing to answer your questions. Need an oil change coupon? We’ve got it. Want to learn more about protecting your vehicle? We know it. Want to learn more about handicap-accessible vehicles? We’re ready.

BRING THE KIDS: No, really. Our family fun area will have facepainting, pony rides, a petting zoo, and different games and activities to keep the kiddies occupied. Just don’t leave them with us permanently, okay?

COME HUNGRY (OR THIRSTY): If you’ve been to an American 1 sale before, you know how we like to advertise: with yummy food smells like hot dogs and popcorn. We’ll have the usual refreshments there that you can grab for a donation to help the Jackson Legacy Program. It’s not 100% healthy, but it’s 150% yummy.

BRING YOUR AD, STICKER, OR POSTCARD: See our ad in the paper, or receive a postcard about the sale in the mail? Bring it with you. They’ll all earn you extra entries into our $1,000 gas card drawing. Unless you don’t like free fuel.

COME EARLY, SHOP OFTEN: Sure, we have 500 vehicles on hand at the sale to shop from. But do you think that shiny new Dodge Avenger will be there through the whole sale? Better get there early to stake your claim on your dream car, truck, or SUV. Shop early, do your research, and come prepared to make a deal.

See you at the sale!

Disaster planning: organize your info

Trent at The Simple Dollar blog brings up a point we’ve made before: it’s good to prepare for the worst.

He recommends having a binder with documents listing all your financial, insurance, and legal information:

Even aside from the peace of mind that will come from having this document, there will come some point in your life where having all of this information at hand will come in handy – your house burns down, or your spouse passes away suddenly. During those times of crisis, having all of this data available easily to you will make all the difference in the world, taking a healthy dose of stress away from that painful and challenging moment.

While it takes some time and effort to prepare a “just in case” file, the time and effort saved if something happens is more than worth it.

How do you prepare for the theoretical worst case scenerio?

Keeping your car maintained: a schedule

With our Auto Loan Expert packets, we’re passing out a short guide of maintenance tasks to do the first year you own your vehicle. Far from comprehensive, our list is a short overview of recommended items.

We assembled a lot of that information from several sources, which are listed below. Browse through each one and get a good idea of recommended to-dos to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape.

• UsedCarBuyingTips.com
• TrustMyMechanic.com (by far the most comprehensive)
• Making sense of your car maintenance schedule (good descriptions)
• Auto Zone: Be car care aware

Edmonds.com also provides a vehicle-specific maintenance recommendation guide. Enter in your car’s make and model and it will show you what to check on at regular mileage intervals.

As with everything auto-related, refer to your specific vehicle’s owner’s manual for detailed instructions and tips.

Grow your own veggies to help your budget

The Washington Post reports on the growing demand for vegetable, fruit, and bean seeds as a way to save money on groceries:

Seed producers and merchants across the United States are reporting the same phenomenon of crazy demand and even some shortages, especially of staples like beans, potatoes and lettuces. Sales of seed packets picked up last year and have grown significantly again this season, which runs from January to June.

Industry observers attribute the boost in sales to a concern for food safety following outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella poisonings and a desire by consumers to be a part of the local food movement. Michelle Obama’s new vegetable garden at the White House may also be inspiring people, they said.

But the primary reasons, they speculate, are the recession, income loss and the need for people to lower their grocery bills by growing their own.

Here around the American 1 branches, many employees grow their own vegetables and bring in the extras to share. They’re helping themselves and their co-workers. If you’re growing your own garden and have a surplus of veggies, share the wealth.

Have your own garden story or tips to share? Tell us in the comments!

How to: sign up for e-statements

E-statements really are the way to go.

An electronic statement, or e-statement, is a copy of your American 1 statement that’s created electronically instead of printed on paper. It’s stored as a PDF, a type of universal file type, that can be viewed using Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, a free download.

When you sign up for e-statements, you no longer receive a mailed copy. Instead, when you want to view your statement, you log on to our home banking system to view it. The benefit is you can view your statement wherever you have an Internet connection.

First, to get started, you need to sign up for A1@home. You can do that by stopping in to any branch, or by sending in your signature over fax or by mail (call for details). After that, signing up for e-statements is easy.

After logging in to the A1@home system, click on the History tab (above), and then click on “eStatements.”




Next, enter your e-mail address into the box and click “Enroll me now!” Make sure you read the text on this screen before entering your e-mail address.

At the bottom of the screen, you can see the buttons leading you to Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader. If you don’t have a version of Acrobat on your computer, make sure you download it so you can view your e-statements.




On the next screen, click the “I Accept!” button.




The above screen is your confirmation that you have signed up with your current e-mail address. That’s all there is to it!




From now on, when you want to view your statements, log in to A1@home, click the History tab, and choose “eStatements.” You’ll see the above screen. Simply click “Get my e-statement” to see your e-statements.

Just remember that you will no longer receive your mailed paper statement, but you can print out your e-statement anytime you want. Even better? You can view and print out check copies for free.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get a hold of us!

Find a Co-Op Network ATM via text, GPS

Attention travelers: you can find a Co-Op ATM no matter where you are, thanks to the Co-Op text and GPS ATM locator service. The Co-Op Network provides access to more than 28,000 no-surcharge ATMs throughout the country, and many more worldwide.

You can either text your location to the Co-Op Network service, or download a GPS map to your Garmin, Tom Tom, or other turn-by-turn navigation device. Both of these services are great if you don’t have access to a computer or the Internet.

Visit our ATM Locations page for a full list of American 1 no-surcharge ATMs.

Retirement: the power of compound interest

The Get Rich Slowly blog posted a video (above) about the power of compound interest, along with some visuals to help understand why compound interest is so cool.

Why is it so cool?

Because when you’re earning 3% or 4% on your money, it adds money to the pile, and then that pile earns 3% or 4%, and so on. It’s like a money-earning snowball running downhill.

You can try it yourself with the Money Chimp’s compound interest calculator.

Kids: start saving now, and you could get a great head-start on life!

The best home-heating tips from around the web

This past weekend, we hit some major lows: high of 4 degrees on Friday, wind chills that take your breath away, and home heating bills that make your holiday spending look like a flea market trip.

Here are some of the best frugal heating tips we found from around the web. Above all? There’s no such thing as “too many layers” in the winter.

MSN Money: “Opening curtains and shades on south-facing windows during the day allows solar radiation to warm a living space; closing all curtains at night helps retard the escape of that heat.”

Motley Fool: “Ceiling fans can be effective at circulating warm air that normally collects by your ceiling, where you can’t enjoy it.”

Yahoo! Green: “Using door snakes. Less scary than they sound, door snakes can block air from traveling under your doorjambs. Try the traditional fabric-filled kind or rubber versions sold in hardware stores throughout the country.”

Lifehacker: “If you use a humidifier and keep your home’s humidity level around 45%, you should see that the temperature that your thermostat displays is also the ‘feels like’ temperature.” [reader tip]

eHow.com: “Close off some rooms that aren’t used often. Instead of family members spending evenings in their individual rooms, get together in one room and heat that room. Shut off the heating vents to unused rooms.”

How do you keep warm during these cold Michigan winters?