Best of all, for a small $6 fee, our members will be able to choose their card design.  The card image gallery has more than 70 images in six categories for you to choose from including sports, seasonal, colors, American pride, outdoors, and basic designs.  In addition, there are five card designs that are designated to charitable organizations.  If you select one of these designs, 50% of the fee will be sent to that charity.  To view the card designs, stop in to any American 1 branch or visit our website at

http://www.american1cu.org

Stop in to any American 1 branch today to learn more about this new service.

Not only did Santa and Mrs. Claus visit, but Santa’s reindeer showed up, with holiday puppet shows and train rides ran every night. New this year, The Home Depot Kid’s Workshop on Friday’s and Saturday’s and the Jackson School of the Arts dance performance on a special night.

For the third year, the Holiday Tree Decoration contest took place in which local businesses and non-profits entered to decorate a tree.

The contest was a fundraiser for charity with 35 live, potted pine trees inside the American 1 Event Center entered into this year’s contest. Guests could vote for their favorite tree by making donations and bid in a silent auction to win the decorations and the tree to take home and plant in their yard. Money raised for each tree was given to a charity chosen by each registrant in the contest.

Guests attending Winter Wonderland donated nearly $6,500 through donations and auction bids. This year’s winning tree was decorated by the 6NW Allegiance Hospital, raising over $700, the highest amount raised by any of the trees, and winning an additional $500 for their charity. The 6NW Allegiance Hospital chose the Stage 4 Traveling Pants, a support organization for women with Stage 4 breast cancer, as their charity and they will receive a donation of over $1,200.

“We thank the community for their support with all we do. If it was not for businesses, organizations and residents getting involved, our community efforts would not have the impact they do,” said Liz Niles, Community Relations Manager for American 1.

 http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/10/17/password-security-computer

Cathy Wiegman VP of Member Realtions and Sales has been
promoted to VP of Branch Operation in our Eastern District. What this means is
that Cathy will be in charge of the branches that merge with American 1 FCU on
September 1.

Cathy has been with American 1 since December of 1999 in
which she accepted at a position as branch manager at our Felpausch office.
After the outstanding job she did at Felpausch in promoting American 1 and
developing loan opportunities, she was promoted to VP Member Relations and
Sales on August 10, 2005.

Please join me in wishing the very best to Cathy in her new
opportunity in the Eastern District of Michigan. We look forward to many new ”firsts”
on that side of the state.

Ted Sahagian in the member relations department
is now the Member Relations and Sales Manager. Ted has demonstrated a strong
commitment to our membership and our team here at American 1. We are very proud
to announce the promotion of Ted to a management role.  Ted will be working directly with Kristi Latoszewski, VP Marketing and Communications.

Ted has been with American 1 since July 2007.
Please join us in congratulating Ted on his new opportunity

We welcome Sommer Stoneking to the
management team. Sommer has been offered and accepted the position of
Collection Manager. She has been with American 1 since March of 2005 and during
that time she has demonstrated her abilities to do a fine job in collections as
a worker and a leader.

Please join me in congratulating Sommer
on her new position.

Melinda Adams and Betty Harrington were the lucky winners in
our referral giveaway. Both have been longtime members and Betty referred
Melinda for a loan with American 1. They both were then entered into the
drawing and came out the winners. Melinda and Betty have been members since
they were teenagers and Melinda loves the convenience and friendly service that
she receives from our tellers. Way to go Betty and Melinda!

The history of debit cards is an interesting one. Debit cards helped change the way people
used money and bank accounts. Debit cards are used to pay for purchases at
stores and other locations around the world. A debit card works by debiting the
money from your checking account. For many people debit cards have taken the
place of cash and checks. However, debit cards are still a relatively new
banking tool.

Credit cards paved the way for debit cards. Many people
used credit cards to pay for transactions. This also put in place the
infrastructure that debit cards needed to be practical as a method of payment. The First National
Bank of Seattle issued the first debit card to business executives with large
savings accounts in 1978. These cards acted like a check signature or a
guarantee card, where the bank promised the funds would cover the
transaction without the customer needing a check to complete the transaction.
The bank only issued debit cards to those customers who had a long history with
the bank and were in good standing, because like a check, the funds were not immediately
removed from the account.

In 1984 Landmark created the first nationwide debit
system, using ATMs and other networks that allowed debit cards to be used
nationwide. This allowed the smaller banking systems within states to connect
with banks systems outside of states. As technology improved the debit cards moved to a system that was able to directly debit the money from a checking account. When this happened the debit cards became
available to more and more consumers. These types of debit cards may have the
Plus symbol or other similar symbols on them. However many banks will also use
the Visa or MasterCard symbol for a direct debit card because they are accepted
at so many different places around the country.

In 1998 debit card transactions first outnumbered the use of checks around the world. This
number has continued to grow over time. Debit cards are now commonly used for
most transactions at stores in the United States. Debit cards are more
convenient to use than a check. Debit cards speed up transactions at stores.
Additionally debit cards are safer than carrying cash, because banks can stop
fraudulent purchases and consumers are not held liable for purchases made when
the card is stolen. Debit cards have made banking a much easier process for
many people.

In the future transactions will continue to move away from cash and check. Debit cards may be
left behind as well as banks move to using one card that you can quickly scan
at a variety of locations. This will speed up transactions as well as virtually
eliminate the need for cash in the future. Over time the history of debit cards
may be one step to moving to a completely cashless system.

At American 1 we have not raised any fees for
debit cards or checking accounts.

Another reason why – American 1 is The best way to bank.

On July 25 American 1 awarded Lori Blythe with a check for $1,000. Lori was the winner of an American 1 Visa balance transfer promotion. Lori was entered into the drawing by transferring her credit card balance to an American 1 Visa card.

American 1 ran the promotion for anyone who did a credit card balance transfer over $500 from April through June.

Lori has been a member of American 1 for almost two years and loves the convenience of American 1′s locations throughout the area. Lori saw the contest on american1fcu.org and decided to participate for a chance at the $1,000 prize.

The check was presented to Lori by American 1 board member Jerry Tremaine at American 1′s Vandercook branch on East McDevitt Avenue in Jackson.

Your chance to enter to win an iPAD!

Become a fan of American 1 today!

American 1 Federal Credit Union wants to welcome any one who becomes a fan of our Facebook page.  Between June 1 – July 31, 2011, every fan that signs up  will be entered into a drawing to win a new iPAD!

 
It’s simple. All that you have to do is go to our American 1 Facebook Page  and click “like.”

 
Our Facebook page is an incredible resource to view past and upcoming events at American 1 Federal Credit Union. Check out our new page and sign up for updates on promotions and events. Remember, everyone who “likes us” will be entered, so invite your friends and family to follow us on Facebook today!

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Kristi Latoszewski

For immediate release VP, Marketing and Communications

April 25, 2011 (517) 787-6510

klatoszewski@a1fcu.org

American 1 Federal Credit Union and Premier Financial Credit Union to Merge

Jackson, MI – American 1 Federal Credit Union (American 1) and Premier Financial Credit Union (Premier Financial) have announced plans to merge in 2011; American 1 being the surviving organization. After months of research and negotiation, the Board of Directors for both organizations has approved the merger. The joining of the two credit unions will result in American 1 serving nearly 50,000 Members in the state of Michigan, with assets exceeding $240 million.

“Premier Financial Credit Union has served the financial needs of our membership for 73 years. In this environment, it’s been challenging to maintain the financial position and growth needed to provide the products, services and locations our members want and need. Our partnership with American 1 will allow us to fulfill our mission and provide the added benefits our members deserve,” stated James Safian, Premier Financial’s CEO.

The merger is slated to be legally complete late summer of 2011, when Premier Financial’s nearly 7,000 member’s accounts transition to American 1. Premier Financial currently offers two locations in the Metro Detroit area. Both of these branches will remain open and American 1 has plans to expand the hours of service for the membership.

“American 1 Federal Credit Union was identified as the ideal merger partner because they are committed to providing superior member service. They have a proven history of financial stability and growth and they are committed to giving back to the communities they serve.” Safian said.

“American 1 Federal Credit Union looks forward to serving the members of Premier Financial Credit Union. This merger is a partnership and a new beginning as both of our credit unions move toward uniting our members, services and operations,” said Dave Puckett, American 1’s President and CEO. American 1 Federal Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution based in Jackson, Michigan. In 2010, American 1 Federal Credit Union had an outstanding return on assets of 1.72%. The notable results placed American 1 in the top 4% of more than 7,000 credit unions in the United States for net income. American 1 Federal Credit Union offers a wide range of consumer banking services with a specialty in auto loan expertise.

Since 1950, American 1 Federal Credit Union serves over 42,000 members in Jackson, Hillsdale, Washtenaw, and Calhoun counties. American 1 is federally insured by the NCUA. More information, including current financial statements, for American 1 can be found at www.american1fcu.org.

# # #