The News

Mid American wins state award for kids’ financial literacy efforts

Mid American Credit Union has won the state-level credit union Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award. As the first place winner, Mid American will go on to compete in the national competition, sponsored by the Credit Union National Association.

The credit union won the award for teaching a financial literacy course in 2010 as part of a summer youth program in two of Wichita’s most culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

It was the first time Mid American participated in the program, which started in 2002 as an initiative to provide safe, structured low-cost activities to at-risk youth. It is sponsored by the Wichita Police Department, the Park and Recreation Department, and the city manager’s Community Education Section, and is offered in five Wichita neighborhoods.

Mid American staffers taught more than 200 youth about various aspects of money — its history, how it’s used and how it’s earned and saved —during weekly one-hour sessions.

The 2010 financial literacy pilot program proved so successful that the credit union will offer the course in all five of the program’s camps this summer.

New branch features retail-based concept, cooperative effort

BY JIM HOLT, PRESIDENT/CEO

 

As we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, we are looking to the future. This spring, Mid American Credit Union will break ground for its latest full-service branch. It will be located in northeast Wichita off K-96 highway at the 29th Street and Webb intersection. The facility will combine a retail-based concept, which will be new to the Wichita financial industry market, and the proven cooperative strategy of working with other credit unions.

 

We are working with Cessna Employees Credit Union and Catholic Family Federal Credit Union and perhaps one or two other credit unions to bring this new facility to fruition. This concept is similar to the one we used in developing our branch in southwest Wichita. The grand opening of the new facility is expected in fall 2012.

 

We are particularly excited to bring a retail-based concept in financial facilities to Wichita. The 4,000-square-foot facility will feature up to three free-standing teller-pods in a rotunda-shaped lobby. The pods will work like a concierge center for members. Employees will greet members as they arrive and handle financial transactions in a more relaxed setting, without the physical barrier of a large teller line.

 

Financial institutions in other markets using this model say it improves member relationships, allowing the member to feel more like they are a part of the credit union and partners in handling their financial needs.

 

We believe this approach will appeal to guests of adjacent hotels and shoppers and employees of nearby retailers. The facility will include a Wi-Fi cafe -- complete with a drive-through lane for convenience. Members of the 4,100 branches within the Credit Union Service Centers network can handle their banking needs at this new facility, along with taking time to sip a coffee while checking e-mail or surfing the Internet.

 

The building also will include a community room that can be used by not only our affiliate employee groups but other community organizations. This will allow those groups to experience the people-helping-people credit union brand, and possibly even consider joining us as an employee group or as individual member.

Understanding mortgage closing costs

While interest rates are slowly going up after reaching record lows in 2010, they still remain low enough for people to consider refinancing their current mortgage or purchasing a new home.

Besides considering interest rates, current or prospective homeowners should also understand the variety of fees associated with securing a mortgage. Most closing fees are actually pass-through fees, meaning the money goes to third parties, such as government entities, other financial institutions or title companies. These fees are paid when closing, or finalizing, your mortgage.

 Here’s an explanation of some of those closing fees and what they cover:

• Application fee. According to the Federal Reserve Board, institutions charge between $65 and $640. Some, like Mid American, charge lower fees. At Mid American, we charge a nominal fee of less than $20 for processing your credit report to start the application process.
• Origination fees. These fees cover underwriting, document preparation and costs to deliver paperwork to other financial institutions.
• Title fees. In order to process a mortgage, a property’s title must be free and clear of any liens or claims. A title company is hired to check this.
• Registration and tax fees. The cost of these fees is related to the amount of the mortgage loan. These fees cover the processing of showing ownership and paying property taxes to the county.
• Recording fees. All properties must be recorded with the register of deeds, a government entity.
• Appraisal fees. The value of the property has to be determined, since it plays a part in your mortgage and equity, as well as how your property tax is assessed.
• Points. One can purchase “points” to lower a mortgage interest rate. The industry standard is that the cost of each point is 1 percent of the loan amount. For example, on a $100,000 loan, one point would cost $1,000. Whether one should buy points depends on how long they intend to keep the loan.

Marking milestones

Mid American will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2011. Here are just a few of the highlights of your credit union’s history.

 

1936 – Opens as the Kansas Federal Credit Union to serve employees and volunteers of other Kansas credit unions

 

1972 – Law changed to allow Kansas credit union employees, volunteers full access to their own credit unions

 

1979 – Name changes to Mid American Credit Union and charter changes from federal to state

 

1988 – Mid American implements MATT, a telephone account access system

 

1989 – Mid American opens offices within Wichita’s Coleman Co. plants

 

2007 – Greensburg branch destroyed in EF5 tornado

 

2009 – Business loans offered; Sunflower CU in Arkansas City merges with Mid American

 

2011 – Mid American to open second partnered credit union in northeast Wichita

75 years and counting

In 2011, Mid American Credit Union will mark its 75th anniversary. We’ll share reaching a significant milestone with our state — Kansas will celebrate its 150th year of statehood.

 

It was because of a federal law that Mid American opened its doors in 1936 in Wichita. At that time, employees and volunteers of credit unions in Kansas could not borrow from their own

credit union. We began as a federally chartered credit union, known as Kansas Federal Credit Union, to serve those employees and volunteers of Kansas credit unions.

 

When federal legislation changed allowing employees and volunteers full access to their own credit unions, we became state chartered, opened our field of membership and in 1979 changed our name to Mid American Credit Union.

 

Because the qualifications for our membership changed, we needed to identify a niche for ourselves and we have successfully done that over the past three decades. We are a credit union that works with Kansas employers to be the credit union of choice for serving their employees’ financial needs — be it a place to directly deposit paychecks, to finance a home or a vehicle or even obtain financial education at a seminar.

 

We now work with approximately 300 employers, who are known as our employee groups. Most of you have joined our credit union through that avenue. Some of our more than 23,000 members nationwide have come to us through the variety of options we have continued to add throughout the years.

 

Although we have undergone changes by acquiring branches and enhancing services, one thing has remained a constant: We opened to serve Kansans and provide access to a member-owned, nonprofit cooperative offering financial products and services with better rates on savings and loans and lower fees and charges. This essential mission remains unchanged.

 

So as we celebrate our 75^th anniversary in 2011, I want to take this time to thank you, our members and owners, for your continued confidence in this credit union. We look forward to serving you for many more decades.

 

-       Jim Holt, president/CEO

Protecting your valuables: Tips for reviewing homeowner’s insurance policy

Don’t wait until a disaster hits to find out whether your homeowner’s insurance policy has got you covered.

According to the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute, there are four major events that should trigger a review of your policy.

• Policy renewal time. Review your coverage to ensure it is adequate enough to repair or replace your home, as well as adequately cover your personal belongings and liability. Most companies provide coverage for personal belongings of 50 to 70 percent of the amount of insurance you have on the home’s structure. Liability covers homeowners and the family members in that home in lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage. Limits usually start at $100,000 but some experts recommend at least $300,000 worth of protection.
• Major purchases, including home improvements. If you’ve renovated your kitchen or bath or enclosed a porch to make a new room, report those improvements so you’re not underinsured. And don’t forget about outside improvements, such as a new gazebo or tool shed or a hot tub. If you’ve bought a new computer, jewelry or acquired other major items, you’ll want to consider if you have enough insurance for those additions. Consider purchasing a special policy, called a floater or endorsement, to adequately cover items such as jewelry and other valuables. Floaters also cover losing an item.
• Safety improvements. If you’ve installed a new alarm system or upgraded heating, plumbing or electrical systems, ensure your company knows about this. Some offer discounts.
• Major lifestyle changes. The amount of items you have or want to cover can be impacted by divorce or having children move out or back in. If your dream job is working at home, make sure you’re covered for equipment and liability.

Experts recommend keeping receipts of major purchases with the rest of your insurance documentation, including an annual inventory of your possessions. The inventory should include a visual record, such as photographs or a video. Store the inventory in a safe deposit box and consider mailing a second one to an out-of-town friend or relative, experts say.

We keep responsibility for your mortgage

By Jim Holt, president/CEO

 

The Midwest is often accused of lagging the national trends. I prefer to say we make sure they are solid ideas before we adopt them. More often we lead the nation. For example the Midwest is experiencing record low mortgage rates. That has led to an increase in members refinancing their mortgages at Mid American Credit Union.

 

Several years ago, Mid American helped start Member Mortgage Services (MMS). MMS is owned by about 20 Kansas credit unions who decided to not turn to outsiders to handle their members’ mortgages. MMS was established in 2004 with the vision of being our members’ preferred mortgage provider.

 

Mortgage loan ownership and the handling of payments and escrow (often called mortgage servicing) may be handled by two different institutions. MMS usually sells the mortgage loan ownership to Fannie Mae, a federal government-sponsored agency chartered by Congress. MMS keeps the servicing, which means we continue to be responsible for the day-to-day management of your mortgage account.

 

We use the technology provided by MMS to make sure our processing of member applications is handled expeditiously and meets industry standards of privacy and care. When you apply for a mortgage loan through the Mid American website, you are immediately linked to one of the most highly regarded mortgage processing engines in the industry at MMS’s site.

Consider refinancing your mortgage

 Since mortgage rates began sliding this summer to historic lows, refinancing activity is up nationwide and at Mid American Credit Union.

 

According to a national trade group, refinancing activity has jumped 70 percent nationally since June.

 

At Mid American, we remain very competitive with the rates for conventional mortgages. Check out our mortgage rates in the rate box (found in the left-hand member login column).

 

A number of our members are taking advantage of the lower rates to lower their mortgage terms. Many have an eye toward the future and are trying to pay off mortgages before entering retirement. Some may choose to lower their payments and set aside the difference between their previous mortgage payment and their new one into savings, given the current economy.

 

If you’re interested in another financial product, Mid American continues to have low rates for home equity or second-mortgage loans. Members can receive a $100 Lowe’s gift card for loans $10,000 or higher, or a $200 gift card for loans $20,000 or higher.

 

To find out more about refinancing or home equity loans, contact Debbie Stang, home loan officer, ((316) 722-3921, ext. 250 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .