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ON THE MARKNuMark Credit Union NewsFALL 2023IN THIS ISSUEBENEFITS OF DOING AMORTGAGE REFINANCENATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAYSHOUT OUT TO OUR CALL CENTER!A FEW MONEY SAVING TIPSTO FIGHT RISING FOOD COSTSWHY CHOOSE A CREDIT UNIONCU KIND DAYWhen you have a question about your accounts or one of our services, and call 815-729-3211, you are directly connected to one of our Call Center Representatives. This experienced team of NuMark sta has a wide knowledge base of all of our products and services. They will often be able to answer your questions directly. If not, they can get you in touch with the right person who will be able to help you. The next time you have a question, give us a call at 815-729-3211 during business hours. Our Call Center representatives are ready to assist you. Thank you for being a part of the NuMark family! NUMARK IN THECOMMUNITY
We sat down with Harry Stewart, our Vice President of Mortgage Services, to talk aboutwhat is happening in the mortgage market and talk about how a mortgage refinance couldbe a benefit for our members today.Q: What do you see happening with home values and mortgage rates?Harry: Home values are up primarily due to the lack of inventory of homes. This is a function of supply and demand. There are fewer homes available for purchase, so the prices of those homes go up. Mortgage rates are higher than what they have been recently, but if you step back and look at what the mortgage market has done historically, rates are still low.Q: Why would someone consider doing a mortgage refinance now?BENEFITS OF DOING A MORTGAGE REFINANCEHarry: Any time that you are considering a mortgage refinance, you need to think about the rate, term, and payments and how those fit into your situation. Many people are refinancing their mortgage now to consolidate high interest debt. A mortgage rate is often much lower than a credit card rate which will allow someone to get out from under that debt. Other people will do a mortgage refinance to make a large purchase. We’re also seeing a lot of refinances due to divorces where one spouse needs to buy out the other spouse.Harry Stewart, VP of Mortgage LendingQ: How do you choose between taking out a home equity line of credit vs a mortgage refinance?Harry: It all depends on your situation and what you’re trying to accomplish. For example, if you have a $200,000 firstmortgage with a low rate, and you need a $10,000 HELOC or even a personal loan might be your best option. But, if you are looking at the reverse and you have a low balance mortgage at a low rate and you are looking to take out a larger amount like $150,000, a mortgage refinance might be your best option. There are really lots of things to consider, however, so it is good to talk with a professional about these options in detail.Q: What is the best way to determine the best options?Harry: Really the best thing to do is call us. We will be happy to sit down and talk about your situation, so we can talk through all of your options.Q: How long does a mortgage refinance take?Harry: From the start to the finish line, it will take somewhere between three to four weeks. Q: Why should someone do a mortgage with a credit union?Harry: We are 100% member owned. Everything that we do at the credit union is basically a pass-through service for themembers. Being able to help our members is a win for us.If you would like to talk about how a mortgage refinance might benefit you, give Harry and his mortgage team a call at815-744-7497 or visit numarkcu.org.
It seems as though the price of everything is rising right now. To help combat that, here are some tips and tricksto help you save at the checkout before heading to the grocery store.1. Plan ahead for your work week.Planning ahead for work is important and it is a great way to help you save money. If you take your lunch that you prepare at home with you to work every day, you will be saving a lot of money during the month. This will eliminate extra money spent on fast food lunches. When you prepare dinner at home, make enough for leftovers. This will take the thought out of what to bring for lunch and you won’t be wasteful by just throwing any extra food out. Also, if you prepare your coee at home, you will not be paying for coee every day, because from the coee that you will have at home will last for at least two or three months. Approximately one container of coee costs around $12 and will give you around 200 cups of coee which breaks down to 5 cents per cup. Meanwhile a Starbucks coee averages around $3, so over 200 days you would spend $12 on coee at home and around $700 for Starbucks.A FEW MONEY SAVING TIPS TO FIGHT RISINGFOOD COSTS2. Grocery Shop Online.Online shopping can help you save money because with it you are sticking to your list and you will already have a planfor what you want to buy. By using online shopping services like Amazon, Target or Walmart you are only buying whatyou need, and you are cutting down on impulse buying. The best way to avoid impulse buying is to avoid temptation andto not see all of the other options in front of you. You are saving more money with online shopping because with it you can compare the prices for the products easily, you do not have to travel to the store and pay for gas and transportation. Youare also avoiding paying the unnecessary taxes or parking fees. You can also take advantage of dierent promotions thatare only oered online.3. Don’t miss out on coupons, deals and specials.You can save a lot with coupons, deals and specials while shopping. To find deals and specials you should install yourfavorite store’s app on your phone. One example is the Jewel mobile app that gives you dierent coupons and saving deals every week. You can also find coupons by checking websites like Swagbucks that list all the latest deals and discounts from stores around you. You can install and use browser extensions such as Honey to find coupon codes while browsing online.You can also join an online shopping forum and watch out for deals that are happening in your area.4. How many are you shopping for?Shopping for just one person can be hard, but there are some tips to keep in mind when shopping for one. When you shop for one person you should shop with specific recipes in mind. There are a lot of websites/blogs where you can find lower serving sized meals. Before heading out to the grocery store, be sure to take inventory of what you already have in your kitchen. This will help you remember not to buy a duplicate item. Also, take advantage of bulk items whenever possible. You can always consolidate anything bought in bulk and freeze it for another day.
By: Kari Endres, Vice President of MarketingThere are so many answers to this question. But whenit comes down to it, the answer lies in a question. I know English teachers everywhere are yelling at me foranswering a question with a question, but the question remains: who do you want looking out for your financial interests? Do you want someone who is working for you,or someone whose primary purpose is to help you domore with your money?Credit unions are uniquely dierent because they are owned and operated by their members. Their sole purpose is to help their members succeed. This unique focus makes all the dierence. It means that their products and services are designed to help make their members’ lives easier and achieve their dreams. Their products and services are priced to benefit the membership. They work to grow, so they can do more to serve their members.I don’t know about you, but I like having a team of amazing people working to provide financial services that have myWHY CHOOSE A CREDIT UNION?back and my best interests at heart. I know that I can ask them any question, and they’ll give me an honest answer. I know that when I choose them, I can do more with my money because of the value of their products and services and the benefits to my life. That’s big deal to me, and that’s what you receive when you are part of the NuMark family.At NuMark, we are focused on growth and providing financial services that help manage your money and enjoy the best of what life has to oer. We help when times get tough, and we celebrate successes. We make a dierence.When you are part of the NuMark family, you are part of something bigger, a financial cooperative dedicated to enriching the lives of their members and supporting the communities that they serve. NuMark Credit Union is the place to do more with your money!
Throughout the year, NuMark Credit Union accepts donations for Wreaths Across America to help sponsor wreaths at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Stop by your nearest NuMark branch to donate. For every newVeteran/Active Military Account opened throughout the year, $10 is donated to Wreaths Across America. With your help over the last twelve years, NuMark has raised over $38,614 for Wreaths Across America and sponsored 3,951 wreaths!We encourage you and your family to join in the Wreath-Laying Event at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery that will be held at 11AM on December 16th. If you would like to register to volunteer, click here to learn more.NATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAY -DECEMBER 16, 2023Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, volunteers coordinate wreath-laying ceremoniesat Arlington National Cemetery, as well as more than 2,500 additional national cemeteries in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad. Their mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who have served and teach the value of freedom to our children.“The Wreaths Across America wreath laying is reallya celebration of life,” says Wreaths Across AmericaCorporate Development/Community Relations, Bre Kingsbury. “That one wreath symbolizes one family.One family that was able to smile because of generous donations.”CU KIND DAY - DOING GOOD FEELS GOOD!Donations that we collect will be used to purchase items these two organizations are in need of for the people/communities they serve. Visit any NuMark oce to make a donation today!NuMark will again be participating in the Illinois Credit Union League’s 3rd annual CU Kind Day on Monday, October 9th. This is a day where Illinois credit unions roll up their sleeves and give back to the communities they serve.In addition to the in-person volunteering NuMark sta will be doing on this day, from now until October 6th, you can stop into any of our NuMark locations to make a donation to the Crisis Center for South Suburbia and/or DuPage Pads.The Crisis Center for South Suburbia is a non-profit community organization that providesemergency shelter and other essentials services for individuals and families victimized bydomestic violence. They work to address the societal issues that contribute to domestic violence.For 35 years, DuPage Pads has been providing year-round programs to feed and shelter individuals and families who are homeless. They connect those in need to case management and other services.
WHERE YOU ARE FAMILYContact UsSr. Editors: The NuMark Marketing Dept.Ask@numarkcu.orgVisit numarkcu.org for branch locations and hours. NUMARK IN THE COMMUNITYNuMark sta, friends and family walked in the AnnualPaw Paw Labor Day Parade. They handed out can kooziesand candy to the parade goers and had a wonderful time celebrating the Labor Day holiday with the Paw Paw and surrounding communities!END OF YEAR HOLIDAY CLOSINGSFederal Holiday - Monday, October 9thVeterans Day - Saturday, November 11thThanksgiving - Thursday, November 23rdChristmas Day - Monday, December 25thNew Year’s Day - Monday, January 1stWhen our NuMark branches are closed, you can alwaysmanage your account, and find local ATMs through our appor online at numarkcu.org.Happy holidays from your NuMark family!We hope you enjoy your time spent with family and friends.To celebrate Mexican Independence Day (September 16th)NuMark sta, friends and family walked in theDowntown Joliet Mexican Independence Day Parade.It was a parade full of rich culture and we were sohappy to be a part of the fun!Paw Paw Labor Day ParadeSeptember 4, 2023Downtown Joliet Mexican Independence Day ParadeSeptember 23, 2023