First-responder Credit Union Newsroom

    Thanksgiving, is a day when we pause to give thanks for what we have! www. NCOFCU .org   Have a Safe a...

  When a credit union employee suspects a member may be subject to fraud, they should initiate a careful conversation focusing on the nature of the transaction and external influences. The goal is to help the member identify red flags without the employee asking for sensitive personal information that the credit union should already have on file.  Initial Verification Questions    .pdf Before discussing the specifics of the suspicious activity, the employee should confirm the member's identity in accordance with established internal protocols.  Questions About the Transaction/Activity If the member confirms they are conducting a suspicious transaction (e.g., a large wire transfer or purchase of gift cards ), the employee should ask questions to help the member pause and think critically:  "What is the purpose of this transaction?" "Do you personally know the person or business you are sending money to?" "Have you ever met the...

For decades, banks and credit unions have organized their products, underwriting, and service models around a single assumption: income is predictable, consistent, and comes from one employer. But the U.S. economy has changed faster than the banking system that serves it. Today, more than 70 million Americans earn income outside of a traditional job — freelancing, contracting, consulting, creating, caregiving, designing, building, trading, or driving. Millions of them earn six figures. And yet, most banks still treat them as anomalies rather than opportunities. This is the most overlooked growth market in banking. And intelligent banks & credit unions will be the ones who move first. A New Majority, not a Side Hustle The independent workforce has nearly doubled in the past decade. It now includes designers, software developers, content creators, Etsy sellers, licensed tradespeople, travel nurses, real estate photographers, fractional CFOs, and even Uber drivers. According to MBO Pa...

What's the story behind Thanksgiving? While European settlers in North America had long observed days of thanks, prayer, and reflection, the “ first Thanksgiving ” most often refers to a 1621 meal between the Pilgrims and the native Wampanoag people.   In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared a national Thanksgiving Day on the final Thursday of November to be celebrated each year. A large meal shared with loved ones is the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving celebrations, where the average gathering size is seven and most people consume 3,150-4,500 calories .   What began as a neighborly meal to celebrate a successful harvest has transformed into an annual economic and cultural powerhouse: The day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for air travel as Americans prepare to eat upward of 40 million turkeys  and 80 million pounds of cranberries. ... Read what else we  learned about the holiday here . ...