Santa Claus is coming to town! He will be visiting our Pasadena branch to take pictures and visit with our members on Friday, December 20, 2024. Remember to bring your own camera! Pets will be able to take pictures with Santa but cannot sit on his lap.
Friday, December 20, 2024
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pasadena Branch
5953 Fairmont Pkwy
Pasadena, TX 77505
Be Prepared for Hurricane Season
Preparation for any natural event is key in reducing the amount of damage done. If you have lived along the Gulf Coast, you know how important it is to prepare for hurricane season. We want to share some tips on the essentials needed to be ready for hurricane season. Our hope is that this will help you and your families if/when the time comes.
Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union has a history of being prepared for natural events and providing our members with essential updates. Members can access all the updates online. Additionally, the credit union provides emergency updates on our Facebook Page, Twitter Page, Instagram Page, and online banking or mobile app.
Prepare at Home
If ordered to evacuate or shelter, you should always prepare the necessary goods and items for at least a week without needing to access a grocery or convenience store. These five items are an essential part of the packing list: bottled water, nonperishable foods, batteries, bags of ice, and a first aid kit. I also suggest looking at The National Hurricane Center website to be aware of future events.
Prepare to Leave
When hurricane season arrives, you should always be ready to leave your current home or area. At any moment, there could be mandatory emergency orders to evacuate the premises as soon as possible. And in this case, it is important to be ready. Know where you will go, how you will get there, and what you should bring beforehand.
Prepare for the Aftermath
With hurricanes, it is difficult to predict what exactly may happen as a result. You may lose power for an extended period, or you may experience severe flooding. In any case, it is important to keep all your insurance contracts and documents safe and readily available. Be ready to handle anything that may come your way, especially when it comes to your assets.
The key is to be prepared and ready for anything.
Additional Resources:
• Developing a Family Plan
• Creating a Disaster Supply Kit
• Having a Place to Go
• Having a Pet Plan
We have scheduled our Winter shred day! We will be holding a shred day on December 27th, 2024 at our Pasadena branch. You can find all of the details listed below.
Drop off will be located on the left side of the building near the drive thru (see example image). We will have employees there ready to assist you with shredding your sensitive documents.
Friday, December 27, 2024
9:00am – 12:00pm
Pasadena Branch
5953 Fairmont Pkwy
Pasadena, TX 77505
Please join us for the grand re-opening of our Sweeny branch! Stop by to celebrate with us on June 12 between 11:00am – 1:00pm. A special ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11:30am.
When: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm (Ribbon cutting at 11:30am)
Location: 400 Elm St, Sweeny, TX 77480
Please let us know if you plan to attend by filling out the form below.
Sandy Saver members, now is your chance to win big! Enter your drawing to win GCEFCU’s Design A Christmas Picture Contest. The grand prize winner will receive $50!
You may submit your artwork by dropping it off at any GCEFCU location, or by mailing it to the address listed below. Please include the child’s name, parent’s name, child’s member number, and a good phone number. You can download and print the form here .
Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union
ATTN: Marketing Department
5953 Fairmont Pkwy
Pasadena, TX 77505
Credit union members age 12 and under are eligible. Must have a Sandy Savers account to enter. Please turn in by November 15, 2024.
Planning for retirement can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. There are 401(k)’s, 403(b)’s, IRA’s, Roth IRA’s, 457’s and more but where do we start. If you work for a private company, then you may have a 401(k) option or if you work for a school district then you may have a 403(b) or 457 option. Everyone with earned income can contribute to an IRA or Roth IRA, and that may be the quickest place to start if you are not sure how to begin.
If your company offers a retirement account then that is the best place to start because a lot of them offer a contribution match to help maximize your money. For example, your employer may offer to match the first 5% at 100 percent meaning that if you put in 5% then they will match your dollar amounts essentially doubling your contribution. There may be additional rules within these plans so be sure to check with your employer to see how everything works.
If you work for a school district or some hospitals then you may have either a 403(b) or 457 option. Most school districts don’t offer matching contributions, but you can put money away pre-tax to save for retirement like how a 401(k) would operate.
This would be opened outside of an employer plan and allow you to save money pre-tax like a 401(k) or 403(b). If your taxable income is below a certain level, then your contributions can grow tax deferred. These contributions would be tax deductible for the current year but there are contributions limits for this account depending on your income and age.
Like an IRA, the Roth IRA would be opened outside of an employer plan but would be made with after-tax money that would then grow tax-free for retirement. You won’t receive a tax-deduction on the money this year but there are additional benefits to the account like being able to pass the money to your heirs tax free.
The hardest part is knowing how to get started and fortunately Gulf Coast Educators is here to help. We have a financial advisor, Joshua Krakowiak, who can sit down with you and go over your current financial situation and your goals to find the best solution for you and your family. There is no cost or obligation to set up and appointment to see how we can help you make the most of your money.
The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.
With the recent headlines of several bank failures, you may be wondering how safe your own money is. Luckily you are in good hands at GCEFCU, so there is no need to start hiding cash under your mattress.
You’re in Good Hands
Gulf Coast Educators FCU is ranked in the Top 200 Healthiest Credit Unions by DepositAccounts.com and in the Top 100 Best Performing Credit Unions by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Here, we take extra caution when it comes to ensuring your finances are safe and secure. We value your trust in us and don’t take this responsibility lightly.
The “FCU” in Gulf Coast Educators FCU stands for “Federal Credit Union.” All federal credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Deposits are insured up to at least $250,000 per individual depositor, per ownership account type, per NCUA insured credit union.
You may qualify for more than $250,000 in coverage if you own share accounts in different ownership categories. The four categories are:
If you are unsure if all your funds are fully insured, you can use NCUA’s Share Insurance Estimator. This estimator can be used for personal, business, or government accounts. If you have trouble navigating the Share Insurance Estimator, a video guide is available here.
NCUA created a special site called mycreditunion.gov that provides information about everything credit union and share insurance related. You can also view a list of frequently asked questions by clicking here, and view the video below illustrating NCUA’s share insurance coverage.
The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.
Author: Angelica Garcia
It’s that time of year where our bellies are full, and the wallets are definitely a LOT lighter. Shopping is in full swing and naturally we try to stretch our buck as far as we can by finding the best deals.
In recent years online shopping has advanced to where even most social media platforms have some form of marketplace for individual sellers to advertise their products. Now though this is a cheaper and more convenient alternative, there are also risks that come with the territory of shopping online.
Most Social media sites that carry this option have a Purchasers policy that generally states to avoid any type of scams by sticking to purchasing through the website checkout. What many scammers will try to do is lure buyers away from the site by claiming there is an issue with receiving payment on their end or that it is just simpler to go through another method. This could be through an instant transferring app, or the most common one I see is through Gift cards. They are untraceable so naturally this is a go to method for Scammers, all they need to do is just wait for the victim to mail them out. As for the buyer, they are waiting for a product that will not ever arrive.
For another type of Scammer, they won’t be looking for a Gift Card payout, what they go for is information. Avoid providing personal information, even if it seems out of simple conversation. This can escalate from questions like how many kids do you have to where you bank, birthday, and social security number in a matter of moments. Scammers will then use this information to try and access your bank account by posing as you or opening loan accounts using your information. Online banking information is often compromised in these situations as well, the scammer will convince a buyer to provide their login information and send themselves money before the Victim is even able to think that this was a mistake.
Let’s move on to just a regular website, where you do not have to speak with a private seller and all you must do is enter in your card information. In some cases, the checkout process is where buyers are asked to input their personal information like their date of birth and social security so be wary on what information is being asked.
So, what do you need to be looking for to ensure the website you are shopping on is legitimate?
It is peak shopping season; everyone is looking for the best deal. This also is the time when scammers are on the hunt, looking for the quickest cash out. When shopping online stick to the golden rule: If the deal is too good to be true, that’s because it is. And if you are not sure, run it by us, our employees are trained and have the experience to identify red flags in these situations.
Your Credit union is only a call, text, or chat away so let us be your helper this Holiday Season!
Call/Text: 281-487-9333
Toll Free: 800-683-3863