North Alabama Educators Credit Union

THIS OPTIONAL OVERDRAFT COVERAGE IS DESIGNED FOR EMERGENCIES. DISASTER STRIKES WHEN WE LEAST EXPECT IT. THESE TIPS CAN HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR HOME AND VALUABLES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS. YOU BOUGHT YOUR weather radio, know where to go when severe weather strikes, and have a fire exit plan. Despite your best efforts, sometimes things still go wrong. Consider these measure to prepare in case of a disaster. → Catalog personal items. From your grandmom's jewelry to the holiday decorations in the closet, make a list of all your personal items. What seems insignificant now could be expensive to replace if destroyed. → Know your value. While cataloging your belongings, make sure you have an accurate estimate of the cost of your items and keep the list safe so you can provide it to your insurance company if you have a claim. → Take pictures. Photos of your home and possessions before a disaster—as well as immediately a erward— can help document your insurance claim. → Use the cloud. It's handy to have physical lists and photographs, but those may not be much use if they're lost with your home. Keep electronic records as a backup, either by putting files on a flashdrive that you keep with you, using cloud storage, or emailing files to yourself. → Store safely. Large, personal, fire-resistant safes can keep your valuables intact even if your home is damaged. For smaller personal items or paper records, an off-site deposit box can be a valuable investment. NEED A SECURE PLACE TO STORE VITAL DOCUMENTS? NORTH ALABAMA EDUCATORS' CREDIT UNION HAS SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES. COURTESY PAY ALLOWS North Alabama Educators Credit Union (NAECU) members to overdraw their checking accounts and save money in returned item fees from merchants that would have been charged if the item had been returned. NAECU President and CEO Greg Olmsted, stresses that Courtesy Pay is not a loan or line of credit. Instead, he recommends that members think of Courtesy Pay as a resource in case of an emergency or a math error in balancing their checking account. "A vehicle breaking down while you're out of town or an unexpected funeral expense would be an emergency situation where having access to more money could be useful," Greg explains. "Another example is a math error for as little as $5 that could wind up costing as much as $57 over the cost of the check because you would pay a $27 NFS fee from us and a $30 returned payment fee from the merchant. With Courtesy Pay, a situation like one of these would cost $27 instead of $57." NAECU members who use Courtesy Pay can overdraw their accounts up to $500, including transaction fees of $27 per item. Members who utilize Courtesy Pay and carry a negative balance as a result have up to 30 days to cover the overdra balance, including the fees. Members must opt-in for debit card access. "For repetitive overdra s, a regular overdra loan is recommended," Greg says. "An NAECU loan officer can help to set up this kind of loan free of charge. In many occurrences, carrying a balance on an overdra loan for 30 days is far less expensive than using Courtesy Pay." Are You PREPARED? UNDERSTANDING Courtesy Pay WHAT IT IS: Courtesy Pay is an optional overdraft service that helps members experiencing emergencies or those who've made an account balance error. WHAT IT ISN'T: Courtesy Pay is not an overdraft loan or line of credit for frequent or multiple instances of overdraft because the fees are per item. Overdraft loans are available for qualifying members who need them. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT NAECU.ORG. 3

• Cover