win_win_merger

What does the merger with Sparks City Employees Federal Credit Union really mean?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

In mid-February, the board of Great Basin agreed to a merger with Sparks City Employees Federal Credit Union. Prior to the actual merger, at least two key steps must occur including getting the regulatory approval and then the members of Sparks City need to vote and agree to the merger. So assuming these things happen, what does that really mean to Great Basin members? Well, for now not much, as we will be the continuing credit union, so all your favorite employees (like me) will still be here doing what we’ve always done.  Out a year or so, we will see the added leverage of 1900 additional... 

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RetirementPlanning

Want to Retire Tomorrow?

Thursday, February 9, 2012

I tell members they ­might be able to, but it depends on how much money they want to live on.  Some people prefer to work longer so they can have a higher income; others are willing to live on less if they can retire earlier.  That’s why financial planning is such an individual process. Setting goals is the first most important step.  I worked with one member who needed to retire for health reasons but didn’t think he could until all his debts were paid off.  I helped him design an income plan in which he had a higher income until his debts were paid off and then lowered it for future... 

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xrayglasses

If it sounds too good to be true…

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Ok, I’ll admit it; I despise deceptive advertising.  I don’t know when this abhorrence first appeared, but perhaps it comes from the time I ordered x-ray glasses from the back of a comic book when I was 6, or from my attempt to build a hovercraft using an old lawnmower and the plans I purchased from an ad in Popular Science.  Either way my frustration with misleading advertisements is deeply embedded, which brings me to my latest rant. There’s currently a commercial airing on television touting the virtues of the American Buffalo 24-karat gold coin.  The ad reads, “The $50 Gold Buffalo... 

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Dennis

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What does the merger with Sparks City Employees Federal Credit Union really mean?

win_win_merger

In mid-February, the board of Great Basin agreed to a merger with Sparks City Employees Federal Credit Union. Prior to the actual merger, at least two key steps must occur including getting the regulatory approval and then the members of Sparks City need to vote and agree to the merger. So assuming these things happen, what does that really mean to Great Basin members? Well, for now not much, as we will be the continuing credit union, so all your favorite employees (like me) will... Read More

2

When WordPerfect and Lotus Roamed the Earth

dinos2

We’ve had a number of members contact us asking us why we changed our online banking system. “It wasn’t broken”;” the new one is so different”;” I liked the old one better”; “I lost this or that function” and yup, all of these statements are understandable and accurate.  The credit union was faced with an expiring contract with our online banking provider and so we looked at the alternatives available to us. Compared to our existing provider, quite candidly... Read More

2

How to Serve Humans

How-to-serve-customers

It has been interesting to listen to what little feedback there has been from the banks regarding Bank Transfer Day and the estimated 650,000 accounts that switched to credit unions in October alone. I have heard a couple of times that the banker’s response was that they are really not that concerned as, “Those accounts that left were really the less profitable ones, and we didn’t want them anyway.” PLEASE… Let me translate for the rest of you that have NOT... Read More

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Jennifer

Eating Facebook Crow

eatFBcrow

So about six months ago I wrote a blog on this very site about my feelings on Facebook and I committed to never be a user.  My reasoning was clear and well thought out.  After I wrote it, some events happened that needed my participation and I allowed myself to be open to feedback.  In [...]

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Tony

If it sounds too good to be true…

xrayglasses

Ok, I’ll admit it; I despise deceptive advertising.  I don’t know when this abhorrence first appeared, but perhaps it comes from the time I ordered x-ray glasses from the back of a comic book when I was 6, or from my attempt to build a hovercraft using an old lawnmower and the plans I purchased [...]