CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Updates

Valued Member,

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to develop, I want to reiterate that the well-being of our members and UNIFY team remains top priority. Our Senior Management Response Team continues to meet daily, closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health authorities to help ensure we are integrating applicable best practice recommendations into our daily operations.

Below are steps we are taking aimed to support and keep you informed:

Hardship Assistance
For members who may be experiencing financial hardships, we have made temporary updates to several of our existing products for current UNIFY loans and share certificates.

• Skip-a-Pay: The $25 fee will be waived, per loan payment skipped, and other considerations have been made to help with eligibility (use eBanking for quickest, self-service option).
• Loan Deferments: Options for existing vehicle, personal, debt consolidation, credit cards, lines of credit, and real estate loans.
• Loan Payments By Phone: The $10 fee will be waived per loan payment.
• Share Certificate Withdrawals: Early withdrawals can be made penalty free.
• Relief Assistance Loan: To assist members who may be experiencing financial hardship due to the current situation, you may be eligible for 0% APR and no income qualifying loan.

Please contact us for more information about these assistance options. When inquiring about hardship assistance, our team will do their best to offer any additional guidance and will work as quickly as possible to act on requests. We ask for your patience in advance, given the current situation.

Branch Access
All of our retail branch locations remain open, under their regular hours, ready to serve members. At the request of some of our employer partners, and in consideration of their business operations, several on-site branches at restricted locations have been temporarily closed. You can view the current list here (under Accessing Branches).

As an additional precautionary measure, and to help protect the well-being of our team and members, we have begun actively managing the number of members coming into the branches at a given time. We have taken this step based on current best practice recommendations from the CDC and their guidance about “social distancing.” Also, enhanced disinfecting and cleaning is being done at all locations. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible when visiting us.

Alternative Service Options
Reminder, if you prefer to connect with us remotely, we have a variety of 24/7 channels for access to your accounts and making transactions.

• eBanking/eMobile: If you are not already registered, access the login here.
• 24/7 Live Chat/Secure Message: Connect with us from eBanking.
• Automated Telephone Banking: Another 24/7 option to access your accounts; call 800.347.2837.
• ATM Locator: More than 100,000 surcharge-free network ATMs are available; get information here.
• 24/7 Contact Center: Call and speak to our team, 24/7, at 877.254.9328.

NOTE: Given the current situation, we are postponing our Annual Meeting that was scheduled for next Monday, March 23, at our Western Way offices in California. We will announce a rescheduled date when determined. For your reference, the 2019 Annual Report is now available on our website.

Please remember, your Credit Union is financially strong and fully prepared to withstand challenging times as this. And, your account is insured up to $250,000 by the NCUA.

Thank you for being a member.

Kind Regards,

Gordon Howe
President & CEO

Valued Member,

Part of our commitment to providing you superior service is doing our best to protect the well-being of all members when interacting with us. Based on the growing escalation about coronavirus (COVID-19), I want to provide an update about what UNIFY is doing to help protect and serve you through this rapidly developing situation.

To start, we have formed a dedicated Senior Management Response Team that is meeting daily to evaluate and review the progress of the virus information regarding potential impacts to our daily operations. All of our contact channels remain available, and we are taking extra precautions to provide safe business and work environments for our members and team members. This includes monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control/Prevention (CDC) and other health authorities, to stay up to date on recommended protocols regarding the prevention and spread of the virus. Additionally, enhanced cleaning services are being implemented at our branch and operation center locations.

While our branches remain open for business, we also offer a variety of digital channels you can use to do most of your transactions:

• eBanking/eMobile: If you are not already registered, access the login here.
• 24/7 Contact Center: Call and speak to our team anytime at 877.254.9328.
• 24/7 Live Chat/Secure Message: Connect with us from eBanking.
• Automated Telephone Banking: Another 24/7 option to access your accounts; call 800.347.2837.
• ATM Locator: More than 100,000 surcharge-free network ATMs are available; learn more here.

As an additional precaution, we also encourage you to stay alert for suspicious email/text messages, phone calls, and fraudulent donation sites that may impersonate such organizations as a medical supply company, charity, or government agency claiming to be supporting efforts against the virus. As a reminder, a UNIFY team representative will never contact you, without prompting, and ask you to verify your member number, full Social Security number, ATM, Debit/Credit Card number, or any other personal financial information.

To learn more and follow the latest information we are also tracking about the virus, visit the CDC's resource center. We will keep you informed with any significant updates as they become available.

Our hearts and well wishes go out to anyone you may know who has been impacted so far. Thank you for being a member.

Kind Regards,

Gordon Howe
President & CEO

• Helping Protect our Members and Team Members

The safety and well-being for our members and our UNIFY team is top priority during the continuing development of the coronavirus situation.

As a precautionary measure, as of March 20, we are managing the number of members entering the branch at one time. We are taking this step based on current best practice recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health authorities. Our intent is to make you feel as comfortable as possible while you do your transactions.

A team member will be at the branch with you to guide you. We appreciate your consideration and understanding.

• Selective and Temporary Branch Closures

While all other branch locations remain open for business, as of Monday, March 30, the following branches/ATMs are temporarily closed.

Please refer to our branch/ATM locator for alternative locations and updates regarding temporary branch hours. You can also connect with us anytime, 24/7, through our digital channels.

For members who may be experiencing financial hardships, we have made temporary updates to several of our existing products for current UNIFY loans and share certificates.

• Skip-a-Pay: The $25 fee will be waived, per loan payment skipped, and other considerations have been made to help with eligibility (use eBanking for quickest, self-service option).
• Loan Deferments: Options for existing vehicle, personal, debt consolidation, credit cards, lines of credit, and real estate loans.
• Loan Payments By Phone: The $10 fee will be waived per loan payment.
• Share Certificate Withdrawals: Early withdrawals can be made penalty free.
• Relief Assistance Loan: To assist members who may be experiencing financial hardship due to the current situation, you may be eligible for 0% APR and no income qualifying loan.

Please contact us for more information about these assistance options. When inquiring about hardship assistance, our team will do their best to offer any additional guidance and will work as quickly as possible to act on requests. We ask for your patience in advance, given the current situation.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to develop, threats of fraud attempts, related to the virus, are increasing. Please read below for current examples fraudsters are using and actions you can take to help protect your personal data.

FRAUD ATTEMPT EXAMPLES:

• Govenment Stimulus Package
  v Fraudsters make contact, claim they are with the government, and you are eligible from $1000 to $14,000 in grant funds. You are asked to provide your debit/credit card information to receive the money.
         - This is not true; government grants are not part of the recent Stimulus Package related to coronavirus.
  
  v Fraudsters make contact, claim they are with the government, and if you provide account information your stimulus payment can be expedited.
         - There is not true; the government is not expediting these payments to any individual and you should not be contacted prior to receiving this payment.
   
• Phishing Scams
  v Fraudsters make contact through email, claiming to be the World Health Organization with an attachment allegedly containing important information about the coronavirus. This attachment contains malware, which can compromise your computer data.
         - Avoid opening attachments and clicking on links within emails from senders you are not familiar with or do not recognize.
   
• Social Engineering Scams
  v Fraudsters advertise for in-demand medical supplies to be used for the prevention/protection against the coronavirus, such as; medical masks, gloves, and disinfectant. The attempted scam requests upfront payments or initial deposits.
         - Be sure to take extra precaution with any medical-related supplies you order, and only do so from reputable sites/providers.
  
  v Fraudsters are using legitimate social media websites to request charitable donations to help support efforts against the coronavirus.
         - Do not open attachments or click on links from your email unless you are sure of the source.
         - Legitimate donation sources in response to coronavirus can be found at cdc.gov.
         - Any online purchase you make should be through reputable and known retailers.

Tips to Help Protect Yourself
Reminder: UNIFY representatives will never contact you directly (by phone, email, or text) and ask for specific personal information including:

• Your full Social Security number
• Your full debit or credit card number
• Your card personal identification number (PIN)
• Your security (CVV) code on the back of your card
• Your eBanking username/security access code (sent to reset passwords)

ASK US: If you are contacted by a questionable source, notice information that does not seem correct on your accounts, or anything out of the ordinary, let us know immediately. Also, if you have not recently updated your contact information with us please do—this helps ensure the protection of your accounts as well.

Questions or need more information? We are here 24/7, at 877.254.9328, and happy to help.

We are offering the following new and free educational webinars to help our members navigate these challenging times.

Simply select the webinar you want, log in, and connect to information that will help you manage the recent changes to your budget and life.

• 30 Ways to Trim Your Budget Today – Allow 35 minutes to complete.
  Stretching your budget is a necessary step to achieving your financial goals, especially during uncertain economic times. Learn smart ways to save on the things that impact your finances most, such as food, utilities, transportation, medicine and much more.
• Financial First Aid  – Allow 60 minutes to complete.
  A financial crisis can throw even the best money management plan into chaos. This session focuses on ways to gain control of a crisis. Members will learn about financial assessments, expense prioritization, and effective negotiation with creditors.
• Rebuilding After a Financial Crisis – Allow 30 minutes to complete.
  A job loss, a medical crisis, or other hardship can send a normal financial situation into a tailspin. Members will learn how to get their finances back on track, including budgeting, repaying debt, rebuilding credit, establishing emergency savings, and replenishing retirement savings.
• Improving Your Financial Health – Allow 45 minutes to complete.
  Even during an economic downturn, it is possible to improve your financial health. In this webinar you will understand what it means to be financially healthy – which is so much more than the one score everyone asks you about today – your credit score. True financial health is based on four key components: Spend, Save, Borrow, and Plan. You’ll also get a chance to confidentially determine your own Financial Health Score and the steps you can take to improve that score.

Your Credit Union is financially well-positioned, and has prepared to handle challenging times as this for our members. And, your deposits are insured to at least $250,000 by the NCUA. 

• eBanking/eMobile: If you are not already registered, learn more here.
• 24/7 Contact Center: Call and speak to our team anytime at 877.254.9328.
• 24/7 Live Chat/Secure Message: Connect with us from eBanking.
• Automated Telephone Banking: Another 24/7 option to access your accounts; call 800.347.2837. 
• ATM Locator: More than 100,000 surcharge-free network ATMs are available; learn more here.