If you’re considering rolling over your IRA assets to an existing or new IRA, you need to be aware of an upcoming change that will affect IRA rollovers.

**Fraudulent Bronco Cashier’s Checks Notice:**
If you receive a letter from Northern Financial Company Group Inc. in Forest Park, Georgia, stating that you have won their promotional drawing, this is a scam. The letter states that the recipient should contact a claim agent to settle taxes on the winnings before the full amount can be sent. A fake Bronco Cashier’s Check is included to supposedly cover the amount of the taxes.

Do not contact the claim agent. The enclosed check is bogus. If anyone contacts you concerning this scam, please do not provide them with any personal information, especially your Bronco account number(s). Tell them you know this is a scam and hang up.

If you have further questions or need assistance, please contact Bronco’s Compliance and Auditing Coordinator, Amy Simms, at 757.569.3710

A lot of members have been asking us about recent ID breaches at local businesses such as Community Health Systems (which includes Southampton Memorial and Southern Regional hospitals) and Farm Fresh.

According to Steve Ramey, CFO of Southampton Memorial Hospital and a Bronco Board Member, neither Southampton nor its clinics were affected by the breach. Both Southern VA clinics and Southside clinics (physician offices) were. Only patient names and Social Security numbers were taken. No credit card information was taken so there should be no impact on Bronco credit or debit card holders.

If you feel that your personal data may have been compromised during these breaches, please contact one or both of the businesses directly. Farm Fresh has created a call center to field questions. Community Health Systems is notifying affected consumers directly and offering ID Theft protection.

Even if you do not feel your credit or debit card information has been compromised it is always a good financial habit to routinely monitor your credit and debit accounts for errors.

Credit unions promote the economic well being of their members, especially those of modest means, through a system that is member-owned, volunteer-directed and not-for-profit.

The credit union mission has always been to ensure secure financial choices at lower costs for their members. That’s why credit unions offer financial products that provide better returns on savings, reduced rates on loans and lower or no fees on services.

While credit unions are regulated by the federal and state governments, they are also governed by volunteer boards elected by their membership. Credit unions don’t answer to stockholders, but to each of their 96 million members.

Credit unions invest in people by helping those who have been traditionally underserved by banks. Groups like seniors on fixed incomes, single working moms, minority communities needing greater community investment, and small business owners struggling to raise capital all rely on credit unions for important financial services at reasonable costs.

While the big banks have abandoned small businesses in droves because they just can’t make enough money, credit unions promote their small business members in a struggling economy by providing low cost credit alternatives. This credit union investment means millions of jobs across America.

Unfortunately, the big banks and some in Congress want to raise taxes and impose new fees on 96 million credit union members who represent 40% of all Americans, yet represent only 6% of the assets in financial institutions. And, they want to do this despite the fact that credit unions are not-for-profit and meeting their core mission every day.

That’s wrong and will imperil the credit union movement that so many have come to depend on for real financial choice.

Don’t let Congress raise taxes on 96 million credit union members. Don’t let Congress eliminate real financial choice. Don’t let Congress destroy our credit unions. Go to DontTaxMyCreditUnion.org to tell Congress “Don’t Tax My Credit Union”