Although a compromised card may or may not be used by a criminal, First Castle doesn’t want to take any chances.  As soon as we are notified that a compromise has occurred (like the recent compromise with Global Payments Inc.), we immediately contact our affected members to notify them and we automatically block and reissue cards at no charge to you.

Because a card compromise can occur unexpectedly, you should always be prepared with a backup credit card so that you will still be able to make transactions if your debit card is blocked.  As a First Castle member, you’re eligible to apply for any of our low-rate, no-annual-fee credit cards.   For members who are new to the world of credit or want to start rebuilding a good credit history, we even offer secured cards, which look and function just like a standard Visa card.

Click here to learn more, or call us at (985) 867-8867.

Here are a few suggestions on where to look:

1)      Kids and Family Northshore’s April Edition has a huge selection of summer camp ads and listings, many with special offers and coupons!

2)      St. Tammany Parish Public Schools offers themed, educational camps.

3)      Macaroni Kid Northshore offers a great list of Summer Camps with links to more information.

4)      Pelican Park’s program is the perfect option to keep kids active.

Summer Camp doesn’t have to be expensive, but the earlier you get started on planning the more likely you will be to find the programs which best fit your schedule, taste, and budget.

In 2007 when we received our new charter to serve all of St. Tammany Parish, we chose Covington for our initial location. After construction of our Covington building was completed in 2008 we knew we would soon be looking east to Slidell for our next branch location. Slidell represents a large percentage of St. Tammany’s population and as St. Tammany’s Community Credit Union we wanted and needed to be there for our current members, and potential members.

We are excited to let everyone know that we will soon be opening our new branch at 1402 Gause Blvd in Slidell.  We anticipate an opening date of mid to late May.  We are very excited about this as it will enable us to offer our great products and services, and fantastic rates to more families. We have gotten stronger and better since our move to St. Tammany Parish and we look forward to continuing that with our new Slidell branch.

As we look toward the future with our third location we want to say thanks to all of our members who have helped us build the Credit Union we are today.  Please come and visit us at our new branch and find out what we can offer you and your family!

Stay tuned for more information about our Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Grand Opening Celebration.

Dinero catches up with some old friends at the YMCA!

Once again, First Castle enjoyed being a part of the West St. Tammany YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 28th.  Healthy Kids Day is part of a national movement to keep kids and families active and healthy. There was a great turnout, with many local vendors offering products and services for families in St. Tammany Parish.

The First Castle table featured a tropical fish theme, great giveaways, and our mascot Dinero!  Dinero enjoyed catching up with some old friends and meeting new ones.

When: Saturday, April 28th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Where: West St. Tammany YMCA , 71256 Francis Road, Covington, LA  70433

Contact: Call or email Anna Mercante at (985) 893-9622 or annam@ymcaneworleans.org

Cardiovascular disease is the Number 1 killer of Americans.  Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, and congenital cardiovascular defects are the most common cause of infant death from birth defects.

When: This Saturday, April 21st.  Registration begins at 9:00 AM, Opening Ceremonies begin at 9:30 AM, and the Walk begins at 10:00 AM.

Where: Fontainebleau State Park, 67825 Highway 190, Mandeville

Fees:  Free.  Walkers are eligible for a Heart Walk T-Shirt once they have raised a minimum of $100.

Visit http://northshoreheartwalk.org for more information, to register, or to make a donation.

When: Thursday, April 12th, 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Where: Northshore Harbor Center, Slidell

FREE and open to the public, the Business and Community Showcase is the largest trade show on the Northshore, and an excellent opportunity to learn about the businesses and services in our area.  There will be a wealth of fun and information, free giveaways and door prizes.  Be sure to stop by the First Castle booth to try your luck at our game and you could win some exclusive new First Castle merchandise.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Hopefully spring break will give your children a chance to have fun and return to school with renewed vigor to complete the year with good grades.  In case they are in need of a little extra motivation, it may help to remind them that First Castle’s Castle Kids Account will reward them with a dollar for every ‘A’ on their final report card!*

If your children do not yet have a Castle Kids Account, now is the perfect time for a trip to First Castle to get them started on the fun!  Opening the account is quick and easy, requires their Social Security Card and Birth Certificate, as well as the Driver’s License of a parent or guardian.  Our Castle Kids Account also offers a high rate of interest, special tools to make saving money fun, and even has its own mascot, Dinero the Dragon.

*Must have $50 on deposit, $5.00 maximum.

We value your feedback and we will carefully consider your suggestions.  Please stay tuned for more information about the survey results and how we plan to use them.

According to data collected by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) from more 7,094 federally insured credit unions, credit unions added 1.3 million new customers in 2011, bringing total membership to a record 91.8 million by the end of the year.

Much of this growth came in the fourth quarter of the year, as consumer movements like Bank Transfer Day led customers to leave their big banks and look for alternatives like credit unions, which tend to have fewer fees and offer better rates.

Many consumers had grown increasingly frustrated by new and higher fees showing up on checking accounts, with some banks even charging monthly fees for debit card use.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

“In the fourth quarter, following Bank of America’s retraction of its fee, credit unions added 398,000 customers — about 30% of the total new customers added during the year. “

“Total assets increased by $47.4 billion, or 5%, to $961.8 billion in 2011, boosted by $10.6 billion in new assets in the fourth quarter alone. Lending increased 1.2% during the year, bringing total loans to $571.5 billion by the end of the year — and two-thirds of that growth occurred in the last quarter. Industry earnings also improved significantly, with net income at credit unions jumping more than 40% in 2011 to $6.4 billion.”

Adapted from: “Credit unions hit a record number of members” by Blake Ellis.  Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/29/pf/credit_unions_members/index.htm on March 23, 2012.