VOTE NOW

 

The entries are IN and now it's your turn to help us find the best spokesperson for the Young & Free Florida job here at Tropical.  You can read about each of these talented individuals as well as watch a video they prepared to show us they are ready, willing and EXCITED to be the FIRST Young & Free Florida Spokester!

 

You have one week to make your choice between these ten fantasic people who will help share financial tips, tricks, and the great services at Tropical Financial Credit Union designed for the 18-25 crowd! 

 

Go to www.YoungFreeFlorida.com to cast your vote today!  

 

^Amy

Pay It Forward Day

 

Last week a friend of mine went out to dinner with her family. That may not seem very exciting, but as a mother of two young children a dinner out with the “whole family” can be more like a trip overseas than a relaxing evening out.  As the meal ended and the bill came, they were surprised to see that that half the bill had been paid for by an anonymous stranger – leaving them only a note:

“You have a cute, happy family and we remember how tight budgets can be when children are young. We ask only one thing in return – pay it forward.”

She was so touched by that outreach of human kindness, she immediately wrote on her Facebook wall to share with her friends that in a world so filled with violence and doubt that this one small act completely restored her faith in the goodness of humanity. 

After reading her story I found myself at a toll booth paying for the person behind me and telling the toll booth attendant to tell that person to “pay it forward”…I’m not sure if he was confused by my words or by the fact that I wanted to pay the extra $1.25 for a total stranger and hopefully he did indeed convey my message.

April 25^th has been dubbed as International Pay It Forward Day, a day to commit random acts of kindness for others in our community. So today as you head home from work, go to the grocery store, pick up the kids from soccer practice, or whatever else occupies our busy lives, think of one thing you can do to bring some goodness into the life of others.  Here are a few ideas:

• If you walk into a coffee shop, buy the person next you their cup of coffee, or that student    busy studying for finals
• Put a dollar or spare change in the box next to the cash register for whatever charity that store is supporting
• Thank a soldier
• Stop at the pet store and pick up a bag of food for the local animal shelter
• Pick up the tab for someone else at a restaurant
• Take a walk around the neighborhood and bring a bag to pick up any trash that you might find
• Take a look around your house and see if there are books or clothes that can be donated
• Let someone go before you at the grocery store
• Pay a toll for the person behind you (I did it and it felt great!)

These are just a few ideas that you can do today, or any day.

From all of us at Tropical Financial Credit Union Happy PAY IT FORWARD DAY!   

^Amy

The Value Of A Relationship

As a member of Tropical Financial, Ken
knows who he can count on, even in the tough times.

The payoff for establishing a good relationship with all our business partners comes when we least expect it.  Life is easy when the going is good, when difficulties begin to arise, things get tougher and we all learn who our real friends and partners are.It is not difficult for a company to have a mission and a vision, and then find ways to tell everyone that they are living up to their written statements.  When we do what we say we do, we don’t have to tell everyone, but then everyone will tell you!

This is an email we received from our member, Ken:

Wow, what an experience.  Gone are the days you walk into a dealership and walk out with a car.

My special needs certainly represented a problem.  Thank for working so diligently to get me the loan.

This loan represents the beginning of the next segment of my life.  The vehicle and the loan is the first step to rebuild my credit that stands shell shocked from the construction crunch.

You clearly went above and beyond to gather the information to re-butt each problem and situation.

Tropical Financial is the place to bank!

Every time I cash a check at a bank they ask me to open an account with their bank.  This how I reply:

I ask them if their bank would call to instruct me on a quicker, less costly way to receive money from Canada.  Because my credit union did! 

I ask if they would know me by name when I enter the door?  My credit union does and at more than one location!

As you know, I'm loud enough and I make sure that everyone hears Tropical Financial is the place to bank.

Thanks again.

Looking forward to a long financial relationship.

 

 

Members of Tropical Financial Credit Union can count on our continuous commitment to helping them find ways to make their financial lives easier and better.  In this particular case, Ken found that his relationship with the credit union provided a huge payoff when he needed it most.Tropical Financial has provided all basic banking products and services to Ken and his business. Ken has relied on the expertise of the Tropical staff to help him with all his banking needs.  For the most part, Ken managed his business and Tropical provided a banking platform than allowed him to focus on his business and not his banking.

Ken owns a Kitchen remodel and design company.  In his own words:  “Life was good for many years.  Then someone flipped the switch”.  The economic downturn and the impact on the construction industry placed a tremendous burden on the business and on Ken’s personal finances. 
The economy is improving, and with that, consumers are beginning to make improvements to their homes.  Ken’s business is improving and he is back on track. 

When Ken called TFCU for a business vehicle loan, our staff worked to find a way to get Ken the loan he needed.  Instead of just looking at Ken “on paper”, we took a look at the whole person.  We look for reasons to say “yes”.  In Ken’s case, we were able to see how hard he struggled to meet his obligations.  We understood that his financial difficulty was not caused by frivolous overspending, but was the result of insurmountable circumstances over which he had no control.

Credit unions seek to establish a relationship with their members.  The focus is not on a single product, a checking account, or a loan.  The focus is on understanding our member’s needs and providing the best possible solutions for their day-to-day financial strength.

And like Ken, we are looking forward to a long relationship!

^Steve

Ken's story was also shared in a recent Sun Sentinel article

YOUNG & FREE FLORIDA

We are extremely excited to officially launch Young & Free Florida! Our Tropical team has been working hard to get this important initiative off the ground and today we've done it!

Introducing

 

You can connect through the Young and Free Florida website, through which we will be offering products, services and great resources aimed at those just starting out in their financial lives - the under 25 crowd.  On the site you'll find ways to get money smart, save your money, and of course, win free stuff (check out April's contest)!

We also are looking for someone to connect with that under 25 year-old crowd by becoming the first Young & Free Florida Spokester!  This person will get a full-time dream job writing blogs, creating videos, using social media and attending in-person events to connect with young adults in Southern Florida.  The job comes with a great salary, benefits, and gear to do the job including a MacBook, video camera, iPhone, and even the use of a special Young & Free Florida car!

Do you think you've got what it takes to be our first Young & Free Florida Spokester? Or do you know someone who would be perfect for the job? Check out how to apply at YoungFreeFlorida.com.

It's an exciting time here at Tropical Financial! Hope you get involved and follow along, or better yet - get involved!

^Amy

Spring Has Sprung!

Our windows are open,  the fresh, cool air wafting through our home.  A sign that it is time for Spring cleaning!!  YEAH!!  Or, noooo….

This is the time of year I usually take a few days off of work and spend it cleaning out the drawers, freshening up the house, a coat of paint here and there, some fueng shui furniture placements (for good luck, of course!) , working in the yard- making sure our over-sized yard of  St. Augustine grass, mango, avocado and citrus trees are properly fertilized.  As well as and getting together some Goodwill donations. 

My spring routine starts with reviewing my bills – I am always looking for ways to save here and there…so, I call the cable company, the phone company, cell phone service provider and the insurance companies – all of them;   auto, home, windstorm and flood, too! The cable and cell phone service providers are ALWAYS cooperative and even if it’s only a few dollars, I seem to work out something that satisfies both me and the company.   I am checking into switching insurance providers to see if I can make a substantial difference in my very high premiums, I guess living in a tropical paradise has its downfalls.  We have been with the same company for so long and feel a sense of loyalty, but the premiums have become outrageous.

Hopefully, I will be successful in my quest to clean out the old and start with the new.  Review my expenses and make some changes.   It takes me a while to get started, but once I do look out!  

If I can only get off the sofa….

 

^Kat

Relay For Life - A Successful And Moving Experience

Some of the Tropical Financial Credit Union team members
for Relay For Life. The team raised more than $7,000!

This past weekend 27 employees of Tropical Financial Credit Union along with their families walked the track at Walter C. Young Middle School in Pembroke Pines in the annual Relay For Life event.  I’m VERY proud of everyone on the Tropical team, especially by the fact that we raised and donated $7,129.68 in the fight against cancer.  It wasn’t just the employees who helped raise that money – our members helped by donating over the last few months at local branches and even online.  In the true spirit of community we came together as one and surpassed our team goal of $5,000!

As part of our team donation we had sponsored what I consider to be the most moving portion of the event:  the Luminaria ceremony.  This is the part of the evening when all the lights are turned off and the track is illuminated only by the glow of remembrance bags, each with a candle inside representing the memory of a lost loved one, or to honor a survivor who continues their battle against this terrible disease.  As we walked in silence around the track we were led by a bagpiper whose melodic sounds filled the air with songs like Amazing Grace.  You walked by people who would kneel or sit next to the candle they lit for their own loved one and had to really resist the urge to put your arms around them to bring them comfort.  But then you looked around and realized they were surrounded by the warmth and comfort of hundreds of people all sharing in their pain and in their hope.

The Luminaria ceremony is a time to remember
those that have passed and honor those that continue to
fight against cancer.

I believe there will come a day when we really do hear the good news that a cure for cancer has been found.  I also know without research dollars that day will be much further down the road than it should be.  Sometimes something as small as a one dollar bill could tip the scales, it could be THE dollar that helps fund the research that leads to the cure…you just never know.

Community involvement is part of the reason we exist as credit unions. On Friday and Saturday, that involvement was shared in a much greater community that was Relay For Life….for that I’m humbled and grateful.

^Amy

Debt Consolidation is Key

Now that the holidays are well behind us, tax season is in full swing. The big question that always comes up in our household is what to do with that tax return.  We are bombarded with all the furniture stores, electronic stores, and new car ads luring us in with their special deals so we’ll spend that tax return money. My son just got a 60 inch plasma TV with surround sound with his money (yeah he fell for it), but maybe instead of bulking up on the latest gadgets, maybe now is a better time to look at what debt we already are carrying and see how best to consolidate it to help pay it down quicker.

Did you know that if you have a credit card and you use more than 1/3 of your limit it actually can hurt your credit score? You can pay perfectly on all your debt, paying down more than minimums, but if you’ve got cards that are maxed out, or close to being maxed out you still are damaging your credit.  This is known as your "level of debt," which is measured by how much of your limit that you are using. Having a high credit balance, relative to your credit limit, increases your credit utilization and decreases your credit score.   Stick to the 30% rule – never put more than 30% of your limit on each of your cards. If you find that you’re having a hard time with that, you can transfer some of your balances to other cards to bring the balance down to 30% or lower, or even ask the provider to increase the limit so that your balance is lower.

Did you also know you can look at things like your car or home to refinance and pull equity from to help pay those higher interest rate cards down to a point where you can help your credit?  Add to that the money you get back from your tax return and you can get yourself closer to your goal of getting out of debt.   

One of the things I LOVE about credit unions is they care about their members to the point of looking at your whole financial picture and helping you find solutions that work for YOU – not them.  It’s pretty simple:  banks need to satisfy shareholders so they must make money to keep that group happy. At a credit union, they exist as not-for-profit cooperatives; which is a fancy way of saying they don’t have pressures to satisfy shareholders, they work for you…period.

So if you are anxiously waiting for that big deposit from Uncle Sam, or if you’ve recently received it, instead of measuring for a new TV set, make an appointment with a Financial Service Specialist at TropicalFinancial Credit Union to help you get complete control of your finances from a place that truly cares about you.  Give us a call today at 888-261-8328.

^Amy