ATM cards: Instant access to your money!

You're miles from Northern Communities Credit Union and you need money to buy that pair of jeans you've had your eyes on. How do you get money from your account? Just find an automated teller machine (ATM), pull out your ATM card, and get the cash you need.

Northern Communities Credit Union ATM card looks like a credit card but works like cash. It gives you access to the money in your Checking and Savings accounts any time, any day, through an ATM.

With this convenient little card, you can get cash, make deposits, check your account balances, and transfer money from one of your accounts to another. Just remember to subtract the cash you withdraw and add deposits to your account register.

It's Safe, Easy and Free!

Carrying an ATM card is safer than carrying a lot of cash around, and Northern Communities Credit Union doesn't charge you a fee to use it. (The use of ATMs that aren’t operated by the Credit Union may result in the imposition of fees by the ATM operator or network) Guard your ATM card and PIN (the personal identification number needed to access your account) like cash. Thieves can steal your card, but fortunately, they can’t get your money without your PIN.

Facts About Money

The U.S. Treasury prints 38 million new bills a day, with a face value of about $541 million.

About 95 percent of the new bills printed each year replace old money. About 48 percent of those new bills are $1 bills.

If you had 10 billion $1 bills and you spent one every second of every day, it would take you 317 years to go broke.

How many times can you fold a bill before it tears? You can double-fold a bill (first forward, then backward) 4,000 times before it tears.

The average length of time each bill lasts before it's ripped, burned, written on, or worn out:

Making a Budget

Working with money can seem downright scary. There’s weird vocabulary, a mind-boggling array of choices, practical math, and the most ominous part - figuring out how much you have and how much you owe.

It’s not that bad. Really. Take a deep breath, grab a pencil, and let us help you walk through the process. Remember how afraid you were of the first day of high school? Wasted worry, wasn’t it? Budgets are the same way: once you’ve done one, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

List your incoming money for a month:

List your outgoing money for a month:

Keep track of the money you get and spend for one month. Compare them. Surprised? If you don't like what you find, you've uncovered your weak spots. You know where to cut back.

Shop Safely on the Internet

Almost 17 million people will buy something from the Internet this year. The convenience of online shopping is great. Everything from concert tickets to clothes are as close as your computer -- but is it safe?

Here are a few tips for secure online shopping:

Use a secure browser. The software you use to navigate the Internet should scramble the purchase information you send. Check with the software manufacturer to make sure your browser is secure. Also, sites that offer secure ordering are noted by "https" in its ordering address.

Keep your passwords private. Set creative passwords using numbers, letters, and symbols. Don't share them with unsolicited e-mails or use the same word for more than one account.

Shop with companies you know. If you don't recognize a company's name, ask for a catalog or brochure to find out about its service, and make sure you know its return and refund policies. Check a company's reliability with organizations like the Better Business Bureau.

Pay by credit or charge card. This covers your purchase under the Fair Credit Billing Act, giving you certain rights if there's a problem.

Keep a record. Print a copy of your purchase order and confirmation number to keep in case of problems.

Q and A's

Why were certain individuals chosen to be pictured on our paper currency?
As with our nation's coinage, the Secretary of the Treasury usually selects the designs shown on United States currency. Unless specified by an Act of Congress, the Secretary generally has the final approval. This is done with the advice of Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) officials. In addition, the Commission on Fine Arts reviews all of the designs.

The law prohibits portraits of living persons from appearing on Government Securities. Therefore, the portraits on our currency notes are of deceased persons whose places in history the American people know well.

The basic face and back designs of all denominations of our paper currency in circulation today were selected in 1928. A committee appointed to study such matters made those choices. The only exception is the reverse design of the one-dollar bill. Unfortunately, however, our records do not suggest why certain Presidents and statesmen were chosen for specific denominations.

What is the significance of the symbols on the back of the one-dollar bill? I'm particularly interested in the eye and the pyramid.

The eye and the pyramid shown on the reverse side of the one-dollar bill are in the Great Seal of the United States. The Great Seal was first used on the reverse of the one-dollar Federal Reserve note in 1935. The Department of State is the official keeper of the Seal. They believe that the most accurate explanation of a pyramid on the Great Seal is that it symbolizes strength and durability. The unfinished pyramid means that the United States will always grow, improve and build. In addition, the "All-Seeing Eye" located above the pyramid suggests the importance of divine guidance in favor of the American cause.

The inscription ANNUIT COEPTIS translates as "He (God) has favored our undertakings," and refers to the many instances of Divine Providence during our Government's formation. In addition, the inscription NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM translates as "A new order of the ages," and signifies a new American era. If you are interested in a more detailed history of the Great Seal of the United States, you should contact the Department of State directly.