Great news!  Leaders Credit Union's 2011 Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, March 26 at 6:00 PM.  The meeting will be held at the Carl Grant Events Center on the Union University campus in Jackson. 

As always, you can expect an opportunity to meet with every member of our staff, finger foods, door prizes, giveaways and a recap on the prior year.  Also, our CEO Todd Swims will give a financial report and you will have an opportunity to speak with our Board of Directors.

 

 

 

If you frequent our Maplewood location in Jackson (2673 North Highland Avenue), you may have recently seen posters and buckslips advertising that we will be going "express" soon. 

This change is intended to make our Maplewood more efficient by consolidating the retail branch with our Mortgage Services division.  Members with home loan needs may visit the Maplewood location when we re-open our doors on May 1 as Leaders Mortgage Services. 

For those who would like to continue visiting the Maplewood branch for transactions, our drive-thru lanes and our ATM will remain open and accessible.  Also, our Main Branch at 214 Oil Well Road is less than two miles away via Old Humboldt Road for lobby transactions. 

We encourage our members seeking a mortgage to visit us on May 1 to meet our newest Mortgage Representative, Kelli Bryan, and find out more details about our Best Loan Pricing Guarantee.

 

Our newest branch at 1500 S First Street in Union City is undergoing a full-scale renovation, which will result in a much better lobby visit, quicker ATM and drive-thru transactions, and a revolutionary engagement experience with our new iPad bar. 

Here are some photos of the progress.  Please check back periodically as we will be wrapping up the construction by late spring of this year.

Front door view from our new teller station

Our new "pod" teller stations

Our Community Room will be a great place to meet and talk

 

 

One of the most frequent questions we receive, both in our branches and at events is regarding deposit interest rates and why they are so low.  Doubtless there are many members who are frustrated with the savings environment that our economy has left us with, but it's important to understand some of the key elements that go into interest rates and how you can make the most of your overall financial picture during this period of time.

In this issue we will look at interest-bearing checking accounts and what to look for when you're shopping for a new option.  We'll also look at the Leaders Mortgage Services Best Loan Pricing Guarantee and how you can feel confident when making your home loan decision.

We also want you to know about everything going on at the credit union right now.  Our Annual Meeting will be held at the Carl Grant Events Center on March 26 at 6pm and we hope to see you there.  We're also making tremendous progress with our Union City branch, and we're asking you to participate in some mobile payments research by completing the survey at the link right below.

As always, thank you for your continued business and please let us know if we can serve you better.

By Kelli Bryan, Loan Representative with Leaders Mortgage Services

Kelli Bryan is Leaders Mortgage Services most recent representative.  She specializes in First-Time Homebuyer originations and special financing options.

I'm not new to the mortgage lending business.

 

In fact, I would call myself a bona fide pro. I've been able to close loans that no one else would have been able to close and I've made a lot of home ownership dreams come true for a lot of people. However, today's interest rate climate has even made mortgage lenders like me sweat a little. The rates are constantly changing, and it seems that when they couldn't drop any further, I come into work the next morning and they have dropped again.

 

So I can completely understand why potential home-buyers are a little gun-shy about locking into a home loan right now. You've found the perfect home here in West Tennessee, you're ready to settle down, pick the paint colors and shop for furniture. The only thing between you and realizing your dream are a few percentage points. You're also worried that if you choose one lender, there may be another with a better deal. Objections like these have always been a difficult one for people like me to overcome when I discuss them with homebuyers.  Rates and terms are always a tough nut to crack for refinancers as well.  "If I refinance now, will the rate be even better by the time I close?"  It's a legitimate concern.

 

Until now, that is.

 

Recently we began offering a Guaranteed Best Loan Pricing program, which is designed specifically to address those concerns of uncertainty that each new homebuyer has. We've provided some full disclosure on our website, but basically we want to ensure that you are confident that you got the best price that the West Tennessee market has to offer when you purchase or refinance your home. In fact, we're so proud of our pricing that we will guarantee to beat any local competitor's pricing by $250, or we'll give you $1000. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? That's because it is.

 

Yes, I'll admit that interest rates are a scary topic right now, and buying or refinancing a home can be more daunting of a task than ever. But that is why I'm here to help you through it. Our team at Leaders Mortgage Services is full of highly trained, skilled professionals that know how to get you into your dream home at the best possible price. Come see us today and find out why you should pull the trigger with Leaders Mortgage Services for your next home loan.

 

Kelli is available to answer any mortgage question you may have. Email her by clicking here.

 

AJ Massey is our branch manager at our Main Branch, 214 Oil Well Road. He has served in this role since 2010 and also works as a financial literacy coach in the community.