No matter what your financial situation might be, St. Louis Community Credit Union has you covered.  That’s because we provide a number of unique services to help you meet life’s challenges.  In fact, we consider ourself the social conscience of banking. BalanceSM Financial Fitness Program With so many financial obligations and options, money management may seem difficult and confusing at times. That’s why St. Louis Community Credit Union has partnered with BALANCESM, a financial education and counseling service that can help you get on track: Review and improve your credit report Get out of debt Set up a spending and savings plan that works for you Prepare to buy a home Call a BALANCE counselor toll-free at 1-888-456-2227 and let them know you’re a St. Louis Community Credit Union member, or click here for more information.     Freedom "Second Chance" Checking Account Have you had some credit or account management problems in the past that have prohibited you from opening an account at a bank or credit union? Well, St. Louis Community can help you get back into mainstream banking with our Freedom "Second Chance" Checking Account. Freedom Checking allows you to access our entire product and service portfolio, while reducing the major expenses related to alternative financial services. Once approved, you must open both a savings and checking account at the Credit Union. You'll receive a debit card, checks, and you can take advantage of Direct Deposit (if available through your employer). After 60 days, you may also qualify for Overdraft Privilege up to $200 – if you have Direct Deposit and keep your account in good standing. And if your account remains in good standing for six months, you can request an upgrade to a Bronze, Silver or Gold checking account .* With the help of Freedom Checking, you can increase your standard of living. To learn more or to apply for an account, visit the St. Louis Community branch nearest you. *A service fee of $1 per returned item will be charged to the account per month in addition to a $15 returned-check fee. Account holders have limited access to certain services, including: no ATM deposits, and no Freedom Loan. Longer check holds may apply within Reg. CC guidelines. In the event an ATM is “offline” and cannot communicate balances, member will not be able to withdraw funds. The Freedom Checking Account must be active and in good standing (less than 10 returned items) for six months in order to request an upgrade to a Bronze, Silver or Gold checking account. See Credit Union for complete details.   Freedom "Payday" Loan Alternative  We all face times in our lives when money is tight and we need cash to tide us over until the next payday.  In these moments, consider a Freedom “Payday” Loan Alternative with St. Louis Community. When unforeseen financial emergencies arise, the last thing you need is to be taken advantage of by a lender who is motivated by profit, not your well-being.  At St. Louis Community, we won’t charge you outrageous rates or fees.  Plus, a portion of your loan advance is put into a mandatory savings account at the Credit Union to help you get back on track. Freedom Loan requirements:  Must be a current member of St Louis Community Credit Union Must have a checking account in good standing that has been open for at least 90 days Maximum loan amount: $500 No credit check Annual fee of $25 - $40 Automatic transfer of payment for your convenience 90-day maximum term Each Freedom Loan advance requires a 10% deposit into a restricted access savings account at the Credit Union to help you avoid borrowing in the future. Financial counseling available and encouraged at no additional charge A Freedom Loan should be used for unforeseen or emergency expenses only. Other types of loans available at the Credit Union are less expensive.  Break free from traditional payday lenders who take advantage of your need.  To apply for a Freedom Loan, visit the St. Louis Community Credit Union office nearest you. Credit Check-Up   Your credit score plays an important role in life, and can influence the interest rate you pay on loans or credit cards, your ability to rent or purchase a place to live, and even whether an employer will hire you in some cases. A good or poor credit score can play a major factor in the quality of your everyday life.   Designed to let you know just where you stand financially, St. Louis Community extends our members a Credit Check-Up service. A specially trained representative will provide a copy of your credit report, briefly review the highlights, and offer service solutions that may help put money back in your pocket. We’ll also offer ideas to help improve your credit score.   The Credit Check-Up service is typically offered by appointment only. If you are interested in learning more please call us during normal business hours and ask to speak with a Member Service Representative.     Credit Matters Loan   Unfortunately, most of us don’t grow up learning a lot about credit – period. It’s not uncommon to learn too late the value of earning and keeping a good credit score.   In conjunction with our Credit Check-Up service, St. Louis Community also offers just the right loan to help establish good credit or rebuild poor credit. Our Credit Matters loan is a savings-secured loan, and every member qualifies. Here’s how it works.   At the start, the proceeds of the loan are placed into a restricted savings account. Then over a period of nine months, as you successfully make your monthly payments, the same amount becomes available in your savings account. Ideally, you will keep the entire funds on deposit and build a great savings plan at the same time!   Your successful payment history will then be reported to the credit bureaus, which can positively impact your credit score. Get Checking Program In cooperation with the University of Missouri Extension, St. Louis Community Credit Union offers a financial education program called “Get Checking.”  It’s a six-hour workshop where you will learn what you need to know to keep a checking account in balance, as well as how an account relationship can help you establish credit and access other services.  Upon successful completion of the course, you receive a certificate that you can use to open an account at St. Louis Community Credit Union. A brochure about the Get Checking program is available through the Credit Union.  Classes are offered at various locations and times throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area.  We invite you to request the information and take advantage of this opportunity to improve your financial future. For more information, please contact us at 314-534-7610, ext. 4 or email us at info@stlouiscommunity.com. Visa® MoneyMAX Card Does your employer require Direct Deposit of your pay?  If you don’t have an account at a financial institution, you’ll be glad to know that St. Louis Community Credit union offers a low-cost Visa MoneyMAX Card for immediate and ongoing access to your paycheck. Each pay period, your full paycheck is directly loaded into an exclusive account at the Credit Union.* With the Visa MoneyMAX card, you can immediately access your funds two ways: 1) Withdraw cash at ATMs nationwide, or 2) Use it as a debit card wherever Visa Cards are accepted. Best of all, the fees associated with the Visa MoneyMAX card are a lot lower than most other providers. That’s because we believe you shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to access your hard-earned money. Plus you'll have access to other products at St. Louis Community branch offices:  money orders, cashier’s checks, Visa Gift Cards, and traveler’s checks (fees apply). To apply for a Visa MoneyMAX card, visit one of our branches or email us at info@stlouiscommunity.com. *The nonmember thrift account is not a share account and the funds committed to the account are not insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund or any other governmental or private entity. ATM owners other than the Credit Union may choose to charge an additional fee or surcharge; a sign should be posted at the ATM to indicate additional fees.    Balance inquiries may not be available at all ATMs. Negative balance. If you attempt to use your Card account for more than the then-current balance, we may refuse to authorize the transaction. However, if we do authorize the transaction, you will be charged the Negative Balance Fee stated in the Fee Schedule. In addition, you agree (a) that we may take the amount of the negative balance plus any fees from subsequent additions to the Card account or (b) to pay us on demand the amount of the negative balance plus any fees.