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Important Notice: Are you planning a holiday?
If you are planning a holiday abroad and you have one of our Current Account Cards which displays the VISA symbol, you must notify us before you travel. We want to make your holiday as stress-free as possible. Please inform us of your dates and location of your holiday in order for any transactions to be authorised.
If you fail to notify us, you may encounter difficulty using your card to make purchases and withdrawals whilst you are abroad.
Child Trust Fund Update
On 24th May 2010 the Government announced in the Budget, that it intends to reduce and then stop all government contributions to Child Trust Funds. The Government intends to reduce contributions at birth, and stop government contributions at age 7, from August 2010.
The Government also intends for HMRC to stop issuing new Child Trust Fund vouchers from 1st January 2011.
There is no immediate effect and you can continue to deposit your Child Trust Fund Vouchers with us. We will keep you updated.
How to deal with loan sharks
For information on how to deal with Loan Sharks, visit the link below:
Lost or Stolen Card!!
If you have lost your card, or had it stolen, please contact the Lost and Stolen Card Service immediately to have your card canceled. This will cancel access to your money and prevent any unwanted purchases. The service will also arrange for you to receive a replacement card as soon as possible.
To contact the Lost and Stolen Card Service, call 0845 603 8702
Important Member Notice - New opening hours
Please be reminded that as of Monday 28th June 2010 our branch opening hours will be changing.
Upperhead Row
Monday & Wednesday 9:30 – 4:30
Tuesday 9:00 – 5:00
Thursday 10:00 – 2:00
Friday & Saturday Closed
Batley
Monday to Wednesday 9:30 – 12:30 then 1:00 – 4:00
Thursday 10:30 – 2:00
Friday & Saturday Closed
Dewsbury
Monday to Wednesday 9:30 – 12:00 then 12:30 – 4:00
Thursday 10:30 – 2:00
Friday & Saturday Closed
URGENT MESSAGE - Email alert (Co-operative Bank)
It has been brought to our attention that credit union members may have received phishing emails - these are emails created to trick readers into providing bank/security details. The letters/emails look like they have been sent by the Co-operative Bank. Please note the the Co-operative Bank will NEVER ask our members to confirm security information by email. If you think you have one of these emails, please forward it on to: ihaveseenascam@co-operativebank.co.uk
Important Notice: Are you planning a holiday?
If you are planning a holiday abroad and you have one of our Current Account Cards which displays the VISA symbol, you must notify us before you travel. We want to make your holiday as stress-free as possible. Please inform us of your dates and location of your holiday in order for any transactions to be authorised.
If you fail to notify us, you may encounter difficulty using your card to make purchases and withdrawals whilst you are abroad.
AGM Dividend information 2010
With interest rates on savings at persistently low rates we believe that we should strike a balance between rewarding our members and protecting our reserves in what are undoubtedly challenging times. In so doing we expect to be able to maintain or even increase the balances available to us to make loans to our members. For those reasons, a 1% dividend has been recommended for adult members and 2% interest for Juniors. The cost of this proposal is £13,558.
Calling Christmas Savers 2010
Castle & Minster Christmas Club is our Christmas Saver account which is open to all our members. Save in advance and allow yourself that special, planned shopping trip for all those presents. Don’t leave yourself short and struggling at the last minute.
The Christmas Saver allows you to save as little or as much as you like, at your own pace. On 1st November, your savings will be transferred to your membership account. The account will automatically restart on this date for the following year. Your savings are protected and insured by the Financial Services Authority Compensation Scheme (just like a bank or building society).
For more information call 01484 226666 or email info@castleandminster.co.uk
Poor fall victim to loan sharks over Christmas spending
Some of the UKs poorest people are starting the new year in severe debt after borrowing from loan sharks to pay for Christmas, a report has said.
The Financial Inclusion Centre said 100,000 families had borrowed a total of £29m from illegal moneylenders.
For full article visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8460730.stm
New School Collection Points
The following schools are the latest to join up and hold Castle & Minster collection points, teaching children how to save with our Honey Money Savers account.
Whitechapel Middle School, Cleckheaton
Fieldhead JI&N School, Birstall, Batley
St. Marys Catholic Primary School, Batley
Healey JI&N School, Healey, Batley
St. Peters CE JI&N School, Birstall, Batley
Staincliffe CE Junior School, Staincliffe, Batley
Castle & Minster Facebook Page
We are now officially on Facebook. Please follow us by joining our page and becoming a fan. View pictures of the team at Head Office and catch up on whats going on.
Click the following link
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Huddersfield-United-Kingdom/Castle-Minster-Credit-Union-Ltd-Official-Page/301255067029?v=wall
or search Castle & Minster Credit Union - Official Page.
Mystery new debit card charges revealed
Many current account holders sent new debit cards over recent months have reported unexpected charges on their spending.
Full article at:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2010/02/new-debit-card-holders-hit-with-mystery-charges
Martin Lewis: "Use your local Credit Union"
Money Saving Expert and consumer advocate, Martin Lewis, recently put his weight behind the Welsh Assembly Government’s (WAG) campaign to raise the profile of credit unions.
For full article please click the following link:
http://www.abcul.coop/page/news.cfm#676
Beware Loan Email Scam from Martin Lewis
There is a scam email being circulated offering loans. Please see the link below:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/loans/2010/02/beware-loan-email-from-martin-lewis
Friendly Guide to Budgeting
This article on BBC online gives useful tips and advice on budgeting, savings and benefits.
‘It is estimated that around £8bn of benefits are unclaimed in the UK every year.
CCCS has found that people who have been to its welfare benefits service are under claiming by about £75 a week on average...’
To read more, please click the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7192387.stm
| Annual Report for 2008/9 |
| | Our Annual Report for 2008/9 is now available. Please click here to view it. | | | |
| Do you have a success story? |
| Castle & Minster is looking for volunteers to feature in a short case study on our website.
We want to know who you are, why you joined us and how being a member of Castle & Minster has helped you. Has it changed your life? What would you say to someone considering joining us?
If you think you have a good success story and are happy for us to write about you on our website, please contact sahram@castleandminster.co.uk
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| New Year New Start. Brighter Future for Your Children |
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At Castle & Minster we want to help you and your children enjoy an easier, hassle free life without the stresses of debt. We are delighted to announce that we now offer Child Trust Fund Savings accounts.
Ethical Consumer, the UKs leading alternative consumer organisation, has ranked credit unions as the top ethical choice for Child Trust Fund investors. So if you have received Child Trust Fund vouchers from the government, why not bring them into Castle & Minster and start the new year saving for a brighter future for your children?
For further information you can speak with one of our cashiers, or alternatively, call 01484 226666 or email info@castleandminster.co.uk
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| Archbishop Hails Credit Unions |
| | In an interview on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 yesterday (18th December 08) the Archbishop said "Credit Unions remain one of the best vehicles for getting people back on track and giving them a lasting and reliable source of help". | | | |
| Financial Guru Turns Spotlight on Credit Unions |
| | Martin Lewis the consumers champion and Money Saving Expert now explains credit unions on his website. Martin has his own prime time It Pays To Watch show on five and is a regular presenter on ITV1s Tonight. He is GMTV’s Money Saving Expert, with weekly slots on the main programme and LK Today and has regular slots on BBC Radio 1 & Radio 2. He is also in constant demand on countless other programmes, such as Moneybox, This Morning & Titchmarsh. To find out more about credit unions go to Money Saving Expert. | | | |
| Special Deal on Loans |
| Want to save and spend?
We can now offer much lower interest rates to borrowers who agree to keep savings in their account of at least the balance owing on their loan.
If you want to take a loan instead of withdrawing your savings, the interest rates charged will be:
Loans up to £2000 - 12.7% APR (1% a month on the declining balance)
£2001 to £4000 - 9% APR (0.75% a month on the declining balance)
Loans over £4001 - 6.4% APR (0.5% a month on the declining balance)
These rates are half our normal rates for unsecured loans and because they are guaranteed by savings, your application will be approved immediately. Members applying in person will be able to have the money by cheque, cash (£300 limit) or paid electronically into their accounts.
If you are interested please call 01484 226666 or email info@castleandminster.co.uk | | | |
| Banks in More Difficulty! |
| Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for them it seems the banks may have been caught with their fingers in your till!
The courts have ruled that the charges made for going overdrawn come under “unfair contract” rules, raising the prospect banks will have to repay a £Billion to account holders. Consumer groups hailed the decision in the first round of a test case as victory against charges of up to £35 each time customers exceed their limit, when they estimate it costs a bank just £2.50. The Office of Fair Trading and High Street banks brought the case after a widespread consumer campaign saw customers reclaim more than £550 million through the courts.
Never pay another bank fine again, open a Castle & Minster Current Account. For £4 per month you can have your salary paid into it, transfer all your standing orders and direct debits to it and leave the rest to us. Call 01484 226666 for an application pack or check out our ‘Services’ page for more info.
Are you in line for compensation from the bank? Pay your compensation into your Credit Union Savings account and receive a generous dividend on it at the year end! Talk about a win win situation for you and a lose lose situation for the bank! Dont delay, ring us on 01484 226666 today and ask for a Credit Union Savings Account application form.
Still havent got your money back? click here for guidance from the Consumer Association website on how to go about it | | | |
| United Nations Recognises the Role of Credit Unions |
| UN Blue Book entitled Building Inclusive Financial Sectors recognises Credit Unions as early innovators in microfinance and continue to show lower costs & higher efficiencies in delivering services than other institutions.
"This is food for thought for policy makers and other stakeholders as they work to establish policies that create inclusive finance" said Kathryn Imboden, Senior Policy Advisor for the UN Capital Development Fund.
Providing Financial Services to the Poor is more than a Social Policy Issue. When the poor have access to safe savings, loan products designed to meet their needs, and affordable financial services, they contribute to their own economic stability and the economic stability of their community. Credit Unions have long recognised this fundamental truth. In Kirklees Castle & Minster is working with local decision makers to translate this truth into action by delivering improved financial services. | | | |
| Payment Protection Plan |
| Castle and Minster Credit Union are pleased to offer members the opportunity to apply for Payment Protection Plan, provided by Cuna Mutual Insurance Society.
Members are now able to protect their loans against Accident, Sickness and Unemployment. For a small monthly payment, you can feel safe in the knowledge that if you are unable to work, your payment to Castle & Minster Credit Union will be protected (subject to status)even if you are still receiving your salary entitlement, under the terms and conditions of your sickness benefit. Cover costs from as little as £4.04 per £100 of loan repayment for the Accident and Sickness cover and £6.48 per £100 of repayment for Accident, Sickness and Unemployment cover.
This is a genuine offer from Castle and Minster. None of the insurance cover is added up front to your loan or interest charged, unlike some of the larger lenders.
If you have an existing loan with us and would like Payment Protection under the above plan, please contact 01484 226666 where a member of staff can discuss your individual needs. | | | |
| Odds Of Winning Lottery Significantly Increase For Friends Of Castle & Minster |
| Did you know that the Friends of Castle and Minster Credit Union run a private members lottery each month? A ticket costs just £1.00 and members can buy up to 5 tickets a month. The draw normally takes place on the last Friday of each month and half of all money generated is paid out to members as prizes; The first prize is £150.00, Second Prize £50.00, Third Prize £25.00 and 6 further prizes of £10.00 each. The other half of the money goes to help in funding special projects for the Credit Union.
The odds are not 14 million to one as with the National Lottery but currently around 500 to one for each number issued. And if you buy more than one then the odds of winning are even greater.
If you would like to enter the lottery then please contact the office on 226666 and we will send you the form. | | | |
| One Third of Child Trust Fund Vouchers Have Yet To be Invested! |
| Looking for somewhere to invest yours?
Try giving Scottish Friendly a ring on
0800 955 5955 or see them online at:
www.scottishfriendly.co.uk/abcul | | | |
| Consumers Association Hails Credit Unions as a Good Deal |
| Castle & Minster Credit Union Ltd welcomes the report in Which? Magazine that encourages its readers to consider credit union membership.
In a comprehensive report about credit unions in Britain, the services they provide and the people who use them. Which? urges its readers to think again if they thought credit unions weren’t for them, and says “credit unions offer their members cheap, flexible loans, and many pay good returns on their savings accounts too.”
Credit unions, says the report, can be a particularly good bet if you want to borrow small amounts over a short period of time.
On a loan of £500 over 12 months Castle & Minster Credit Union members would pay £75.52 in interest and receive free life insurance built in. | | | |
| Door Step Lender charged 751% Apr !!! |
| | That rate was recently charged on a loan by one doorstep lender currently operating in Kirklees! On a loan of £100 over 19 weeks the borrower had to pay back £52.50 in interest and administration charges. The same loan from the Credit Union would have cost £5.54. For more information on this national problem please click on the following link: http://www.switchwithwhich.co.uk/switching/case-study.html | | | |
Suggest a story - If you have any news
you think should be included, please dont hesitate to email
us
Important
Notice: Castle & Minster Credit Union Ltd
seeks to provide members with an opportunity to secure advantageous deals
with external goods & service providers in a commercial relationship
between the member and the goods or service provider. In so doing Castle & Minster
Credit Union has relied upon industry standards applicable to the particular
goods or service such as English Tourist Board star ratings. This service
is provided in good faith and without obligation. We would be grateful
for feedback from members as to the quality of service they receive from
the service provider. Castle & Minster accepts no liability in respect
of that service.
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