Julie and I use our Goldenwest Rewards credit card account to pay for everything. Even small, daily purchases are made with the credit card. We’ve been using the credit card as our primary purchase card for more than 15 years, and encourage our grown children to do the same for a number of reasons:

1. Security
Carrying a credit card is much more secure than paying with cash or writing a check. If my credit card is lost or stolen, I can immediately disable it with Card Controls on the Goldenwest mobile banking app. When I give someone a check, they have my personal information including my name, home address, phone number and account number. With an EMV chip credit card, I know my personal info is safe and secure.

2. Automatic Billing and Transfers
All of our recurring monthly payments for utilities and other services are automatically billed to our credit card. Even better, on a designated day each month, money is transferred from our checking account to our credit card account to pay-off the statement balance in full. By setting up this simple process, we avoid paying interest charges on our card.

3. Rewards Programs
We earn Extra Awards points more quickly for everything from worldwide travel to gift cards at our favorite merchants. An employee recently told me her husband purchased a $600 airline ticket for only $90 with the points she earned from her Goldenwest Rewards credit card. What an incredible value! If collecting and earning points doesn’t appeal to you, Goldenwest continues to offer a Platinum Visa card with a cash rebate.

4. No Annual Fee
Most banks charge an annual fee on their credit card, especially if there is a rewards program tied to the card. Goldenwest doesn’t charge annual fees nor balance transfer fees on any of our credit card products, including our Business Visa cards.

5. Building Credit
As our children have saved money to buy their first homes, we’ve encouraged them to charge and payoff all of their expenses with a credit card to help build a solid credit rating. When the time is right to get a mortgage, they have qualified for the best possible rate.

The best tip I can give anyone starting out with a credit card is to never spend beyond your ability to completely pay-off the balance each month. Think of a credit card as a tool that replaces your check book…if you don’t have the cash to back up the purchase, then simply don’t do it.

Hortencia Espinosa is our well-deserved employee of the month. She serves our members in an excellent manner at our South Ogden branch located on the first floor of our Corporate Office. We appreciate her professionalism and attention to detail. Congratulations!

We hope you’re enjoying the new website with the modern look and enhanced content. The responsive design elements have made it much easier for our members to search for Credit Union information from their mobile devices.

I enjoyed visiting with many of you at 80th Annual Meeting of Goldenwest Credit Union on April 12th. I am appreciative to our supportive Board members and employees who make that event, and our Credit Union, a tremendous success.

As always, I invite you to follow me on Twitter at @GoldenwestCUCEO and “Like” my Facebook page for Credit Union updates.

Kerry H. Wahlen
President/CEO