This has been a great month for TDECU because of some exciting news we can't wait to share. We were awarded for three different categories in the Crossroads area by the Victoria Advocate: Best Financial Institution, Best Place to Work and Best Lender. To read the full story, you can check it out on this page.

In addition, on April 6th we officially released our TDECU mobile app for Android and Apple devices. If you haven't downloaded your app yet, do it now! Make sure you are enrolled in mobile banking by logging into online banking and selecting "Mobile" from the Preferences menu. From there, you can enroll and set up a mobile authorization code to do funds transfers. After that, you can download the app by searching for "TDECU" in your app market.

We want to thank all of our loyal members for making this possible. We couldn't have done it without you! TDECU thrives to treat our members as family rather than just another face like a lot of financial institutions do. We thank you for continuing to do business with us and can't wait to serve you in the future!

It's that time again! TDECU's 56th Annual Meeting is going on tonight at the Lake Jackson Civic Center. Registration starts at 6 p.m. and the meeting will kick off at 7 p.m., ending at 9 p.m.

The meeting will include highlights from 2010 and outline the direction for the credit union for 2011. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Lake Jackson Civic Center directions

Log in, check balance, make transfer…log in, check balance, make transfer…log in, check balance, make transfer.

If you’re like many folks, you’re in an online banking routine that doesn’t stray beyond these three steps.  It’s not that you wouldn’t use online banking for more advanced features; you just haven’t explored the system because you’re going there with a specific task already in mind.  This blog post is meant to highlight the top five things you can do with TDECU's All-The-Time Online Banking that you haven’t yet discovered. (It’s ok, it happens to the best of us.)

1. Communicate directly with TDECU’s Member Care Team - Traditionally, if you have a question on your account, you’ll drop by a branch or call our Member Care team for assistance.  With secure messaging within our online banking system, it’s built right in to the experience, keeping your correspondence with us private, secure, and convenient.

2. Set balance alerts – Want to know when your checking funds drop below, say, $25?  Set up an account alert based on the triggers you want. When the trigger, well, triggers, you'll get a phone call or e-mail based on how you want to get notified.

3. Mobile banking -  Want a streamlined experience optimized for your mobile device?  Turn mobile banking on and you’ll move around your accounts as fast as your thumbs can peck.

4. View Checks - You asked… you got it. View your cleared checks right within online banking.

5. Pay a person directly through Bill Pay – Today, we launched a new feature in online banking called ZashPay. Log in, go to the Bill Pay section, and you’ll now see a “Pay People” option.  You can send money just by knowing someone’s e-mail address or mobile phone number. Why is it so game-changing? Well, it eliminates the need to share private account information socially (not to mention saving you from the hassle of making an ATM run or writing and mailing a check).  And because you’re paying directly from your TDECU account to their account (whether they’re a TDECU member or not), it takes as little as one business day to send and receive money. Best of all, it’s FREE if you’re enrolled in bill pay.

I hope these tips save you some time, and keep on the lookout for future Top Five lists. And, by the way, happy belated International Credit Union Day (it was Thursday)!

If you watched any pro football games last weekend, it wasn't hard to spot pink on uniforms and around stadiums to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to BreastCancer.org, over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. annually. If you're looking for ways to support the fight against breast cancer, here are some resources to help you get involved.

If you're an avid tweeter (Twitter user), with the help of 69 Seconds, the use of the #fightbreastcancer hashtag has been tweeted and retweeted by many people that want to make an impact. Signing a petition, donating, and uploading a personal picture to their mosaic are just a few ways you can show your support on the 69 Seconds page.

As mentioned earlier, the NFL has also been doing their part in promoting breast cancer awareness. To see a full listing for each team's related activities, visit the page here.

One of the most recognized programs to help spread awareness has been Yoplait's Lids to Save Lives campaign. Since they started this back in 1998, they've raised $25 million for Susuan G. Komen for the Cure. Portions of the proceeds of items in the campaign benefit breast cancer awareness foundations. It's as simple as buying a pack of yogurt and saving those little pink lids and mailing them off!

Do your part this month and make a difference!

[Image Via ]

Bay City will be home to our newest branch of the TDECU family. This new 5,100 square-foot building will feature a convenient drive-thru as well as an ATM and friendly staff to help serve all of your banking needs.

Take a look at the ceremony that was held this past Tuesday, August 17th. It was quite the event!

In the photo (L to R): Darline Guerra (TDECU Bay City Branch Manager), Steph Sherrodd (TDECU Sr. Vice President, Member Services), Ed Zingleman (TDECU Board), Peggy Miltenberger (TDECU Board), Mitch Thames (Bay City Chamber of Commerce President/CEO), Mark Bricker (Bay City Mayor), David Ozuna (TDECU Board), and Marcus Stephenson (TDECU Board Chairman).

We look forward to being able to serve you at another convenient branch!

Clear your calendar for next weekend for a show you won't want to miss: FOX 19's Crossroads Idol!

Our Young & Free Texas spokesperson Josh Garrett will be emceeing the event at the Victoria Mall in Victoria, TX, August 7th & 8th. How do you get in on the action? Just stop by any of the following branch locations to pick up your registration form for the competition or to enter FOX 19’s American Idol Gear Giveaway:

• Cuero
• Edna
• Hallettsville
• Port Lavaca
• Victoria Mockingbird
• Victoria Mall
• Victoria Rio Grande
• Yoakum  

Also, we'll have a special VIP Lounge for our Go2 Account holders where you can mingle with Josh and contestants! If you don’t have a Go2 Account, click here to find out how you can get one. For official rules about FOX 19's Crossroads Idol and to find out more information, visit myvictoriaonline.com and click the FOX 19 Crossroads Idol link.

Here are some excerpts from a story about our plans for expansion from CUTimes.com

In a press statement, Ed Speed, president/CEO, acknowledged it has been a “tumultuous year for the financial industry” but TDECU has managed to weather “the uncertain climate and solidified its position.”

“More importantly, TDECU plans to expand its presence in the competitive market of Houston with the opening of a new branch in Pearland, slated for late spring 2010,” said TDECU noting other openings include branches in Wharton and Bay City.

Read the full article here

Josh Garrett, of Victoria, Texas beat out three other finalists to be our new YoungFreeTexas.com Spokesperson for 2010. You can read about his surprise in the Victoria Advocate, and keep track of his year as spokesperson over here.

Also, a heads up. Our Annual Meeting will be held at the The Civic Center in Lake Jackson, Texas on January 28th. Registration begins at 6 P.M. and the meeting begins promptly at 7 P.M.

Below is a schedule of when our branches will be closed for holidays in the coming weeks.

Christmas

Thursday December 24 Christmas Eve

Victoria Mall Branch
8 am to 6 pm

All other branches
Open Regular hours
Lobbies to close at noon
Drive Thru's to close at 4 pm

Friday December 25 Christmas Day
All Branches Closed

Saturday, December 26
Normal Hours

New Years

Thursday, December 31 - New Year's Eve
Normal Hours

Friday, January 1- New Year's Day
All Branches Closed

 

We will be having a grand opening ceremony at our newest branch this saturday, December 12th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be plenty to do, and the highlights include:

From The Victoria Advocate yesterday. We are excited to be able to better serve our members in Victoria:

Texas Dow Employee Credit Union broke ground Tuesday on a new bank at 1514 E. Rio Grande St.

The 4,900-square-foot branch will be a full-service site with tellers, a drive-through, ATM machine and lending services, said Luke Billeri, regional vice president of branch operations for TDECU's west market.

The site will bring 10 to 15 new jobs to the city, according to a TDECU news release.

There are a couple of reasons the credit union chose to expand in Victoria, Billeri said, explaining its positive response by the community tops the list.

TDECU receives about 300 new members a month from the region, he said. With that type of increase, the company had to grow to keep up its service levels.

It chose the site on Rio Grande Street to better serve South Victoria, he said.

The bank currently operates locations at the Victoria Mall and Mockingbird Lane and has a new site for mortgage, insurance and direct-lending services going in on North Navarro Street.

Construction on the new site is slated to begin Sept. 21, according to the release.

The project will cost about $2 million, Billeri said.

That location is slated to open during the first quarter of 2010.

The company is looking forward to the expansion, Billeri said.

"We're just really happy to be in Victoria," he said. "It's really a great community."

TDECU was founded in 1955. It operates 19 service locations and maintains more than 125,000 members, according to the release.