Little Orange Book of Savings

Leading regional customer-owned bank, Orange Credit Union launched a new Savings guide compiled with the help of prominent locals, employees and the community who have shared their saving experiences to help others. With cost-of-living pressures on the rise, there is no better time to learn from others and share insights to help people make the most of their money. This project is the result of many conversations by the OCU team with the community over the past two years to uncover the best savings tips in the region. As we grow and develop throughout life, our financial needs and priorities change and so do our money goals. What works for now, may not work for later and what works for some, may not work for others but, it’s important to share experiences, learning as we go. It’s no surprise that the number one Financial Fitness goal across the Central West region is to save money. Whether it’s saving for a deposit on a home loan, new car, paying off debt, planning for a holiday or something special, we all could do with a little know-how to reach our goal. ‘Our Little Orange Book of Savings Tips’ is available as a free download here  There are many ways Your Team Orange can help with your banking and borrowing. Get in touch.

Lewis von Stieglitz to lead OCU

Orange Credit Union introduces new CEO Lewis von Stieglitz to lead organisation into a thriving future. Leading regional customer-owned bank, Orange Credit Union is delighted to announce the appointment of Lewis von Stieglitz as the organisations new Chief Executive Officer. With an extensive background in financial services across Australia, Mr von Stieglitz brings a wealth of experience to the credit union. As the newly appointed CEO, Mr von Stieglitz will lead Orange Credit Union in its mission to strengthen the financial wellbeing of our customers and the community and is passionate about helping our customers of today and generations to come. With over 30 years’ experience in the financial industry, Mr von Stieglitz has held several key leadership positions, including at General Manager level at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Head of Banking Products at Territory Insurance Office Darwin, and most recently, CEO of Warwick Credit Union for the past 13 years. In expressing excitement about joining Orange Credit Union, Mr von Stieglitz said, “it is a privilege to join the leading customer owned bank in Orange and the Central West. Mr von Stieglitz added, “serving the community is central to my interest in life and it is great to do so with an organisation which has been part of the fabric of Orange for the past fifty eight years”. Orange Credit Union’s Board of Directors share the excitement of welcoming Mr von Stieglitz and believes that their strategic vision and leadership will be instrumental in positioning the credit union for a prosperous future. Orange Credit Union warmly welcomes Lewis von Stieglitz and looks forward to the positive impact he will bring to the organisation and its members.

Online security and what to look out for

With nearly two thirds of Australian's using mobile banking as their top method for managing money, protecting your security online is more important than ever. In 2023, Australians lost a reported total of $455,436,239 to thieves through scams. Phishing scams were the most predominant, where a scammer contacts you pretending to be from a legitimate business such as a bank, telephone or internet service provider or Government organisation. You may be contacted by email, social media, phone call, or text message. The ACCC's Scamwatch is a trustworthy resource to keep up to date on the latest scams and current hoaxes trying to steal your personal information. Orange Credit Union encourages members to stay vigilant with the follow tips to protect your identity online: Keep in regular contact with your financial institution If you are receiving emails from your financial institution and you’re not sure if they are genuine, contact your financial institution and ask them. Chances are, if emails from your bank or credit union relate to loans, refinancing, interest rates, mortgage or home loan rates or the like, they could very well be genuine. If an email appears to be from your bank or credit union, but the email isn’t the same quality, uses misshapen or grainy images or is asking you to provide your member number and internet banking password from within the email, contact your bank or credit union immediately. They should be able to verify if the email was genuine or not. Never open an email from someone you don’t recognise or click any links in an email that you suspect is fraudulent Hackers and scammers can attempt to infiltrate your machine and steal your personal information by loading viruses on your device. Emails that contain such viruses usually ask you to click on links or provide your personal information as verification of your identity. Downloading attachments from these emails can also deliver the virus to your device which can freeze your files or provide them remote access to your device. If you receive an email from an unknown person or an institution that you don’t bank with, delete the email immediately and then delete it from your deleted items.  Never keep a copy of your PIN with your card (or anywhere) It is important to keep your PIN number safe and never to keep a copy of it in your wallet. Your PIN should never be shared with anyone and is a number that you can easily remember without it being directly related to your birthdate, birth year or anything else easily identifiable by others. Check your transactions regularly It’s important to regularly check your transactions or account statements regularly so you can pick up any potentially fraudulent transactions as soon as possible. Even transactions from trusted companies like APPLE ITUNES AUSTRALIA can look authentic, but might be fake.  Our team is here to help If you’d like any further tips or support with keeping your personal information safe with Orange Credit Union, follow us on social media, come along to our annual Stay Safe Forum or contact our Member Banking Specialists.

Categories

Tags

Tags