Being a Bridge Credit Union member gets you the best rates. We not only compare local and national rates to give you high rates on your savings, but when you’re enrolled in our ConnectPLUS preferred retiree program you earn even more...as much as an additional 0.25% APY* rate bump. Compare our rates now and see for yourself at www.bridgecu.org/smartmove

December 2013Newsletter

Award Winning

ConnectPLUSBridge won 1st Place in the Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award as chosen by CUNA’s national awards committee.

The Herring award is given to a credit union demonstrating the credit union philosophy to help better financial matters and increase financial education for their members.

Bridge’s ConnectPLUS Retirement Program recognizes our members’ many years of service by creating a complete package of benefits just for them.

• Rate Breaks on Certificates and Loans• Loan Payment Deferral• Increased Platinum Visa Rewards• Free Checks• Referral Rewards• Personal Assistant

To receive the ConnectPLUS package of benefits or to learn more, contact our office at 800.434.7300 to get started.

0% Intro APR* Visa Promo Returns in January

0% Intro APR* on balance transfers for ALL cardholders

and 0% on purchases for NEW cardholders for 6 months! PLUS

no Balance Transfer Fee!

We listened! Back by popular demand our 0% Visa promotion returns January 2014. Be on the lookout for complete details.

Credit Card Facts. According to Yahoo!Finance credit card debt in America currently stands

at over $850 billion. Only mortgage ($7.86 trillion) and student loan ($999.3 billion) debt totals are larger according, to the Federal Reserve. The national average interest rate is currently 14.96%. Bridge’s Platinum Visa Rewards Card is 11.90% APR*!

To check out our benefits and apply for a Bridge Platinum VISA visit bridgecu.org.

*APR=ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE.

Seeing Double? Bridge certificate rates are up to double the national average!

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Help Set Bridge’s Vision

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

One of the many benefits of credit union membership is that we don’t have stockholders to pay. Instead, a volun-teer Board of Directors governs the credit union and they represent the needs of the membership and provide vision and direction for the credit union. As part of this special democracy, YOU get a voice in your credit union.

There are three (3) vacancies for the three (3) year terms on the Board of Directors of Bridge Credit Union, Inc. Candidates’ biographies are below for your review. We also attached a paper ballot for your convenience.

Ballots can be delivered to the Credit Union in many ways: submitted to your local Credit Union Representative, faxed to 614.728.8090, emailed to memberinfo@bridgecu.org, sent through the State Interoffice mail, or mailed direct-ly to the Credit Union at: Bridge Credit Union, 1980 W. Broad Street, Mail Stop #0000, Columbus, OH 43223.

JULIE RAY For 23 years I have been an active Board member for Bridge Credit Union, and for the last five years I have served as the Board Chair. Although I retired from the Ohio Department of Transportation last year as the Deputy Director of Finance, I remain both dedicated and committed to the continued financial strength and philosophy of our credit union.

Bridge Credit Union’s pledge is be a leader in providing creative, innovative and competitive services and rates to our members. The future is very bright for our credit union and I would be honored to continue as a member of your Board.

JOE

ECKSTEIN I have been honored to be a member of the Bridge Credit Union Board since 2010. I have been employed with the Dept. of Public Safety for 31 years.

Professionally, I have worked as a Payroll Officer for 18 years, Fiscal Officer for 2 years, and presently I am the Human Resource Assistant Administrator. I have prepared multi-million dollar budgets, been responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, agency policies, and managed large projects. I have served in a Supervisor/Manager capacity for 15 years.

My experience and knowledge have allowed me to contribute to the success of the Board and the Bridge Credit Union as a whole. I am married and the proud father of a 26 year old daughter, 24 year old son, and 2 year old son (that is NOT a misprint). I would love the opportunity to continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the Bridge Credit Union.

MIKE

McCOLEMAN

I have been a Director on Bridge Credit Union’s Board for the past 5 years. With your vote, I will continue to direct Bridge to provide the lowest loan interest rates, highest savings and checking account interest rates, the best debit and credit card rewards, and support the increased use of technology and web based services. Additionally, I am looking forward to the opportunity to help develop means to increase membership.

I have worked for the ODOT for the past 23 years and currently work in the Office of Hydraulic Engineering. I am a registered Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the OSU. As a manager at the Department, I have implemented innovative programs to improve our processes and increase efficiency. Likewise, I will continue to provide input for current and future improvements and services to benefit all Bridge Credit Union members.

2014 Annual Meeting Join Bridge Credit Union for the 2014 Annual Meeting

Bridge Credit Union’s Annual Membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 1980 W. Broad

Street, Columbus, OH 43223 starting at 11:00 am. The main purpose of the membership meeting is to review the

past year’s financial statements and to vote for candidates for the Board of Directors.

TO VOTE ONLINE VISIT

WWW.BRIDGECU.ORG

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Bridge Credit Union, Inc. MEMBER VOTER VERIFICATION/IDENTIFICATION

I hereby certify that I am 16 years of age or older and a member in good standing of Bridge Credit Union, Inc.

____________________________________ Account Number___________________________ (Signed) _______________________________________ Date__________________________________ (Please Print Name)

For your vote to be counted: 1. Vote for not more than three (3) candidates. 2. One ballot per member/account holder. 3. Voter verification/identification form must be signed. 4. Ballot must be received by Wednesday, March 19, 2014.

Official Ballot

Election of Board of Directors There are three (3) vacancies for three (3) year terms on the Board of Directors of Bridge Credit Union, Inc. Candidates’ biographies are printed in the enclosed newsletter. Vote for not more than three (3) candidates.

Joe Eckstein Mike McColeman Julie Ray

After marking your ballot, please return to the Credit Union using one of the following methods (1) mail: Bridge Credit Union, 1980 West Broad Street, Mail Stop # 0000, Columbus, Ohio 43223 (2) fax: 614.728.8090 (3) email: memberinfo@bridgecu.org. Postage is required when mailing through the U.S. Postal Service. Votes may also be cast at our website, www.bridgecu.org by clicking on the “vote here” link. Ballots can also be delivered to the Credit Union by submitting to your local Credit Union Representative or by sending through the State Interoffice mail.

Voting Rights of Members A. Each voting member who is a natural person sixteen years of age or older and who owns at

least one membership share is entitled to cast one vote, regardless of the number of shares he/she owns.

B. Association members may be represented at any annual or special meeting, and have the authority to cast one vote on its behalf, regardless of the number of shares the association owns. The voting representative exercising such authority must be duly elected, qualified, and acting as an officer of the association member.

C. Pursuant to Section 1733.13, Ohio Revised Code, any member entitled to vote at a meeting of the membership may be represented and vote there or by mail or electronic ballot delivered to the credit union at least seven days prior to the date for the meeting which is set for March 26, 2014. No mail ballot shall be valid after the expiration of eleven months after delivery to the credit union.

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www.bridgecu.org 800.434.7300

OFFICES CLOSED

Christmas Day Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2013New Year’s Day Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014 Martin Luther King Day Monday, Jan. 20, 2014President’s Day Monday, Feb. 17, 2014

Any further closures will be posted on our website at www.bridgecu.org. Remember, you can access your accounts 24/7 with our online, mobile, text and telephone banking systems.

Upcoming Holidays Observed

We offer a unique loan product designed specifically for Commercial Drivers. The Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Loan was created specifically to bridge the gap between the need for commercial drivers and the training required for licensing.

Bridge has partnered with Roadmaster driving school. Roadmaster is an industry leading CDL training company that provides experienced truck driving school instructors, student comprehensive CDL classes, and behind the wheel truck driving education, so they are fully prepared to start their new job in the trucking industry. So far this partnership has help saved members thousands of dollars in educational expenses.

The CDL Loan is customized with a low rate and no payment for 90 days. These features provide our student drivers with an affordable payment and enough time to start earning a paycheck before their first payment is due.

Loan Benefits• Loan for the cost of classes & licensing• Low rates• 90 days no payments• Individualized approval criteria• Easy payment options• Stress-free & fast application process

For more information on the CDL Loan visit bridgecu.org

For more information on Roadmaster visit roadmaster.com

Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Loan

Joseph Gentry Scholarship InformationIn 1967, several ODOT employees came together and formed a credit union based on the cooperative philosophy of people helping people. One of these employees was Joseph W. Gentry. He had two passions: the credit union and education.

It is our privilege to carry on his legacy. Each year, candidates who have applied are required to answer (1) credit union related question. Our Board of Directors then selects (2) $2,000 scholarship winners.

Scholarships can be used for expenses related to post-secondary learning. In addition to colleges and universities, The Joseph W. Gentry Memorial Scholarships may also be used for trade, vocational, or a program leading to certification and/or licensure.

All qualifying entries are submitted to the Central Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Credit Union League to be considered for additional scholarships. Winners at the Chapter level are submitted to the Ohio Credit Union League for even more scholarship opportunities. The deadline for scholarship entries is February 14, 2014.

For more information call 800.434.7300, click bridgecu.org, or email memberinfo@bridgecu.org.