5.9% on Balance Transfers

Enjoy Peace of Mind with 5.9% on Balance Transfers for 6 Months 

We’re always looking for ways to help you get ahead with your finances. That’s why we want to offer you a special 5.9% annual interest rate on balance transfers to any VantageOne Collabria* credit card¹.

By taking advantage of this special rate, you’ll get to:

  • Consolidate your balances and pay only one interest rate on balances
  • Save on annual fees from multiple cards²
  • Enjoy this 5.9% balance transfer rate on as many balance transfers as your credit card limit allows for the next six months from the date of transfer³

This offer expires on January 31, 2021. All you have to do is log on to MyCardInfo and select Account Services > Balance Transfer, then follow the prompts to initiate your balance transfer.  MyCardInfo

Remember that we never charge you any fees for balance transfers to your VantageOne Collabria credit card. After all, your financial wellbeing is our priority!

For more details, call Cardholder Services at 1.855.341.4643

Don’t have a card yet? Apply now!

 

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AGM & Call for Directors Nominations

All members are invited to attend.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Online – learn more here

 

Board of Directors Nominations

Nominations are invited to fill three (3) vacancies on VantageOne Credit Union’s board of directors. Two (2) directors will serve a 3-year term, ending in 2024 and one (1) director will serve a 1-year term ending in 2022. Directors perform an important role in the credit union, especially in the shaping of policies and long-term objectives. To be eligible, candidates must be nominated by three (3) members or by the Nominating Committee. They also must be members, other than junior members, in good standing, at least twelve (12) months prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting, which is to be held on May 19, 2021.

Written nominations for the volunteer positions must be received no later than 3:00 pm – Friday, January 29, 2021. Nominations can be picked up at any VOCU branch, or are available for print: 2021 Nominations Package

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Important Notice – Strike Action Update

Hi Everyone in VantageOne Land,

It’s the holiday season and 2020 is making it a holiday season like no other. We look forward to moving into 2021.

Unfortunately, 2020 is ending with strike action including pickets and withdrawal of services to our members, without advance notice. This is forcing intermittent branch closures and a slowdown of member services. We thank you for your patience as we do our best to serve members and have this labour disruption impact you as little as possible. Here is a strike action update for all our members/shareholders:

  • We care about our Employees – We care about our employees and have very good pay which, depending on the position, currently starts at $19.90/hr and tops out at $44.91/hr. We also provide an excellent health benefits plan, an RRSP program and paid sick days. We are proud to be able to offer these benefits for both Full-Time and Part-Time employees.
  • We Have a Strong Offer on the Table – We do not like to negotiate through the press or through members; however, we will share that our offer to the union meets the average of union contracts being settled in the province. Our goal has always been to be fair and financially prudent. Like all businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on our business. Despite this, our offer includes pay-rate increases.
  • We are not Union Busting – The union has been representing employees in our organization since 1979. We have worked effectively with the union over many decades and look forward to putting this strike action behind us and continuing a positive relationship with the union.
  • We are not Management Heavy – We work to provide the proper leadership in all our areas. We have 84 staff with 16 leaders, very reasonable for an organization our size. We promote from within and our employees are encouraged to become leaders.
  • We are not Outsourcing Jobs – Our staff all work, live and contribute to the local community. Our Solutions Centre (call centre) is staffed locally and this year we added one full-time job as volumes have increased.

It’s unfortunate that our employees have chosen to strike at a time when the Pandemic has put so many people out of work and so many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. VantageOne takes a fair and financially prudent approach to bargaining. We are hopeful that the union will rethink its position so we can resume productive discussions and conclude a collective agreement so that we can return to focusing on providing you continued excellent member service. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you have any questions or concerns or for any other reason.

Thank you for choosing VantageOne, we wish all our member shareholders the best holiday season and a safe and Happy New Year!

Yours truly,

Glenn Benischek
CEO, VantageOne Credit Union

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Press Release: Strike Action by MoveUP at VantageOne Credit Union

 

December 14, 2020


For Immediate Release:

———————————————————————————————————————

Strike Action by MoveUP at VantageOne Credit Union

The Union MoveUP, which represents 34 of our employees, has commenced strike action including picketing at VantageOne Credit Union’s two unionized locations – Main and North Vernon. As a result, we have no choice other than to close these two locations.

We are very disappointed in this action as we have made every effort to conclude a collective agreement before Christmas. “As a member-owned financial institution, we greatly value our employees so it’s disappointing to see the action and how the union is characterizing the situation,” says Glenn Benischek, CEO.

VantageOne offers excellent wages and benefits, including an RRSP program and paid sick days. All of which are available to part-time employees. VantageOne is also proud that it has avoided layoffs during the pandemic.

VantageOne has provided the staff and union an offer that meets or exceeds the agreements reached with other credit unions in the province. VantageOne remains open to returning to the bargaining table.

Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
VantageOne Credit Union

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Important Member News – Strike Notice

To The Members of VantageOne,

VantageOne is pleased to serve our Members in person at any one of our branch locations – Main (by appointment only), North Vernon, Okanagan Landing, Armstrong, Arrow Lakes and Peachland.

As a valued Member of VantageOne, it is important we provide you with an update on a labour situation occurring within our unionized locations. Our Credit Union employees that cover our Main and North Vernon Branch locations are unionized. We have been in negotiations for some time and talks with the union have recently broken off. The union has served strike notice. As a result, we may need to close our unionized locations to in-branch services.

If a branch is closed, as a result of a labour dispute, as always, you are able to bank in the following ways:

  • Through our Website for Online Banking by visiting www.vantageone.net 
  • By phone to our Solutions Centre please call 1.250.545.9251 (Local) or 1.888.339.8328 (Toll-Free).
  • Through our Mobile App right from your mobile device.
  • In real-time through our website live chat. Visit www.vantageone.net for more information.
  • Telephone Banking through Memberlink at 1.855.393.2030
  • By appointment, please call our Solutions Centre at 1.250.545.9251 (Local) or 1.888.339.8328 (Toll-Free).

You may experience delays, as we will be operating short-staffed. We thank you for your patience and ask for your kindness and understanding toward the staff who are working hard to serve you.

We want to assure you that our goal is to do everything in our power to avoid any impact to you. A labour dispute was not our chosen path, we offer excellent wages and benefits and we have worked hard to avoid branch closures; however, it is now a reality.  We want you to know we remain committed to our employees and are open to returning to meaningful discussions whenever the Union is willing and able.

Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you have any questions or concerns or for any other reason.

Yours truly,

Glenn Benischek
CEO, VantageOne Credit Union

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#VoteVernon with The Vernon Chamber and VantageOne

 

VantageOne is proud to Keep it Local with the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce by Vernon & area residents to shop local and bank local.

What is #VoteVernon?

We vote because we want to shape our communities. Every dollar spent locally is a vote for your community to succeed and Vernon needs YOUR vote!

#VoteVernon is a campaign to bring awareness to the importance of supporting local and providing resources to connect business with consumers. Learn more about #VoteVernon here.

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North Vernon Branch Hour Change

In recognition of the extended Public Health Order into January 2021 and the case increases in Interior Health through this second wave of COVID-19, we will be reducing the service hours at our North Vernon branch.

Effective Saturday, December 12, 2020, the North Vernon location will be closed on Saturdays, until further notice. Thank you for your consideration and understanding as we move through these challenging times together. View our branch hours here.

Did You Know? Our Solutions Centre is open on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm to help you bank from the comfort of home!

Learn more here

 

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NEW Mobile Wallet – Payment on the go!

Pay on the go with your device!

Using your mobile device to pay with your VantageOne debit card is secure, convenient and frees up space in your actual wallet!

Whether you use an iPhone, Samsung or Google device, you can load your VantageOne card and start using it for everyday purchases.

Learn more here.

 

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VantageOne is Matching Funds for the VPAG!

GivingTuesday (December 1, 2020) is a global movement for giving and volunteering, taking place each year after Black Friday. The “Opening day of the giving season,” it’s a time when charities, companies and individuals join together and rally for their favourite causes.

In the same way that retailers take part in Black Friday, the giving community comes together for GivingTuesday.

This year VantageOne Credit Union has partnered with the Vernon Public Art Gallery as their Matching Funds Sponsor. Learn more here.


VantageOne has committed to matching:

​50% of any donation under $100

100% of any donation equal to or greater than $100

Donate Now!
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Give the gift of an RESP this year!

Investing in a Child’s Future

It’s never too early to start putting money aside for a child’s education. Post-secondary education costs are estimated to go up drastically over the next eighteen years. Right now, a student living at home pays an average of $6,600 per school year. That amount is expected to reach $37,000 per year in less than two decades.

What Is an RESP?

It pays to save! With an RESP, you can help turn your child’s dreams into reality. An RESP is an education savings account registered with the Government of Canada. It helps you, your family or friends put aside money for your child’s education after high school. You can open an RESP at VantageOne Credit Union.

DID YOU KNOW – The federal government will match 20% of your RESP contributions, up to $500 each year until the child turns 17, to a lifetime limit of $7,200 per beneficiary. (more information below)

How does it work?

A family can set up a plan in which one or more of their children are listed as beneficiaries. It’s also important to note that anyone can contribute to an RESP, not just the parents of the child.

While they are not tax-deductible like RRSPs, RESPs do offer some tax benefits. Interest earned on an RESP is tax-free, and when your child starts using the money for school only the accumulated interest is taxable as income.

How can I gift an RESP to someone?

Whether it’s a $100 gift or $10 a month until they turn 18, any gift amount helps! You will help the future student focus on their studies by pitching in for their post-secondary related costs. Talk to their parents about the options below and then contact VantageOne to get started:

  1. Have a parent or guardian deposit your gift amount into an existing RESP.
  2. Open an RESP on behalf of the lucky child. You can gift a friend’s child or a relative. If you are gifting an RESP to a relative with a sibling (related by DNA or adoption) consider opening a family account. This way all beneficiaries can share in the contributions and their earnings.

What Is the Canada Education Savings Grant?

The biggest incentive to buy RESPs is the Canada Education Savings Grant. The federal government matches 20% of your RESP contributions, up to $500 each year until the child turns 17, to a lifetime limit of $7,200 per beneficiary. Depending on your income, you may also qualify for the Canada Learning Bond.

The earlier you start putting money toward a child’s RESP the more he or she will benefit from the annual grants and tax-free interest. And don’t worry, in the event that the child listed as beneficiary does not choose to attend a post-secondary institution there are other ways to put that money to use.

How do I open an RESP for my child and receive the Government grants?

  • Get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) for your child. It’s free. Call 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232) for more information or visit a Service Canada Centre near you.
  • Contact VantageOne Credit Union to open an RESP.
  • Open an RESP and complete the Basic and Additional Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond application (if applicable) form with the help of a VantageOne staff member.

Contact your local branch if you want to get started setting up an RESP! Or visit the Government of Canada website to learn more.

For your appointment, remember to bring:

  • Your social insurance card
  • Your child’s social insurance card
  • Your child’s birth certificate or permanent resident card

If you are not the parent or legal guardian of a child, but would like to open an RESP for them, you can get more information on what documents you’ll need to bring with you by calling your local VantageOne Branch.

 


Registered Education Savings Plans by the numbers…

$60,000: Average cost of a 4-year university degree

$120,000: Estimated total cost of a 4-year degree by 2024.

31: Number of years contributions may be made after the plan is set up. This can increase to 35 years if the beneficiary is eligible for the disability tax credit.
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