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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November is Financial Literacy Month!

Did you know that the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada celebrates Financial Literacy Month annually in November?

November 2020 marks the 10th Anniversary of Financial Literacy Month and we are very excited to announce that we are ready to launch VantageOne’s New Financial Ability page on our website, with brand new videos and an exciting contest!

We know it has been a challenging time for many of our members, with many people struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we continue to support them in understanding their finances and gaining financial confidence to make informed decisions by equipping them with practical tips and tools from VantageOne.


New Website Page
Check out our brand new website page with planning & advice blog posts and informative videos.

 

Contest with Beach Radio – You Could win 1 of 2 $250 Term Deposits with VantageOne!
Simply answer a few quick questions about financial literacy and hit ENTER! Learn more about the contest here!

 

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VantageOne Business Members Win Big at Vernon Business Excellence Awards

Local businesses create jobs, diversify our local economy and strengthen OUR communities. Their innovation and fortitude make the Okanagan a better place for all of us!

VantageOne is proud to be an important part of helping all of our members grow and couldn’t be happier to see these great local businesses receive these honours.

Please join us in congratulating the following VantageOne business members on their awards from the Vernon Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Check out our video to learn more!

@teassentialspecialtyteas

@TurningPointsCollaborative

@Undergroundbrews

@fillvernonsrefillstore

@vernonchamber

#localbusiness #creditunion #keepitlocal

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Small Business Week Contest

Dear Small Businesses,

Thank YOU for creating jobs, diversifying our local economy and strengthening OUR communities! Your innovation and fortitude make the Okanagan a better place for all of us!

– The VantageOne Commercial Services Team

As a thank you for your continued support, we invite local businesses to enter into our draw for 1 of 8 $100 prizes.

ENTER HERE
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International Credit Union Day®Thursday, October 15, 2020

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Credit Union Day is a special day that we get to celebrate with our members. A day to celebrate and promote the Credit Union difference. For VantageOne, our members are OUR difference….YOU are our owners and give us the ability to positively impact our communities and the local economy.

This year the Credit Union Day celebration is focused around “Inspiring Hope for a Global Community”.

What is International Credit Union (ICU) Day®?

This special day celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement. The day is recognized to reflect upon the credit union movement’s history, promote its achievements, recognize hard work and share member experiences. International Credit Union (ICU) Day® has been celebrated on the third Thursday of October since 1948.

The ultimate goal is to raise awareness about the tremendous work that credit unions and other financial cooperatives are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged. October 15th will mark the 72nd anniversary of International Credit Union Day. Since 1948, this day has been celebrated annually by thousands of credit unions across the globe.

VantageOne is just one of more than 68,000 credit unions in the World serving 235 million+ members.

How are we celebrating?

This past year has shown us that “we’re stronger together” and sharing our own stories and experiences have brought us closer together with people locally…. and from around the World.

We invite you to celebrate with us virtually this year by sharing something you are thankful for, a story of inspiration or a lesson you have learned so far through this pandemic, by commenting on our social media channels. All with the intention of spreading hope and messages of resilience.

Instagram – @vantageonecreditunion

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter – @VantageOneCU

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