- Endwell, NY –Visions Federal Credit Union donated over $3,500 to the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group as part of its annual 4 on the 4th Road Race, held on July 4. "The race marks our organization's first public event since the outbreak of Covid-19," said Visions' Public Relations and Community Engagement Manager Tim Strong, who helped start the event in 2017. "Now that people are feeling…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 220,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. , About the Southern Tier Veterans Support Group, The Southern Tier Veterans Support Group (STVSG) provides a network of resources for veterans, service members, and their families across the Southern Tier of New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. They strive to educate the community on veteran needs and partner with other organizations to offer a broad range of services and assistance to enhance each veteran's physical, emotional, and…
- Visions Federal Credit Union offers congratulations and best wishes to our 2021 scholarship winners! Visions recently awarded $25,000 to 25 students. Visions offers two scholarship programs each year: the Visions Cares and Visions Salutes Scholarships. Each recognizes college-bound and currently enrolled college students for their outstanding performance in academics, extracurricular activities,…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 220,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU Press Release, 2021. View recent news .
- Endwell, NY –Visions Federal Credit Union employees raised over $18,000 in support of the American Heart Association (AHA) and the annual Southern Tier Heart Walk. This internal donation effort helped the AHA surpass its fundraising goal of $300,000. "Our Visions team is truly incredible," said 2021 Southern Tier Heart Challenge Chairman, Dan Spence, who is also Visions' Director of Business and…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 210,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU Press Release, 2021. View recent news .
- Do I Need an Estate Plan?, Even if you don't create an estate plan, your state has a contingency – but you may not like it!, If you don't create an estate plan, your state will., The law of intestate succession is your state's default estate plan for those who fail to plan ahead. In the event of your death, a court will distribute your property according to the laws of your state. Generally, the property will be passed to a surviving spouse or other bloodline relatives. Unfortunately, you might disinherit an unmarried partner, friends, and charities by leaving your…, Your peace of mind is always on our mind., We're proud of the way we help our members plan ahead, even through unique circumstances. As trustee or co-trustee, we'll administer your trust according to your terms, communicate often with beneficiaries, collect, appraise, and distribute assets, file taxes, and more., We help those who..., Want to preserve family harmony Have a loved one with special needs Have children from a former marriage Have no relatives or only distant ones Want to plan ahead for incapacity If you would like us to help review your documents and assets – and see how they currently fit into your own estate plan – give us a call or email us to schedule a meeting. Connect with us to learn more Want to meet…
- Endicott, NY – The "Season of Giving Campaign' allowed Visions' employees to participate in giveback efforts across the credit union's three-state footprint. Highlights included fundraisers led by Visions' employees as well as the American Heart Association, The American Red Cross, Children's Miracle Network, NAFCU PAC, and The United Way. Employee-led fundraisers consisted of The Giving Tree at…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 210,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU press release, January 2021. View recent news .
- SADDLE BROOK, NJ – The New Jersey Sister Society of the Global Women's Leadership Network (GWLN) held its first official meeting earlier this summer. The meeting marked the return of GWLN to the state since the former NJ Sister Society, or chapter, had dissolved prior to the pandemic. More than a dozen women from eight credit unions attended the kickoff meeting, which was led by Co-Chairs Ada…, About GWLN and the World Council of Credit Unions, Global Women's Leadership Network is a program of Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, the fundraising and engagement arm of the World Council of Credit Unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. Learn more about World Council's…, About Visions Federal Credit Union, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2023. View recent news .
- Lake George, NY – During the New York Credit Union Association's (NYCUA) Annual Meeting and Convention, Visions Federal Credit Union was recognized with the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award. The Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award recognizes credit unions that demonstrate a significant commitment to adult financial education. In 2021, Visions expanded education initiatives…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 230,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2022. View recent news .
- Point of Sale and Payment Processing, Card payments are essential to growing a business., Online and in-person, credit card and debit card transactions outpace other forms of payment year after year. To accept those payments, your business will need to find solutions for payment processing and point of sale (POS). These essential technologies can impact business both in terms of day-to-day processes and long-term scalability., Here are some thoughts to consider when approaching card payments and POS solutions., Industry Compatibility This may sound obvious, but not every POS will be compatible with your industry. Many POS solutions are developed for specific industries, which may make them less ideal for others. Plus, financial regulations can vary by industry, and processing companies and payment vendors sometimes have restrictions or prohibit certain business types from utilizing their products or…, Here's a good place to start, – research a few POS solutions that were specifically developed for your industry and compare them with other POS types that are industry non-specific. That’ll give you an idea of industry tools that are currently on the market, and you’ll discover which service providers offer additional features or unexpected services like: Digital storefronts HR management Payroll processing Analytics and…, For next steps, , reflect on the relevant hardware and software that add value compared to those that may be an unnecessary expense. Some features may help your business establish a customer base to build upon today, while others could be convenient enhancements down the road. You can avoid overspending by considering your wants vs. your needs and how they align with your five-year plan. Processing, Fees, and…, Interchange fees, – The business is charged per transaction while the payments are processing and the rate is based on the type of payment processed. Often, it’s a flat fee per transaction plus a percentage of the transaction amount , Payment processing fees, – The business is charged a monthly service fee or a service fee per transaction, Chargeback fees, – The processor could charge the business for processing disputes and returns …and other fees for monthly statements, minimum requirements, etc. After card payments have processed, the funds require additional time to deposit to the business’ account at their financial institution. To have an idea of this potential delay, business owners should ask payment processors how long their deposits may…, next-day deposits, – making sure you can access those payments as early as possible! Our Merchant Services Our solutions are flexible and customizable to suit many industries. Depending on your business needs, our team can help you with: Customizable point of sale Digital storefront Payment terminals Payment processing Next-day deposits Local service Free setup assistance …and more! We encourage business owners…, Visions Federal Credit Union cannot open accounts for local governments or businesses/organizations that deposit public and/or municipal funds.
- Social Media Marketing, Your target audience is just a click away – you just need to know how to hook them. While we’re not offering a secret ingredient to make your business go viral, here’s a crash course in social media and a few tips to help you manage and optimize your online presence., First of all, here’s why social media matters., Today, people who use the internet can access information and opinions about companies, industries, and events in a matter of seconds. Nearly three quarters of Americans use a major social media platform and most users have accounts on multiple platforms. Do you know anywhere else you could potentially reach 75% of the population? Neither do we. , Consumers learn about companies online – and read the reviews!, Through your social media presence, you can have more control over what those internet users may find online and how they engage with your brand. That includes everything from your products, services, and events to your reputation and consumer reviews to your local relationships and community presence. Plus, you can share real-time updates with followers if you have an exciting announcement or…, Online engagement can have a direct impact on your bottom line., Here’s the key, though. Social media gives you a way to drive public engagement with your brand through valuable interactions, relevance, and thoughtful content. Remember, if people aren’t engaging with your brand online, they’re engaging with your competitors., Learn the ropes., Social media includes nearly any site or app where people can create a profile, network, and/or gather online. That can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started., Run a search for your company., Search engines like Google have many features that also function as social media, such as: business profiles, consumer reviews, chat forums, and algorithm-based suggestions for users. Check that your company is searchable and your business profile is up to date. Then, get into the habit of replying to customers’ reviews and comments. Small, direct interactions make your company feel personable…, Decide how you want to connect., You may be thinking about getting started with Meta (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter). Those are certainly some of the biggest channels where businesses can connect with a large population. But don’t overlook other platforms that may be popular with your consumer base, too – like YouTube, TikTok, Threads, Yelp, or Reddit. If you’re not sure where to begin, ask your…, Set a strategy when managing multiple platforms., To create an effective social media strategy, research various platforms’ strengths, policies, and how they’re commonly used. For example, if you own a bar in a college town, it would be helpful to learn Facebook’s restrictions around marketing alcohol. Or if you own a toy store, try to leverage platforms like YouTube that are frequently visited by parents and children. Familiarize yourself with…, One more thing., , Prioritize organic content over advertisements., While social media has plenty of space and potential for paid advertisements, most users don’t want their feeds overrun by ads. That’s where organic marketing comes in. Organic marketing is posting or sharing unpaid content that connects with consumers through their natural online behaviors. To put it bluntly – it’s anything other than an ad! And it doesn’t have to cost you a dollar. Consider…, Visions Federal Credit Union cannot open accounts for local governments or businesses/organizations that deposit public and/or municipal funds.
