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www.alliantcreditunion.org a newsletter for Alliant Credit Union members October 2012

contents
1 How to shop like a pro on

How to shop like a pro on Black Friday

Will you shop for bargains on Black Friday, November 23? If so, expect plenty of company. Since 2005, Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), has emerged as the busiest shopping day of the year. Its when many major retailers open their doors in the wee hours of the morning or at the stroke of midnight (or even on the evening of Thanksgiving Day) to lure in shoppers with the bait of deeply-discounted merchandise. Last year, more than 226 million Americans took advantage of Black Friday sales, according to the National Retail Federation. And 26% of these early birds waited hours in line in front of stores for the chance to get their hands on door buster sales. This years hot bargains are expected to be the same as last years tablets (including eReaders), HDTVs, computers, smartphones, GPS systems, audio and video equipment, cameras and camcorders, video games and toys, according to blackfriday.gottadeal.com. product youre thinking of buying. Youll find these on websites, such as Epinions.com, Amazon.com and most retailers websites.

Black Friday

2 Feeling good about the Feelys

The five most expensive states to live in

4) Do reconnaissance. Youll be a step ahead of the

competition if you learn the layout, brands and prices of the stores youre interested in.

In 2011, more than 226 million Americans took advantage of Black Friday sales.
5) Be on the lookout. Check your local newspaper and
blackfriday.com for last-minute deals. Sign up for the Facebook pages of your favorite retailers to be notified of any exclusive Black Friday deals and coupons.

DIVIDEND
November Savings Dividend DECLARED OCTOBER 18, 2012

The November 2012 Savings and IRA dividend, declared 10/18/2012, provides a Compounded Annual Percentage Yield of

6) Dont let the details kill you. Before making your purchase, find out the stores return policy and whether it offers a price guarantee (to match a lower price offered by another retailer). Also, get a gift receipt, which will make it easier to return the item if you or the recipient are unsatisfied with it. 7) Beware of impulse buys. Keep an eye on your budget and dont overspend, especially on items you have not planned or researched.

0.80% APY

Dividends are paid on the last day of the month to accountholders who have maintained an average daily balance of $100 or more. Savings dividend is subject to change monthly.
November Checking Dividend DECLARED OCTOBER 18, 2012

Here are 7 tips to help you score deals:

1) Develop a plan of attack. Your goal is to get the things you want, not to save money on items youll never need. Make a list of the things you want, prioritize them and set an overall budget for yourself. 2) Start pricing the items today. Now is the time to
learn about the items that interest you. Check newspaper ads and go online to benchmark regular and sale prices. To get a true online price, factor in any shipping charges. Another way to check for the best prices: scan the items barcode on your smartphone and use apps, such as ShopSavvy or Amazon Price Check, to compare prices from various vendors.

The November 2012 High Rate Checking dividend, declared 10/18/2012, provides a Compounded Annual Percentage Yield of

Want to skip Black Friday and still score a deal?

Look to Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is the heaviest online shopping day of the year. Many websites will offer only limited quantities of sale items and begin their sale at a certain time. Check websites beforehand for these details.
Sources: The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal, bankrate.com, cnn.com, usatoday.com, nrf.com, consumerworld.com, msn.com, yahoo.com and blackfriday.gottadeal.com

0.75% APY

Checking dividends are paid on the last day of each month to accountholders who meet the requirements of the account. Checking dividend is subject to change monthly.

3) Evaluate the deals. Compare the brands and product

features. Check sources, such as Consumer Reports, to find the pros and cons of various brands and models. Also, rely on reviews by people who currently have the

Mark your calendar... Black Friday November 23, 2012 Cyber Monday November 26, 2012

2 retiring in style

Feeling good about the Feelys

Alliant member Tom Feely had an important announcement to make to his nine brothers and sisters, so he chose what he calls an appropriate forum to make it on The NBC Nightly News. The announcement: Tom and his wife Ulla were retiring after a combined 80 years up in the air as flight attendants. The couple had served members of the NBC news staff during flights to and from the 2012 London Olympics. NBC knew a feel-good story when it saw one. So it sent a crew this August to film Tom and Ulla when they touched down from their final on-the-job flight.

The five most expensive states to live in

Do you ever wonder whether the grass is greener or more expensive on the other side (or in another state)? For the last six years, CNBC has conducted a cost comparison of our 50 states. The latest study, released in July 2012, considers the prices for a full array of goods and services, including housing, transportation, food, health care and gasoline. Interesting enough, the CNBC study notes, some of the states with the highest cost of living also had some of the highest scores in the quality-of-life category, so maybe you get what you pay for. To publicize the study, CNBC included the prices youd pay in the most expensive cities of the most expensive states. Here are the states where you must pay top dollar:
Alaska (Juneau) House: $493,167 Movie ticket: $10.50 Rent: $1,437 Doctors visit: $156.42 Gallon of gas: $3.941 T-bone steak: $10.64 California (San Francisco) House: $799,988 Movie ticket: $10.81 Rent: $2,524 Doctors visit: $121.27 Gallon of gas: $3.741 T-bone steak: $10.25 Connecticut (Stamford) House: $568,945 Movie ticket: $10.38 Rent: $1,993 Doctors visit: $116.74 Gallon of gas: $3.845 T-bone steak: $10.82

(Former) United flight attendants Ulla and Tom Feely after they touched down from their final on-the-job flight in August. Ulla had 40 years on the job; Tom, 39 .

Hawaii (Honolulu) House: $659,530 Movie ticket: $10.31 Rent: $2,658 Doctors visit: $129.13 Gallon of gas: $3.987 T-bone steak: $7.80
New York (Manhattan) House: $1,215,129 Movie ticket: $13.06 Rent: $3,378 Doctors visit: $140.40 Gallon of gas: $3.884 T-bone steak: $14.25

The Feelys met on a flight from Frankfurt to Tehran on November 8, 1975. Through the years, they have flown around the world, sometimes together, sometimes not. Meanwhile, they raised their two sons at home with the help of au pairs and two weeks off every month to recuperate from traveling. The biggest misconception about flight attendants is that we get used to jet lag, Tom says. The Feelys became United Airlines employees and joined Alliant when United acquired Pan Ams London Heathrow Airport routes in 1991. Alliant has really simplified our lives, says Tom. Weve found Alliant to be always accurate and reliable, and we appreciate its friendly and professional staff. What we like best about Alliant, now that we have retired and live in Sweden, is online banking for money transfers and bill payment and the ability to make quick, easy deposits with our phone!

Sources: cnbc.com, yahoo.com and clearbankruptcy.com

office closings
Alliant will be closed in observance of the following holidays:

Veterans Day (observed) Monday, November 12, 2012 Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 22, 2012 Christmas Day Tuesday, December 25, 2012 Convenient 24/7/365 account access Online banking at www.alliantcreditunion.org Mobile banking app for Android iPad iPhone and iPod touch , Member Contact Center at 800-328-1935 Self Service Telephone at 800-482-5328 Over 80,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide
Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.

dial direct: Alliant is there when you need us Mortgage Hotline Member Contact Center 800-328-1935 800-328-1935 Press option 5, then option 1 24/7 personal assistance MonFri, 8am5pm CT tdd/tty 773-462-2300 Self Service Telephone (SST) 800-482-5328 24/7 automated account access VISA Debit Card 800-328-1935 VISA Credit Cards 24/7 Member Service/ Account Info/Lost or Stolen: 866-444-8529 VISA Gift Card Purchase: 800-328-1935 Support Center: 866-466-2362 Auto/Home Insurance 888-380-9287 MonFri, 6am10pm CT Sat, 6am 8pm CT GreenPath Debt Solutions 877-337-3399 MonThur, 7am9pm CT Fri, 7am6pm CT Sat, 8am5pm CT
Alliant Headquarters 11545 W. Touhy Avenue Chicago, IL 60666

Alliant Retirement and Investment Services Financial Advisors are available to serve members in all states. Call 800-328-1935, option 9. NEW! Deposits/Payments PO Box 2387 Des Plaines, IL 60017-2387 NEW! Credit Card Payments PO Box 1666 Des Plaines, IL 60017-1666 All Other Correspondence and IRA and HSA deposits PO Box 66945, Chicago, IL 60666-0945

For Alliant Branch locations, Alliant Online Banking, and product and service information, visit our website: www.alliantcreditunion.org
This newsletter is for members personal use only. Reproducing and/or selling the contents of this newsletter without prior written permission from Alliant Credit Union is prohibited. Copyright Alliant. Articles are prepared as an educational service for Alliant members. They should not be relied on as a substitute for individual financial or legal research. Articles in this newsletter are not intended to be used (and may not be relied on) for penalty avoidance.

PO Box 66945, 11545 W. Touhy Avenue Chicago, IL 60666-0945

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