WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –- Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) invites the Greater Lafayette community to visit any PEFCU branch from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Wednesday, February 25, to enjoy refreshments and celebrate PEFCU Charter Day.

During the 1950s and 1960s, an era when many financial institutions focused on commercial and significant personal financing needs, a group of Purdue University employees recognized the need for a local financial institution where they, their colleagues and their families could save and borrow money safely and at a fair interest rate. Through their determination and years of hard work, PEFCU was officially chartered on February 25, 1969, with 18 founding members and seven charter members.

What began in a small office on Purdue’s campus and with a simple cigar box to hold members’ funds, has in 40 years grown and evolved to include seven regular branches, two in-school branches, and a robust offering of online and mobile banking services. PEFCU offers its members an array of financial products including locally serviced mortgage and consumer loan products — first mortgages, home equity loans, vehicle loans, credit cards, secured loans and more — savings and money market accounts, checking accounts with direct deposit, individual retirement accounts and business accounts.

Today, when so many financial institutions are struggling in a weakened economy, PEFCU remains strong because it has stayed true to its original purpose—people helping people. Its second-, third- and fourth-quarter 2008 membership satisfaction scores set record highs with an average score of 97.37 percent for the three quarters, illustrating its core commitment to meeting members’ needs.

Future plans for PEFCU include further evaluation of members’ needs, enhanced technological products and services, increased financial education opportunities and continued support of Greater Lafayette not-for-profit organizations.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) has announced the promotion of Nikki Gaylord to vice president of lending.

Nikki Gaylord, Vice President Lending

“In her previous role as assistant vice president of lending, Nikki has mentored and coached her staff on ways to best serve our members,” said Bob Falk, president and chief executive officer. “We look forward to her taking a more active role in the development of our long-term lending strategy.”

Gaylord is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette Career Leadership Academy and Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Management School. She joined PEFCU in 1995 and will use her total of 18 years of lending experience to guide the mortgage and consumer lending teams. Under her guidance is an array of mortgage and consumer loan products including first mortgages, home equity loans, vehicle loans, credit cards and secured loans. She is also involved in the development of a new loan product set to launch in 2009 that will supplement federal educational funding provided to Purdue students and their parents when federal funds don’t cover all their expenses.

PEFCU remains one of the few local financial institutions to offer local servicing for the life of every mortgage.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) invites the Greater Lafayette community to visit any PEFCU branch from 9:00a to 5:30p, on Thursday, January 29, for a no-cost, no-obligation credit report review during its first in a series of educational branch “lobby days”. Prior to attending the lobby day, individuals may access their credit report from CreditReportAmerica.com.

Every time someone applies for a new credit card, a mortgage or other loan, and perhaps even insurance or a job, his or her application is judged in part by a credit score, which is a three-digit number determined by an individual’s credit history. It is important for individuals to understand what comprises their credit history and how to read their credit reports because consumers with lower credit scores often pay higher interest rates on loans because they are considered riskier customers.

PEFCU Member Service Specialists will be available during the January 29 lobby day to help PEFCU members and non-members review and understand their credit reports. PEFCU Credit Counselors are also available for free one-on-one sessions and educational workshops. Individuals may learn more at www.purdueefcu.com, or by calling 765.497.3328 or 800.627.3328.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –– Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) and William Henry Harrison High School held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Greater Lafayette’s second in-school financial institution at 7:00 a.m., on Tuesday, September 23.

PEFCU opened the area’s first in-school financial institution in January 2005 at Lafayette Jefferson High School.

“We are pleased to have this partnership with PEFCU,” said Dr. Doug Lesley, Harrison High School principal. “We believe it creates numerous educational opportunities for students and also provides beneficial financial services to Tippecanoe School Corporation employees.”

The 208-square-foot branch named Harrison’s PEFCU @ School will be operated by two high-school-student tellers and a PEFCU supervisor. Supervisor Sara Gretencord will oversee and evaluate the work of Melissa Blosser and Shane Hamilton, who were trained and worked at the PEFCU Financial Mall during the summer. Student tellers are expected to meet the same qualifications as other PEFCU employees. They must also be enrolled in the twelfth-grade Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (ICE) course at Harrison High School. Students are selected as tellers after submitting an application and being interviewed. They receive compensation as well as ICE course credits for their work.

In addition to the hands-on learning experience for student tellers, other students will gain money management skills by opening checking and savings accounts, making transactions at the branch, and learning from the financial literacy curriculum provided by PEFCU and Harrison staff through ICE and other career- and business-related courses. The branch will be open Monday through Friday during lunch periods from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to serve students, faculty and staff.

“PEFCU has provided Harrison High School with financial education for two years and this in-school branch solidifies our commitment to the financial health of Greater Lafayette’s youth,” said Carolyn Barrett, PEFCU financial literacy coordinator. “By teaching and helping teenagers develop healthy financial habits now, we are preparing them for a bright future.”

About Harrison High School

William Henry Harrison High School is part of Tippecanoe School Corporation and has been in existence since 1971. It has approximately 1,685 students in grades 9 through 12. Harrison’s Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education (ICE) combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training related to students’ career objectives.

About PEFCU

Founded on the Purdue University campus in 1969, Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU) has assets exceeding $500 million and serves more than 56,000 members nationwide.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s award-winning National Youth Sports Program has a new name and partnership thanks to old friends, Drew Brees and Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union.

Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and former Purdue University football player, visits with campers at Purdue’s 2007 National Youth Sports Program. (Purdue News Service file photo/David Umberger)

The camp will now be known as PALS, Purdue Athletes Life Success Program, and will benefit from its relationship with The Brees Dream Foundation and Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union, which is known as PEFCU. Brees and PEFCU are partnering to raise funds for PALS with a celebrity golf event on June 14 at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Other former Purdue athletes attending the golf event include Kyle Orton, Bob DeMoss, Leroy Keyes, Mark Hermann and Nick Hardwick.

The Brees Dream Foundation and PEFCU have committed $50,000 from this event in each of the next five years to Purdue’s youth sports camp for underprivileged children, ages 10-16. Any additional funds raised from the golf outing will be distributed by the Brees Dream Foundation and PEFCU.

The former Boilermaker All-America quarterback, current quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and PEFCU spokesperson, has visited the camp annually since 2003 as part of PEFCU’s emphasis to support local youth. Funds from last year’s golf outing, presented by PEFCU, were donated to the Purdue program. This year’s camp is scheduled for June 12 through July 11, and Brees will visit the campers on June 13.

“Greater Lafayette is a generous community and I enjoy coming back each summer,” Drew Brees said. “I’m also grateful to have the opportunity to work with community-minded organizations like PEFCU and Purdue to benefit local children through my foundation.”

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