If you can name the offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts, been stuck in traffic during rush hour on I-465, or if you've ever been downtown for the Circle of Lights celebration, you can probably become a member of Financial Center.

If you live, work, worship, attend school or volunteer in Indianapolis or the Marion County area, you're eligible to join our credit union. There are three ways that you can join.

1. Complete our online membership application. This is the quickest way to get started with the credit union.

2. Visit one of our Center locations in the Indianapolis area.

3. Give us a call at 317.916.7700.

If you have any questions about becoming a member, leave a comment below.

This Sunday, November 16th, from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, our website and our online banking system will be unavailable due to a service upgrade. All of our ATMs will still be available across Indianapolis. We apologize for this inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

Our last member education seminar of the year will take place this Saturday at our Main Center location from 9 AM to Noon. The subject of the seminar will be Financial Fitness.

Understanding where our money goes is the first step in establishing a successful money management routine. Focusing on the establishment of a budget, expense control, and the wise use of credit will provide just the right amount of support to anyone looking to improve their overall financial fitness.

To sign up, call the marketing department at 317.916.6250 or send us an e-mail at dept.busdev@fcfcu.com.

Last week, Financial Center was featured in an article in the Indianapolis Business Journal. The article focused on credit unions' ability to continue to lend money to consumers during this economic crisis.

CEO Roger Youngs offered this quote, "We can argue from now until the cows come home with the bankers about what the differences are between credit unions and banks. We focus on the member, who serves the dual role of being our owner and who uses the services. We don't have to answer to anyone out of state."

Are you searching for a loan in the Indianapolis area? Financial Center can help. Visit our website at www.fcfcu.com and apply online for a loan today.

This Saturday (11/15) Financial Center will be hosting its final Shred Day. The event will take place at our Main Center location at 7101 East 56th Street in Indianapolis. This event is free of charge. Don't miss out on your last chance of the year for this free shredding service.

In October, Andre Arnold, a Business Development Officer with the credit union, was awarded the Mozel Sanders Foundation Individual Humanitarian Award during the foundation's annual tribute and banquet dinner. The Mozel Sanders Foundation continues the legacy of Reverend Doctor Mozel Sanders who worked diligently with the community to meet the needs of its citizens. He started the annual Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Dinner which feeds thousands of Indianapolis residents every year.

Andre was elected treasurer for the Mozel Sanders Foundation this past summer and has helped the organization establish improved accounting techniques, increases in donations through merchant services, and he has introduced youth to the Center for Leadership Development.

FCFCU is a proud supporter of the Mozel Sanders Foundation. If you would like to learn more information and see how you can participate in this year's event, click here.

This Sunday, November 9th, from 7 AM to approximately 5 PM, Financial Center Online, our online banking system, will be unavailable due to a service upgrade. We apologize for this inconvenience. If you have any additional questions, please contact Member Services at 317.916.7700.

In response to this article from MSN Money...there has never been a better time to join a credit union!

If you live, work, worship, attend school, or volunteer in Indianapolis and the Marion County area, you're eligible to join Financial Center. Learn more on our website at www.fcfcu.com.

Here are some highlights from the article:

"Credit unions largely avoided offering risky mortgages, they are among the few success stories to emerge from the subprime mortgage mess."

"Because they have no stockholders to answer to, credit unions are not pressured to get involved in risky investments such as mortgage-backed securities."

"Credit unions can offer their members a better deal because any extra profits are returned to members in the form of dividends or lower fees after operating expenses and capital reserves are accounted for."

The RCA Dome in Indianapolis provided great memories to all those lucky enough to attend an event in the stadium. I was lucky enough to go to the 1997 NCAA Final Four, several state high school basketball finals, and numerous Colts games. It's been a part of Indianapolis for over 20 years.

In the Indianapolis Star today, an article noted that the RCA Dome will be imploded on December 20th. The dome's roof, which was deflated last month, will be used by Indy Parks and Recreation for pool umbrellas and park shelters. I thought this was a very resourceful idea.

What does this have to do with credit unions and Financial Center? Using the roof from the dome to improve the Indianapolis community with other projects is much like how our credit union operates. We return the profit that we make to our members to improve our service to them.  

We are a cooperative financial institution that is focused on improving the financial well being of our members. The profit that our credit union makes is returned back to our members in the form of higher dividend rates, lower loan rates, and improved products and services. 

While banks are concerned with keeping their shareholders happy and chasing profits, credit unions are concerned about the members they serve.

Financial Center is here to serve Indianapolis and Marion County.  Become a member today by clicking the link on the right side of this page or visit www.fcfcu.com.

If you're unable to get loan from your current bank due to the current economic situtation, Financial Center can help.

We are prepared to help you get your next auto loan, home equity line of credit, mortgage or credit card.

If you live, work, worship, attend school or volunteer in Indianapolis or Marion County, you can join Financial Center. We are a local credit union that is committed to your community that you can trust to keep your money safe.

Apply online today for your next loan at www.fcfcu.com.

REALTunes Checking, the latest product from Financial Center, will be introduced  next week to all of our credit union members. REALTunes Checking is a free checking account that awards you free downloads from the iTunes music store as well as up to $25 in refunds for ATM surcharges nationwide. To get these great rewards, you only have to do three things:

• Make at least 12 debit card transactions each month with your FCFCU debit card
• Receive your monthly statement electronically
• Access Financial Center Online (online banking) at least once per month

In anticipation of the launch of REALTunes Checking, I want to know what's on your playlist right now. What kind of music will you be downloading with the rewards from your REALTunes Checking account?

To get the ball rolling, here are some of my favorite artists:

• Ray Lamontagne
• Bob Dylan
• Dave Matthews Band
• Jack Johnson
• Ben Harper

Leave a comment below and let me know what you're listening to.

On Saturday, October 25th, we'll be hosting another Shred Day at our Park 100 Center from 9 AM to Noon. Come in and have your confidential documents shredded for free. The Park 100 Center is located at 5455 West 86th Street in Indianapolis.

This past Saturday, several Financial Center employees took part in the 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Indianapolis. As a team, our employees raised $1,180 for the event. Overall, the event had 5,800 walkers and raised $257,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Roger Youngs, Financial Center President/CEO

By now, you have all read or heard about the financial crisis that is affecting financial institutions. What you need to understand is that the institutions that are in trouble have put themselves in harm's way. They loosened the credit criteria to an extreme degree and made loans they should not have. Those loans were then securitized and the resulting investments purchased by other institutions have brought those purchasers into the problem as well.

We have to maintain constant vigil in this marketplace. Jobs are still being lost and prices are rising on every commodity and service we purchase. That being said, I can tell you that Finance Center Federal Credit Union is in extremely solid condition. Here are some reasons why your money is safe with us:

• We have not been involved with the risky types of loans that are causing the problem
• We have approximately 13% capital, well above the industry average
• We have spread our investments over a number of sources, thereby mitigating risk
• We have multiple sources of liquidity if the need arises
• Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, and no depositor has ever lost a cent due to a credit union failure
• Finance Center Federal Credit Union provides an extra $250,000 of insurance, making your deposits guaranteed up to $500,000 on most accounts

Our capital position is a source of strength for us. You will probably not find a bank in the country with our level of capital, and you will find very few credit unions with that level. We have been prudent in our guardianship of your funds. We were not greedy in seeking huge returns because we knew that the bubble would have to burst at some point and those returns (and likely more) would have to be written off.

I am so confident in our ability to handle the current marketplace that I would challenge each of you to talk with your neighbors and friends about their financial institutions. If their institution cannot make the statements that I have made above, convince them that they should become a member of our credit union. With continued growth, we can bring more and better products to the market for you.

In the final analysis, that is what it is all about - our members. We are proud to have the opportunity to serve you and we will continue to do so in a prudent manner.

Kimberly Palmer from U.S. News&World Report had an interesting article this week on the benefits of joining a credit union.

In the article, Palmer notes that 90 million Americans are members of a credit union, and that most Americans are eligible to join a credit union - even if they don't realize it. She also highlights that credit unions typically offer lower rates on loans and higher rates on savings accounts.

If you live, work, worship, attend school, or volunteer in Indianapolis or Marion County, you're eligible to join our credit union. And, we do our best to bring you the most competitive rates in Indianapolis on everything from checking accounts to auto loans.

Become a member today by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page, or visit our website at www.fcfcu.com.

I've always been an avid sports fan. I really enjoy going to games and taking in the entire atmosphere of a sporting event. Living in Indianapolis, there is seemingly always a game to go to whether it be the Colts, Pacers, Fever, Indians, or Ice. if you live in the Indianapolis area, chances are that you're a fan of at least one of these local franchises. There is a certain amount of pride that comes from rooting for the home team.

An aritlce in USA Today this morning talks about how some regional banks are struggling. Several of these banks have locations in the Indianapolis area. What I found interesting from the article was where some of these "local" banks are headquartered.

• Key Bank - Ohio
• National City - Ohio
• Fifth Third - Ohio
• Regions - Alabama

Financial Center is a true Indianapolis financial institution. We've been serving this community for the past 55 years. Nearly 80% of our members live or work in Marion County. We understand the needs of Indianapolis and we provide products and services designed with those needs in mind.

If you live, work, worship, volunteer, or attend school in Marion County, consider doing business with an Indianapolis based company like Financial Center. Become a member today by clicking on the link on the right hand side of this page, or visit our website at www.fcfcu.com.

This morning I was able to attend a training session on the credit union's latest product, REALTunes Checking.

REALTunes Checking is much like our Reward Checking product in that we will give you an incentive if you satisfy several qualifiers:

• Make at least 12 debit card transactions  each month with your FCFCU debit card
• Receive your monthly statement electronically
• Access Financial Center Online (online banking) at least once per month

The monthly reward for doing these three things is up to $4.95 in credit for the iTunes music store and up to $25 in refunds for ATM surcharges nationwide.

We'll be rolling out this product to the Indianapolis community in the first week of November. Keep reading the blog and check out our website at www.fcfcu.com for more details.

Today, credit unions and their members across the world are celebrating International Credit Union Day. This year's theme is My Credit Union: It Belongs to Me.

Financial Center, much like other credit unions, exists to provide solutions that fulfill our members' needs. Whether you want to buy a new car or home, build a savings account to send your child to college, or save money for retirement - we have a product and trusted representatives that will help you achieve your goal. Providing valued relationships and trusted solutions is at the core of our daily operations.

We'd like to remind all of our members today that our credit union does truly belong to you and that you have a voice in influencing the future of our institution. Without our members, we would not have been able to serve the Indianapolis community for the past 55 years. As you grow and your needs grow and change, we plan to be the place that you turn to achieve your financial goals.

This Saturday, the credit union will host a member education seminar. The topic will be Avoding Fraud and Identity theft. It will take place at our Main Center located at 7101 East 56th Street in Indianapolis from 9 AM to Noon.

Attendees will learn methods on how to avoid becoming a victim of financial fraud. Sign up today by calling 317.916.6250 or by sending an e-mail to dept.busdev@fcfcu.com.

Financial Center will be closed on Monday due to Columbus Day. Online banking and MoneyLine as well as all of our ATMs will still be available for your needs.