Security Information

Security Information

Safety and Soundness of Zing Credit Union

Your money is protected.

Insurance:

• Your credit union is federally insured. While most banks are insured by the FDIC, credit unions are insured by the NCUA (National Credit Union Administration), a separate but equally viable agency of the federal government. This fund has never used taxpayer dollars to bail out a credit union. Please visit the NCUA website (www.NCUA.gov) for more information on the National Credit Union Administration and your insured funds.

Cooperative Structure:

• Zing is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, and we have been serving Denver since 1934. We have a commitment to responsible lending and upholding the credit union philosophy of people helping people. Because we are a member-owned cooperative institution, we will NOT risk the financial health of our members by engaging in risky lending practices.
• Our Volunteer Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee have a combined 150 years of experience guiding the credit union, and like our community and employees, have a vested interest in seeing it prosper.

Lending Policies:

• We are proud that we took the necessary precautions to avoid the sub-prime lending fallout. We keep our mortgage investments here in Colorado, for members of our community.
• We know our members and only lend to them when it’s good for them and the credit union as a whole. This protects the interests of the membership at large, as well as the individual member from getting loans they will not have the ability to pay back.

Capitalization:

• Most importantly, we are well capitalized with strong assets, in spite of economic difficulties, because of our commitment to our membership and community. Please review our recent Statement of Financial Condition, which is available at any of our four branch locations or via www.NCUA.gov or contact us to receive a copy.

What you can do to protect your information

In a world full of news of identity theft and data breaches, it has never been more important to safeguard your sensitive personal information. Use the following tips to protect your personal information.

Never send or request personal information via email. Information is highly vulnerable to when it is sent via email. Please note that Zing Credit Union will not request your personal sensitive information via email. If you receive a suspicious email requesting your identifying information, like a social security number, bank account number, or credit card number, do not reply. If the email appears to come from an institution, financial or other, contact the institution directly. For financial institutions, call the phone number located on the back of your debit or credit card.

Limit what you carry with you on a daily basis. Do not carry your Social Security Card around in your purse or wallet on a daily basis. Keep it in a safe and secure place. Do the same with other sensitive documents like passports, or insurance cards. Make copies of these documents and black out sensitive information, like the last four numbers of your medical record number, for example. Only carry sensitive documents when you absolutely need to.

Create strong passwords. Strong passwords are imperative for keeping your information safe online. Create alpha-numeric passwords that are 8 characters or more in length. When you can, use special characters in your passwords. Stay away from obvious passwords, like “password1.” Avoid using any passwords on Splash Data’s “Worst Passwords of 2016” list. These passwords are familiar to hackers and do not provide enough security to protect your data. Lastly, don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Change it up.

Keep your passwords safe. Once you have created a strong password, keep it safe. If you use multiple passwords for multiple systems, resist writing them down on a sticky-note and placing it next to your computer. This defeats the purpose of the strong password you created. If you have trouble remembering all of your passwords, try using a password manager. There are several available on the web. Just be sure to choose a reputable service.

Make sure electronic devices you use have adequate security software. Consider using anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall to protect your information from outside intrusions. Make sure to keep your security software up-to-date, as the processes for hacking your information changes at a rapid pace. Software updates address these changes.

Use a password to unlock your mobile device. Many would be surprised by how much personal information is accessible on your mobile devices. Emails, online banking apps, order information and more can all be found on mobile devices. Keep your information secure by setting up an access password on your mobile device. This will prevent others from accessing your information in the event your mobile device is stolen, lost, or is simply left unattended in the presence of others.

Protect your card data. Card data breaches are beginning to seem like a common occurrence. While it seems there is nothing you can do to prevent a card data breach, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from credit/debit card fraud in the event your card is part of a breach.

a. Try to use credit when you can. A credit card is not directly tied to your checking account, which protects your hard-earned money. It’s oftentimes easier to dispute fraudulent charges on a credit card than on your bank account.

b. Make “signature,” “credit,” or “PIN-less” transactions instead of debit card PIN transactions. When you can, avoid using your PIN number when making a transaction. In the event of a data breach, your PIN number puts your financial data at a higher risk by giving thieves the opportunity to create a fake debit card then draining your account at an ATM.

Don’t ignore your finances. Look at your finances on a regular basis to make sure that everything is correct. Review your monthly statements, look at your account with online banking, and set up transaction alerts to make sure nothing fraudulent is done with your accounts. The sooner you catch suspicious activity on your account, the better.

Ask questions. If you are asked to provide sensitive personal information, like your social security number, ask why. Ask why that information is needed, what the information will be used for, how it will be shared with other parties, and how your information will be protected. Asking questions will help you determine if giving your information is really necessary or appropriate. Remember, sharing your information is up to you. If you feel uncomfortable sharing your information, then don’t.

Shred personal information. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that in 2012 nearly 7% of all U.S. residents (16+) were victims of identity theft. One method thieves use to get their hands on your information is by going through garbage (where your paper statements, prescriptions, and old credit cards get tossed). Make it more difficult for people to steal your information by shredding documents or blacking out information you are unable to shred. You can also avoid identity theft from paper documents by switching to electronic alternatives. Switching to e-statements, for example, is a more secure way to access your financial documents.

Don’t over-share. With the rise of social networking, many don’t realize how vulnerable they may make themselves by over-sharing information on social networks like Facebook. Never share financial information on social media outlets, and be wary of strangers who ask that you add them to your network.

Make sure e-commerce sites are secure. Before you enter your credit card number to purchase something online, make sure the site you are on is secure. An easy way to tell if the site is secure is by looking at the address bar. If the web address starts with “https://”, then it is secure. If it starts with “http://”, it is not secure. A lock icon may also appear next to the web address depending on the web browser. Other security certificate icons may also be found toward the bottom of the page.

Online Advertising

Cookies & Pixel Tags

Zing Credit Union uses Google AdWords and Google Remarketing to advertise Zing Credit Union across the internet. AdWords Remarketing will display relevant ads tailored to you based on what parts of the Zing Credit Union website you have viewed by placing a cookie on your machine.  THIS COOKIE DOES NOT IN ANY WAY IDENTIFY YOU OR GIVE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER.  The cookie is used to say, “This person visited this page, so show them ads related to this page.”  Google AdWords Remarketing allows us to tailor our marketing to better suit your needs and only display ads that are relevant to you.  To disable Google cookies, please visit Google’s Ads Settings.  Zing Credit Union also uses “pixel tags” (also called “action pixels,” “web beacons,” or “clear gifs”) and/or JavaScript plug-ins, placed on our website.  These tags and plug-ins are small graphic images or code on a website which are used for such things as recording web pages and advertisements clicked-on by a user, or for tracking the performance of marketing campaigns or elements of the website.  We also work with third-party service providers to help us track, collect and analyze this information.