CW SOS Services

If your employer offers direct deposit, give the payroll department our credit union’s routing number 271291855 and your account number. If you need to provide them with a direct deposit form. Please see below.

Your account number for electronic transactions can be found on your checks.

If the direct deposit is going into a savings account you can use the account number found in CWAnyWhere or from your loan membership packet as described above. If only a savings is open on a CW account this must be specified with the company initiating the deposit or withdrawal.

If the direct deposit is going into a checking account there is an additional check digit at the end of your account number that should be used. Some accounts may also have a longer number called a MICR number that should also be used. One of these two numbers will be listed on your check in the account number area. If you have no checks and are unable to identify either your checking account number or the MICR number, please contact us.

For direct deposit, sometimes a request in writing is needed. A downloadable/printable form is provided here.

Special overdraft service (S.O.S.) is available for members that meet the following criteria:

1. Members must have at least 3 consecutive and consistent direct deposits into the account. The amount of overdraft the account is approved for is based on the amount of the direct deposits. If deposit amounts drop or vary, the amount of overdraft the member can have access to will adjust accordingly. (Max $300.00)
2. Direct deposits going into the account must be weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
3. If there is a personal, auto, or mortgage loan attached to the account it cannot be more than 30 days delinquent.
4. Member cannot have any other withdrawals/deposits from other payday/cash advance companies.

For more information on CW S.O.S. click here . If interested in S.O.S.  feel free to contact us or email info@comwide.com.

The best way to establish good credit is to make your payments and to make them on time. To establish good credit, you need a steady work record and continued residence at the same address. If you do not have a checking account, open one, and be careful not to bounce checks.

If you have low or no credit or are looking at improving your credit but are having trouble getting approved for a loan, but have a small amount of money saved, you can improve your credit by opening a share secured loan or a share secured VISA credit card and making consistent payments. This is where your own funds are used as collateral in order to obtain the loan or credit card. The interest rates for these are often much lower than a personal loan. If interested in this, feel free to contact us or apply here.

Maintaining low balances as well as paying more than the minimum on your payments, especially on credit cards, will also help.

Additionally, we've partnered with Greenpath which can also assist you with building credit and removing debt. As a member of CommunityWide you can  contact them for a free consultation at 1-877-337-3399.

 Click here for more information on how to improve your credit score.

Our partnership with Greenpath Financial Wellness offers a variety of services including budgeting assistance. As a member of CommunityWide you are able to contact them for a free consultation by calling 800-550-1961. They will provide you advice on improving your financial health and help you improve your budget. If your not quite ready to take that next step, this resource will give you more information about budgeting to point you in the right direction.

It might be tempting to view your 401(k) as a source of emergency funds, but before you dip into your retirement account for cash, explore alternatives. As a general rule you want to avoid borrowing or withdrawing funds from your 401k unless there is absolutely no other option. If you take cash out of your 401k before reaching the age of 59 ½ you will face a 10% penalty as well as pay taxes on the withdrawal. You will also miss out on the potential growth that those funds would have had if left in the 401k until retirement. Learn more about this option here.

Below is a list of commonly held documents and how long they should be kept:

Receipts: Receipts for anything you might itemize on your tax return should be kept for three years with your tax records.

Home Improvement Records: Hold these for at least three years after the due date of the tax return that includes the income or loss on the home when it’s sold. If you plan to sell the house, and you have made improvements to it, keep receipts for those improvements for seven years — you may need them to lower the taxable gain on the house when you sell it.

Medical Bills: Keep receipts for medical expenses for one year, as your insurance company may request proof of a doctor visit or other verification of medical claims. For tax purposes, it is recommended to keep medical records for three years.

Paycheck Stubs: Keep pay check stubs until the end of the year, and discard them after comparing to your W-2 and annual Social Security statements. Keep W2s for 7 years.

Utility Bills: Keep for one year and then discard — unless you’re claiming a home office tax deduction, in which case you must keep them for three years.

Credit Card: Keep until you’ve confirmed the charges and have proof of payment. If you need them for tax deductions, keep for three years.

Investment and Real Estate Records: Keep for three years, as you may need the documentation for the capital gains tax if you’re audited by the IRS. These records help track your cost basis and the taxes you owe when you sell stocks or properties. Once you receive the annual summaries, you can shred your monthly statements.

Account Statements: You’ll need statements for up to three years if you are audited by the IRS. CW provides online statements, so you can switch to receiving your documents online and cut down on paper. CW electronic account statements are automatically stored in the CWAnyWhere statements section of the mobile app and desktop banking. Instructions on how to view your past statements can be found in the FAQ: "How do I get a copy of my statement?"

Tax Returns: The IRS recommends that you “keep records for three years from the date you filed your original return or two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.” If you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction, keep your tax records for seven years.

Records of Loans that Have Been Paid Off: Keep for seven years.

Active Contracts, Insurance Documents, Property Records or Stock Certificates: Keep all these items while they’re active. After contracts are completed or insurance policies expire, you can discard these documents.

Marriage License, Birth Certificates, Wills, Adoption Papers, Death Certificates or Records of Paid Mortgages: Keep these documents forever.

Members with CW Checking accounts can get a free copy of their credit report with their ID Protect membership (enrollment required).

Additionally, if you do not have a CW Checking account, but would like access to your credit report,  the federal government requires that each of the three national credit-reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—gives you a free credit report every year. You can request a free copy of your credit report by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers should be aware that there are many sites out there that claim to offer “free” credit reports but often charge you for another product if you accept the report. To request your credit report by phone, call (877) 322–8228. To request your credit report by mail, write to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the individual credit-reporting agencies.

Teaching your child financial literacy is a great way to help them gather the knowledge they will need to make smart financial decisions in the future. CommunityWide FCU is now sponsoring a new financial literacy app called Zogo, which is aimed toward kids ages 13-18. Zogo provides over 300 bite-sized educational modules designed by Duke University professors. As your teen completes the modules, they accumulate points that can be redeemed for gift cards to places like Target, Starbucks, Amazon, and more!

The Zogo app is available for Apple devices in the App Store and for Android devices in Google Play. 

To join, use access code: COMWIDE