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Contact Info
CWA Local 4050/4090

21700 Greenfield Road
Suite 266
Oak Park, MI 48237

Phone: (248) 968 - 0983
or (248) 968 - 0998

Fax: (248) 968 - 1009

Info Line

(248) 968 - 0983 ext. 7


Email:

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

President:
Dave Skotarczyk
ext. 301

Executive Vice President:
Troy Smith
ext. 302

Secretary/Treasurer:
Gerald Sokoloski
ext. 303

Vice President Global Services, Legacy-T and Avaya:
Mike Klein
ext. 304

Vice Presidents at Large Special Services:
Michael Mcleod
Ali Roby



Webmaster:
Mike Killewald



SmartSection is developed by The SmartFactory (http://www.smartfactory.ca), a division of INBOX Solutions (http://inboxinternational.com)
Member Info > Money > 10 WAY TO COPE WITH FINANCIAL CRISIS from Union Plus Benefits
10 WAY TO COPE WITH FINANCIAL CRISIS from Union Plus Benefits
Published by Dave Skotarczyk [Dave Skotarczyk] on 2009/4/15 (1763 reads)
Few working Americans are old enough to have experienced
anything like today's financial crisis. With shock and horror,
we've seen friends and family members lose their jobs,
neighbors' homes go into foreclosure, and trillions of dollars
in retirement savings vaporize.

Our advice is, first of all -- Don't panic. Remember, you're not
alone. You have the support of a union looking out for your
interests, and working to keep your benefits and your job safe.
This support includes a host of money-management services
available to you at Union Plus, where our mission is to help
guide you down the path that will protect you best.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/M7aNzoM11PJ5/

Second, be proactive in defending yourself and your family. Here
are 10 recommended steps to help strengthen the financial
security you need in these painful times.

1. Pay down debt.
The more you owe, the more vulnerable you are. To pay off credit
cards and other debt faster, consider cutting back on your
spending. If you need information to put together a plan, go to
UnionDebtHelp.org for tips on digging out of debt, answers to
common questions, and repayment calculators.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/M1aNzoM11PJf/

2. Don't sink deeper into a financial hole.
Swamped with bills? Need a budget? Take advantage of the Union
Plus Credit Counseling program at
UnionPlus.org/CreditCounseling. Experienced credit counselors
will listen to you and your needs, then help you develop a plan
of action you can follow. For a free credit counseling session,
budget analysis, and advice to help get your finances on a
firmer footing, fill out the online request form or call the
24-hour toll-free line, 1-877-833-1745.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/2daNzoM11PJI/

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/27aNzoM11PJ7/

3. Cut your expenses.
From eating in instead of eating out to slashing what you spend
on incidentals, cutting back on spending lets you keep more of
what you earn. Union Plus offers discounts on everything from
AT&T wireless service to car repairs to clothing to make it
easier.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/NpaNzoM11PJO/

4. Don't fixate on market fluctuations.
If your goal is to build up a nest egg over time, don't let
daily ups and downs panic you into bailing out of the stock
market. Most financial advisers say don't cash-in your stocks or
make any other drastic changes. You still may have the
opportunity to benefit from its historic long-term growth
potential. Tip: Instead of constantly checking your investments,
look at your balance once a month (or even just once a quarter)
to get a clearer view of the big picture.

5. Diversify your investments.
This involves putting together a balanced mix of stocks, bonds,
and money market funds or other short-term investments, with the
aim of offsetting "downs" in one asset category with "ups" in
another -- a strategy, while not working right now with all the
downs, can help reduce risk and promote growth through good
times and bad. To see if your investments are well balanced,
learn more about asset allocation here.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/AdaNzoM11PJX/

Read 5 more tips on coping with financial crisis.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/N1aNzoM11PJg/

When union members who use the Union Plus benefits are faced
with special circumstances, we are here to help. Check out the
special hardship assistance available.

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/NdaNzoM11PJb/

SURVEY: What are YOUR top financial concerns?

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/A7aNzoM11PJ4/
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Helping union members in tough economic times
2009/4/15
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10 WAY TO COPE WITH FINANCIAL CRISIS from Union Plus Benefits
2009/4/15
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15 Subtle but Costly Retirement Mistakes
2008/3/20
1910
10 Things to Do With Your Tax Rebate
2008/2/15
1815
The new Union Plus Save My Home Hotline
2007/11/7
1867
New Retirement Planning Center
2007/2/8
1835
Living Wills and Powers of Attorney
2005/6/30
1621
Keep Your Retirement Money Intact
2003/10/27
1663


Tale of Two Countries Video

Canadian members of CWA talk about their country's health care system and how it compares with the costly system in the United States in a video that the Canadian Media Guild produced for last year's CWA convention in Toronto.

In the video and in other interviews, Canadians indicate they don't understand why Americans cling to a staggeringly expensive system that leaves so many people without health care.

For more information, and to find out how you can make a difference, visit www.healthcarevoices.org/canada. The Health Care Voices website features hundreds of stories, ideas and concerns of CWA members and their families as part of the union's fight for health care reform in the United States.
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