Union Plus Credit Card

Attention Union Members! You're eligible for the exclusive Union Plus® Credit Card - the only card endorsed by your union. Join the 3 million members who carry the Union Plus® Credit Card.
No Annual Fee
8.99% Fixed APR on Balance Transfers for the life of the balance
$0 liability on any unauthorized charges
Personal Customer Service - Speak with a representative 24 hours a day
Online Balance Transfer immediately upon approval
Apply now and receive a response within 60 seconds

NO ANNUAL FEE - Some cards give you one year free, then charge $20 or more! Secured Card click here
COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATES - The Union Plus® Credit Card offers competitive interest rates on purchases and Balance Transfers. Please note: if you received an invitation to apply by mail or email, you can find the Terms and Conditions in that invitation.
BALANCE TRANSFERS - Transfer your higher rate balances immediately upon approval.
SKIP PAYMENT PRIVILEGES - You can skip up to two monthly payments each year with no penalty or harm to your credit rating.
STRIKE PAYMENT PROTECTION - When your union is on a union-sanctioned strike or lockout for 30 days or more, you may skip your payment for up to 3 consecutive months. The Union Plus Credit Card is the only credit card that offers you Strike Payment Protection.
LOSS PROTECTION - The Union Plus Credit Card absorbs ALL unauthorized charges.
100% FRAUD PROTECTION - If your Account shows any unusual activity, we'll contact you immediately to protect you against possible fraud.
24-HOUR CUSTOMER CARE - Contact Customer Care online or call a Customer Care Representative, no matter what time of day.
UNION MEMBER ADVOCACY - Created by Union Privilege, this program helps you resolve disputes and handle concerns regarding any of the Union Privilege programs.
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DID YOU KNOW?

	Q: My business is very small, just me and two employees, and our product really can't be sold online. Do I really need a website? -- Robin C. A: Congratulations, Robin, you are the one millionth person to ask me that question. Smile for the cameras, brush the streamers and confetti from your hair and listen closely, because I'm about to answer for the millionth time what has become one of the most important and often-asked questions of the digital business age. Before I answer, however, let's flash back to the very first time I was asked this question. It was circa 1998, during the toddler years of the Internet, just after Al Gore laid claim to having given birth to the concept a few short years before. I was giving a speech on the impact of the Internet on small business at an association luncheon in Montgomery, Alabama. My motto then was: Feed me and I will speak. I have the same motto today, but I now expect dessert to be included in exchange for the sharing of my vast wisdom. In 1998, which was decades ago in Internet years, the future of electronic commerce or "ecommerce" as it's come to be known, was anybody's guess, but even the most negative futurists agreed that all the signs indicated that a large portion of future business revenues would be derived from online transactions, or from offline transactions that were the result of online marketing efforts. So, Robin, should your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services that you don't think can be sold online? My answer in 1998 is the same as my answer today: Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt. Thank you, drive through. Now serving customer number one million and one… Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays there is very little that can not be sold over the Internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online. Internet marketing research firms predict that online revenues will range between $180 and $200 billion dollars in 2003. They also predict that the number of online consumers will grow at a rate of 30-50% over the next few years. These numbers alone should be enough to convince you that your business should have a website. Let me clarify one point: I am not saying that you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over the Internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you certainly should be considering it. The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the World Wide Web so that customers, potential employees, business partners, and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer. That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional looking website if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick and mortar store, your website may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your website looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost. One of the great things about the Internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression and with a well-designed website, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them. You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you are a one-man show or a ten thousand employee corporate giant; if you do not have a website you are losing business to other companies that do. Here's the exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your website speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful website for our customers!" or it says, "Hey, look, I let my ten-year old nephew design my site! Good luck finding anything!" What does your website say about your business? Here's to your success.

If a mortgage applicant is low on money for out of pocket expenses when applying for a mortgage loan, the applicant should ask the mortgage companies they are interviewing if they will pay for the appraisal up front. Although, the mortgage company will often charge you for it when your loan closes, this can keep your pre-closing costs down. This also keeps the mortgage applicant from paying for an appraisal in the event that their mortgage loan application is turned down.

If an applicant is relatively sure they will be approved for the mortgage loan, and the applicant has the money to pay for an appraisal; it is recommended that the applicant pay for the appraisal themselves. Not only should they pay for the appraisal, they should have the appraiser send the “hard copy” or a PDF copy of the appraisal deeded in your name.

Traditionally, the mortgage company will order the appraisal, even if you are the one paying for this. This method allows the mortgage company to maintain control of “your” appraisal because it is deeded in their name. This can give the mortgage company leverage over the applicant.

First, if the applicant decides to go with another lender, the deeded mortgage company can refuse to release the appraisal in many circumstances. This can cause long delays in getting your mortgage closed with another company because the entire appraisal process would need to be completed over again.

Second, if the mortgage company knows that you are retaining control of your appraisal, it keeps them aware that you still may be shopping their mortgage rate. This keeps the mortgage company competitive about any changes they may need to make to your loan proposal.

Because this is an untraditional strategy when negotiating a mortgage loan, an applicant may require some resistance from the mortgage company when bringing up the issue. The loan officer may have some objections to the appraisal being deeded in anyone other than the lenders name. Tell the loan officer you are requesting that the lender stipulate you for an appraisal deeded in their name. This is a common practice in mortgage underwriting known as a “stip.” If the loan officer tells you that they cannot stipulate or conditionally approve the loan this way, try moving to another company that will.

At the point that you have decided that you have found the mortgage company you want to go with, it is time to contact the appraiser and have them deed the appraisal over to the lender you have chosen. Rarely do appraisers charge a fee to do this, but sometimes they may.