All members are invited to join HOPEfor its annual meeting on Saturday,March 29. HOPE’s leadership will reviewthe credit union’s successes during 2013and outline plans for the next year.Additional details about the meetingtime, location, and theme will beannounced online and in the branches.

Over the last 12 months, HOPEopened a new branch, introducedonline membership and accountapplications, and significantly enhancedits mobile banking application. In 2014,HOPE will introduce a personal financial

manager; add online loan applications;and open new branches in Greenville,Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

During the annual meeting, memberswill also elect representatives to theHope Federal Credit Union Board ofDirectors. In accordance with HOPE’sbylaws, the following individuals arepresented as candidates for election tothe Board of Directors at the 2014annual meeting.*

Richard CampbellHope Enterprise Corporation

Emily TrenholmCommunity Development Council of Greater Memphis

Maura PhillipsMGIC Insurance

Brenda Richard-MontgomerySecure Patient Delivery, LLC

Herman TaylorUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center

*Nominations for vacancies may also be made bypetition signed by at least one percent of themembers, with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of500. Nominations made by petition must bereceived at HOPE’s main office by the close ofbusiness on January 24, 2014. There will be nonominations from the floor if there is at least onenominee for each position to be filled.

HOPENotesJanuary 2014

It started as a small church project with big dreams.Members of Anderson United Methodist Church sawthe need for a community credit union that served theneeds of low- and moderate-income individuals inJackson, Mississippi. Hope Credit Union was born.

That was 20 years ago.Over the last two decades, HOPE has become a

regional provider of affordable, responsible financialproducts and related services for working families, ruralcommunities, and economically distressed areas.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of HopeEnterprise Corporation (formerly Enterprise Corporationof the Delta), the organization that sponsors the creditunion. Together, the two institutions have generatedover $1.7 billion in financing and helped more than400,000 people find solutions for their retail banking,consumer loan, business financing, and mortgagelending needs.

HOPE has made a commitment to eliminate the bank deserts that are spreading across the Mid South

as mainstream institutions close branches inunderserved communities. The 20th AnniversaryCelebration during 2014 will call attention to thegood work HOPE is doing and the positiveoutcomes that can be achieved when peoplehave the right information and the right tools to befinancially successful.

During the next year, look for specialannouncements from HOPE about its successesand the impact it is having in the communities itserves. Members will have opportunities to sharethe good news of HOPE with other people whocould benefit from having a relationship with amember-owned financial institution.

We thank our members for their continuedsupport over the years and for all they do to makeHOPE a change agent in the Mid South and anationally recognized leader in the credit unionindustry.

Trim Expenses in the New Yearwith a Debt ConsolidationLoan

The holidays are greattimes for enjoying familyand friends, but theycan also lead tofinancial stress. Peopleoften stretch theirbudgets or evenoverspend on gifts,food, clothing, andtravel expenses.

To cover theseadditional costs, familiesfrequently turn tooptions that cause financial damage. Whetherracking up charges on high-interest credit cardsor taking out a payday or other predatory loan,these decisions carry consequences that last longafter the New Year.

To take some of the sting out of repaying thesecosts, HOPE offers loans to consolidate debt andhelp get you back on track. A HOPE loan cancombine several high-cost financial obligationsinto a more affordable and easily manageablesingle loan. This could lower your monthly billsand save you significant amounts of money overthe life of the loan.

If a debt consolidation loan could help easethe burden of your holiday expenses, simply callor visit your nearest HOPE branch. Also considerstarting a HOPE Christmas Club account and beprepared for 2014 holiday spending.

HOPE Celebrates 20 Years of Changing Lives Across the Mid South

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In 2013, HOPE conducted dozens of outreach events,providing financial education and affordable financialservices for thousands of people.

James Brooks, one of HOPE’s first members,makes a deposit at the old Medical Mallbranch in 2002.

2014 HOPE Members Meeting and Board Candidates Announced

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William Bynum and Hope Credit Unionhave been honored with the sixth annualJohn P. McNulty Prize, which recognizes thespirit of innovation and excellence of privatesector leaders who use entrepreneurship toaddress important global social issues. Theprize is awarded annually by The AspenInstitute and McNulty Foundation.

The McNulty Prize recognizes the visionarywork of an Aspen Global LeadershipNetwork Fellow of the Aspen Institute.Bynum, an advisor to Presidents Clinton,Bush and Obama on communitydevelopment issues and a Henry CrownFellow of the Aspen Institute, founded HOPEto provide financial services that supportjobs, housing, and access to health careand other critical services in the region’smost distressed communities. Aninternational panel of judges includingMadeleine Albright, African diplomat Olara

Otunnu, and international developmentexpert Brizio Biondi-Morra selected the 2013winner.

Since 2008, as other institutions wereclosing their doors in underservedcommunities, HOPE has responded byextending a lifeline to residents in Mississippi,Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas. Duringthis period, HOPE has expanded from 3 to15 branches; increased its member-ownersfrom 9,000 to 28,000; and closed more than7,200 consumer, mortgage and small

business loans totaling over $260 million.HOPE is working to double the number ofpeople and places it serves in “bankdeserts” in the region.

“Each year, the McNulty Prize recognizesthe outstanding work of individuals andorganizations that have made a positiveimpact on the lives of others,” said McNultyPrize judge and former Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright. “By opening the doorsof economic opportunity to underservedindividuals across the country, HOPE hasproven that financial institutions focused oncommunity development can trulytransform weak economies into stronger,sustainable ones, and improve the lives ofthousands of people in the process.”

Bynum and HOPE were honored at theannual McNulty Prize reception in New YorkCity on November 6. Learn more about theprize at www.hopecu.org/mcnultyprize.

Contact HOPEGENERAL ACCOUNT INFORMATION:

HOPE24 Telephone Banking: (877) 214-HOPEHOPENet Online Banking: Go to www.hopecu.org,

then log in to HOPENet.Deposits – Phone: (866) 321-HOPE

E-mail: deposit@hopecu.orgU.S. Mail: (Do not send cash deposits through the mail):

Hope Credit UnionP.O. Box 22886Jackson, MS 39225-2886

Consumer Loans – E-mail: consumerloan@hopecu.orgMortgage Loans – E-mail: mortgageloan@hopecu.orgHOPE Affinity Network – E-mail: affinity@hopecu.orgSupervisory Committee – Phone: (601) 944-1100

E-mail: supervisory.committee@hopecu.orgBRANCH PHONE NUMBERS:

Dial (866) 321-HOPE to be connected to your local branch.

Branch Closing NoticeHOPE branches will be closed in observance of the following holidays:

2014 HOPE HOLIDAY: DATE OBSERVED:Martin Luther King Holiday Saturday, Jan. 18, and Monday, Jan. 20Presidents Day Saturday, Feb. 15, and Monday, Feb. 17

Don’t forget: HOPE is always open, even when the branches are closed.Just use the HOPE24 telephone banking system or HOPENet, our Internetbanking solution.

HOPE has expanded its presence inArkansas by opening a new branch of thecredit union in Pine Bluff. The facility islocated downtown, in the University ofArkansas at Pine Bluff’s (UAPB) EconomicResearch and Development Center, andemphasizes the extensive use of technologyto meet the financial service needs of arearesidents.

In addition to UAPB, HOPE’s Pine Bluffbranch is also supported by severaladditional organizations that recognize thevital role that development financialservices play in fostering broad economicprosperity. These groups include theWinthrop Rockefeller Foundation, DeltaRegional Authority and NeighborWorks®America.

The innovative branch modelincorporates numerous technology featuresthat allow local residents to make use of anarray of services, including online andmobile devices to access and managetheir accounts whenever and whereverthey want. Using an ATM, computer or

smartphone, an individual can become aHOPE member, open a new account,check account balances, transfer funds,and even pay bills.

In addition to loan and deposit products,HOPE members can also take advantageof free financial education and counseling.Financial workshops will be conducted atthe branch, and members can also benefitfrom budgeting, foreclosure prevention andother counseling services provided over thetelephone or online.

Search for “HOPE Pine Bluff Branch” onYouTube to see highlights from the grandopening event. The branch will host acommunity day in the Spring.

HOPE Opens Prototype Branch in Pine Bluff

Bynum, HOPE Win McNulty Prize for Leadership, Innovation

HOPE Credit CardsMean Great Optionsand Low Rates

If you need a credit card to make purchases over time, or if youhave an outstanding balance on a card with a high interest rate,a HOPE Platinum MasterCard provides you with fantastic benefits:

• No annual fee• Competitive rates• Credit limits of up to $10,000• Design your own card• 24-Hour HOPE Infolink online account access• 24/7 toll-free member service• Roadside assistance service• Extended warranty coverage• Guaranteed privacy-we do not sell your private account

information• Automatic payments from checking or savings accountsIf you’ve had some credit issues in the past, a secured card can

help you rebuild your credit. Another option you can choose is arewards card that lets you redeem points you’ve earned whileusing the card for to exchange for items ranging from iPad casesto vacations. Stop by a branch or call us to apply for a cardtoday.

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