We’re in this TOGETHER. COVID-19 Relief Programs & Updates

Greater Alliance is committed to the well-being of our members, employees, and community. For over 82 years, Greater Alliance has been and continues to be a strong and stable credit union. We take our role seriously as your financial institution and in helping you, your loved ones, and our community get through these uncertain times.

TEMPORARY EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAMS
Our number one priority is to serve and care for our members, today and every day. Rest assured, we’re here for you with the following options:

COVID-19 RELIEF LOAN – Limited Time Offer!- SUSPENDED AS OF 10/1/20

To qualify for this loan, you must have reduced income due to one of the following Covid-19 related issues: 

• COVID-19 illness,
• Quarantine
• Monitoring
• Reduction in hours, or
• Missed pay to care for a family member.

To qualify for the loan, you will need documentation from your employer indicating a change in your pay/work hours due to COVID-19. If you cannot provide documentation, please tell us how this has impacted you and your family. This loan offers a quick turnaround, can be closed electronically so you don’t have to come to the branch. 

• NO Payments for 90 days*
• Applicants must be a member of the credit union for at least 30 days prior to the application and in good standing with the credit union. Members’ are required to have a min of $25 in their savings to qualify.
• All applicants must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
• Rate as low as 6.99% APR ** for 24 months
• Loan amount up to $2,500. Approved amount can vary based on current loan limits
• No prepayment penalty

LOGIN TO ONLINE BANKING  TO APPLY  – For more information please email info@greateralliance.org or call 201-599-5500.

FACE COVERING REQUIRED FOR ALL IN-BRANCH VISITS – changed effective, 05/28/2021. Please click here for more details.

The Governor of NJ where has mandated that all New Jersey residents and essential workers are now required to wear masks while in retail outlets – including grocery stores and pharmacies – during the corona virus pandemic.

The mandate, signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday, is aimed at mitigating asymptomatic spread of COVID-19. To learn more please click here.

• As we are considered an essential business we will be required to adopt the facial covering policy for any In-branch appointments moving forward.
• If a member refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons and if we cannot provide you with a facial covering we will have to DECLINE entry for that member at any of our branches.

SCHEDULED APPOINTMENTS FOR IN-BRANCH LOBBY SERVICE – 6/22/20-UPDATED 3/8/21

We are now offering IN-BRANCH Scheduled appointments for a number of services. Schedule An Appointment

Please email info@greateralliance.org or call 201-599-5500 to schedule an appointment for the above needs only.

EXPANDED DRIVE-THRU SERVICES – CHANGED AS OF 6/22/20: 
We’ve suspended face-to-face lobby transactions; however, we have broadened our drive-thru capabilities to accommodate almost every transaction. Our Paramus and Hackensack locations will remain open for longer hours during the weekdays from:

• 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM from Monday to Thursday (Extended hours)
• 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Fridays.  (Extended hours)
• 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays.  (Regular hours)
• Our Paterson branch will remain CLOSED.

UNLIMITED TRANSACTIONS FROM YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT:  MADE PERMANENT AS OF 06/01/2021
As per Federal Reserve guideline we’ve suspended the Reg D count for all of our savings account effective May 4, 2020. Which means members will be able to make unlimited transfers and withdrawals out of their saving accounts with no impact/concern to reaching their 6 count per month. This is a temporary arrangement during the pandemic so members can easily withdraw or transfer funds to and from their savings account through Online Banking, ATMs or at a branch.

HOW TO FILE DEBT PROTECTION CLAIM ON YOUR LOAN:

We are receiving multiple claims for various loans due to COVID-19, we are here to help process your claims as quickly as possible. If you currently have Debt Protection on any of your loan and would like to put in claim, please:

• Email us at info@greateralliance.org with all your loan details or call us at 201-599-5500 Press #3 and dial x280 during our regular business hours and our Service Support representative will file the claim on your behalf.

SKIP-A-PAY FEES SUSPENSION & ADDITIONAL SKIP AVAILABILITY -SUSPENDED AS OF 7/1/20

Starting July 1st, we will NOT be offering FREE Skips or additional skips for eligible loans listed below.

If you have exhausted all your Skip-A-Pay options for the above mentioned loans please email centralizedlending@greateralliance.org  and provide documentation from your employer indicating a change in your pay/work hours due to COVID-19. If you cannot provide documentation, please tell us how this has impacted you and your family. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and we will contact you within 48 business hours.

STIMULUS CHECKS

For the funds that come through successfully via ACH, they will be posted automatically to the account you had chosen when filing your taxes during the previous year. Should you wish to transfer funds to another account within Greater Alliance:

• You may check your account within Online or Mobile Banking and allocate the funds to a specific account yourself.
• Or, you MUST CALL us immediately to process your request. Please call 201-599-5500 or email: info@greateralliance.org
• If you receive your Stimulus Check via mail you may deposit the check using our Mobile Deposit feature within our Mobile App.
• For those accounts that are closed, we will be returning the ACH

OVERDRAFT PRIVILEGE FEES -Changed the fees on 6/1/20 – SUSPENDED AS OF 06/1/21

• NO FEE on transactions of $10 or less (Previously was $25 or less)
• Overdraft privilege will be discontinued at 35 days, however we will allow up to 60 days to bring the account to a positive balance. (This offer will continue)
• Overdraft privilege fee $35 (Previously was $25)

ENTERPRISE CAR SALES

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to promote “social distancing”, Enterprise has introduced a new way that makes it safer to buy quality, pre-owned vehicles including contactless test drives and delivery! LEARN MORE

MORTGAGE FORBEARANCE/MODIFICATION PROGRAM – SUSPENDED AS OF 06/1/21

Ask us about options for consolidating debt to make managing your bills easier. Apply to consolidate your high rate Credit Card, Store Card or personal loan debt from another financial institution and receive 1% Cash Back up to a $1,000 when you refinance with us. APPLY TODAY

INCREASED ATM & MOBILE CHECK DEPOSIT LIMITS 

• ATM limit has been increased to $750 
• Mobile Check Deposit has been increased to $5,000

GREENPATH FINANCIAL WELLNESS 

If you or a loved one has been financially impacted by the COVID-19 virus, our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness can help. A national non-profit, GreenPath offers judgment-free-counseling and advice (free-of-charge) to people facing debt and other issues. For those dealing with debt, GreenPath can also help you to explore options that may be available to you through your creditors as a response to the COVID-19 crisis, such as reduced late fees or waived penalties.  Counseling from GreenPath is free and 100% confidential. 

Housing – Late Mortgage Payments – Late mortgage payments matter, even if you’re not seriously delinquent. Take the necessary steps to get back on top, GreenPath can help with our foreclosure prevention counseling.  

Preparing for a Financial Emergency – What you can do right now if coronavirus turns life upside down. Here are 5 tips for financial preparedness from our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness. 

What to Do If Your Income is Interrupted or Lost Unexpectedly? – The financial ripple of COVID-19 can be really stressful. We’re here for you – check out these tips from our partners at GreenPath Financial Wellness for dealing with a loss of income.

FREE INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS:

In times where information is crucial, Greater Alliance has set up various webinars for our members that may be beneficial to your current needs. You may listen to the webinars from the comfort of your home, all you need is an internet connection. Learn More.

REMOTE SERVICES

We strongly encourage all members, for the safety of you and others, to bank remotely using any one of our convenient online or remote services for:

• Checking Balances
• Transfering Funds
• Paying Bills
• Mobile Check Deposits
• Loan applications
• eStatements
• Deposit account opening and more…

ENROLL TODAY for Online Banking or Download our Mobile Apps today!

       

We also encourage you to use one of our 85,000 Fee FREE ATMs. Or, bank by phone, for more information regarding our remote services please contact us at 201-599-5500 during regular business hours or email us at info@greateralliance.org

YOUR DEPOSITS ARE SAFE

We are here for you as we always have been. Please know that your accounts are federally insured to at least $250,000 per individual depositor and backed by the full faith of and credit of the United States Government/NCUA. We’re not going anywhere, because at its core, our credit union is not a building or a business, it’s people unified for a common goal.

 

FRAUD PREVENTION

The Federal Trade Commission has released updated content on Coronavirus-related scams. Read through new scam tactics and what to look out for when trying to avoid being fleeced –  Please click here

As always, be cautious with unsolicited emails and never open unknown attachments or click on unknown links.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will make changes accordingly based on CDC recommendations. We have contingency plans in place that are designed to prevent any service disruptions.

Our primary goal is to continue to serve you! Please connect with us on social media, visit our website frequently for continued updates. We hope you and your family are well and continue to stay safe during these trying times. 

 

*After 90 days your payment will be applied to accrued interest and principal. **APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Loan term 24 months which would result in 24 monthly payments of $4.92 per $100 borrowed for applicants that qualify for the 6.99% APR. All borrowers must have or open a savings and are required to maintain a minimum balance of $100 in their personal savings account to avoid $15 monthly fees. A full credit check will be required for all borrowers. All advertised rates and terms are subject to individual qualifying factors and are subject to change without notice.

***Borrower(s) will still be responsible for any escrow portion, which may include taxes and insurance during the forbearance/modification. Requests are required with an explanation of financial hardship. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Interest will continue to accrue on the unpaid principal during the forbearance period, with any calculated interest charges pursuant to your original mortgage agreement. Once the forbearance/modification period is complete, your mortgage payment may be adjusted to a larger amount per your mortgage term and the details of the forbearance/modification agreement. Upon resumption of standard payments, you may experience your next mortgage payment(s) satisfying interest prior to any principal pay down.

All temporary relief programs mentioned above are subject to change without notice.