A message from the President.
Welcome, summertime! We wait all winter for the warm weather, longer days, and endless fun to be had in the sun. I encourage you to go outdoors and soak up everything the summer months have to offer.
Bethpage has a busy summer in store as we continue to expand our physical footprint with the opening of our Ronkonkoma branch at the new Station Yards hub. And that’s not all! We will welcome a third Queens branch this fall when we open in Forest Hills. Click here, to learn more about our entry into these new communities and the recent opening of our first-ever New Jersey branch.
If you have downtime this summer, use this as an opportunity to organize not just your own finances but also your family’s, and that includes your children. Did you know that Bethpage’s Student Checking for teens and young adults features no minimum balance requirements, no monthly maintenance fees, a Mastercard® Debit Card, and more?
Our Student Savings Account for ages 20 and under boasts a competitive 5.00% APY[1] on balances up to $1,000, no monthly maintenance fees, and other great features. We’re celebrating these great accounts by giving away a FREE soccer ball when you open a Bethpage Student Checking or Student Savings Account through August 30, 2024![2] click here for more information.
Our Student Accounts are just one of the many ways to help get your child on the right financial track. Another way of empowering our youth is through financial literacy. To learn how you can set your child up for success when it comes to saving, click here.
As we continue to work towards a best-in-class Digital Banking experience for members, our recent updates provide a cleaner view of transactions and an updated Financial Wellness widget to review spending habits. Learn more about these improvements here.
Bethpage’s commitment to community engagement remains strong. Earlier this year, Bethpage’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) successfully prepared 892 tax returns for low-to-moderate-income families and individuals. As we look ahead, I ask you all to mark your calendars for our Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive, which will take place on Friday, November 22, 2024. This amazing event brings together Bethpage team members, local businesses, and more to help supply Thanksgiving meals to families in our community. Click here to learn more about these two impactful programs.
Sincerely,
Linda Armyn
President & Chief Executive Officer
Expansion continues!
New Bethpage branches coming to Long Island and Queens.
We are happy to announce that Bethpage will bring our vision of enriching lives to new communities with the opening of branches in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, this summer and Forest Hills, Queens, this fall. Our expansion into these new markets will make Bethpage’s products and services accessible to more members than ever and help them achieve their financial goals.
“These branches allow us to provide improved access to our existing members as well as enable our ability to provide the great service and value you have all come to know and love to potential new members.”
Emilio Cooper, SVP/Chief Deposit Officer
Our first New Jersey branch is open in Cherry Hill!
The Cherry Hill branch is located at 56 Haddonfield Road and offers the following services:
- Account opening
- Loan services
- Notary services
- Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs)*
*An ITM looks and operates as an ATM, with added functionality, including the option to chat directly with a Bethpage representative during business hours.
We look forward to continued growth, bringing the credit union difference to more members and communities in 2025.
Meet our Ronkonkoma branch manager!
William Bendernagel
What is your role at Bethpage? How do you Enrich Lives? As a branch manager, I develop the team and help them grow in their role and in life. I enrich lives by helping teammates and members achieve their goals and dreams.
What is your favorite thing about working at Bethpage? My favorite thing about working at Bethpage is the satisfaction I receive from helping my team achieve their goals. I love watching the growth in an individual and knowing that I helped get them there.
Three words that describe Bethpage? Family, Loyalty, Caring.
Set your kids up for success with savings goals.
It’s never too early to start teaching your kids the importance of saving and how it can help pave their way toward a solid financial future. Helping them learn the concept of money and the value of saving can make a big difference in your child’s life. If you are wondering where to begin, here are a few ways to help:
1. Teach them how to save
One way to show your kids how to save is to start with a piggy bank. If they receive an allowance, encourage them to make a deposit in the piggy bank until it is full. You can motivate them to save up for a new toy or video game by putting a picture of their desired item on the piggy bank so they have a visual reminder of what they are saving for. This will give them an idea of how to work towards a savings goal and provide a feeling of accomplishment.
2. Explain money management
Once the piggy bank is filled, it’s time to open a student savings account so your kids can earn dividends. Involve them in the process by having them count how much money will be deposited in their student savings account so they understand how much they have saved. Explain to your child that having their own bank account will allow their money to grow by earning dividends. That way, they’ll learn the importance of a savings account, managing money, and making decisions about saving and spending as they get older.
3. Help them set a budget
Teaching your kids how to budget will help them grasp the value of saving to be able to get the things that they want and need. It may be helpful to use online budgeting tools or a spreadsheet to show your kids how to manage their savings goals. This way they can understand that creating a plan for spending and saving will allow them to achieve long-term goals to help them stay on financial track as they get older.
Student Accounts.
At Bethpage, we aim to help your kids become champions of their finances.
Building a strong financial foundation early on will allow your kids to start their savings off on the right foot. Our Student Savings and Student Checking Accounts are filled with great features to get the ball rolling towards a strong financial foundation for kids and teens.
STUDENT SAVINGS
(Ages 20 and under)*
- 5.00% APY[1]on the first $1,000
- No monthly maintenance fees
- $1,000 ATM withdrawal limit
- 24/7 access to Bethpage Digital Banking for parent/guardian; minor can have access at 13
STUDENT CHECKING
(Ages 13-20)**
- Contactless Mastercard® Debit Card at account opening
- No monthly account maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements
- $1,000 ATM withdrawal limit
Exciting enhancements to Digital Banking.
In our continued effort to provide Bethpage members with a best-in-class Digital Banking experience, we are happy to share recent updates that provide a cleaner view of transactions and an updated Financial Wellness widget to review spending habits. Learn more about these improvements below.
Simplified transaction descriptions. When viewing account transactions, each line now notes the date, point of sale, category (Restaurants and Dining, Groceries, ATM/Cash Withdrawals, Deposits, and more), and amount. This provides members with a streamlined, easy-to-read transaction history and the ability to label transactions with the category of their choice. Note: Transaction details can be expanded to show a more in-depth summary.
New Spending tab in the Financial Wellness widget. The Spending tab, available on desktop and mobile, offers members a snapshot of spending habits and provides financial insights by account over the course of 12 months. By clicking on the category, you can dive deeper into your spending month over month, total spending by transaction type, monthly dollars spent, and more.
Log into your Online Banking account using the mobile app or at lovebethpage.com to explore these exciting updates.
Community updates
2024 VITA Program.
Each year, Bethpage organizes the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) to provide free basic tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income families and individuals. We are happy to announce that the 21st annual Bethpage VITA program successfully prepared 892 tax returns this past tax season. Volunteers assisted individuals virtually through video and in-person appointments, and were able to help Long Island taxpayers receive a total of $1,097,786 in refunds.
Since 2004, the Bethpage VITA program has provided free personal income tax return preparation assistance to over 25,919 low-to-moderate income individuals and families on Long Island. Bethpage VITA has returned more than $30.6 million in taxpayer refunds to date.
The IRS manages the VITA/TCE program. The program is operated and staffed by volunteers who are not tax professionals.
Bethpage Turkey Drive
Friday, November 22 | 7:30AM – 4:00PM
Bethpage Branch
899 S. Oyster Bay Road, Bethpage, NY 11714
From 2009 through 2023, over 45,000 turkeys, 218,000 pounds of food, and more than $140,000 in monetary donations have been collected.
Join us for the 16th Annual Bethpage Turkey Drive! We will gratefully accept frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items, and monetary donations. These donations will go directly to Island Harvest, which will then help supply Thanksgiving meals to families in our community. For safety, we ask that you please remain in your vehicles, and keep all donations in your trunk so that our volunteers can easily and safely access them. Additionally, we will provide an option for online giving!
