Member Resources and Support

We’re offering a range of solutions to help members manage through temporary or extended periods of reduced or lost income due to COVID-19. Whether your individual situation calls for deferring a payment, increasing your credit line, waiving a fee, or getting a loan, our team is here for you.

Defer a payment
If you need to delay a loan payment or extend a previous deferral, start by submitting a Loan Deferral Request Form.

Increase your credit, request a fee waiver or other financial needs
Call us at 800.388.8228 for requests like this. We're focused on serving all our members with needs right now, so we appreciate your patience if you experience longer hold times.

If you want to talk about your investments or retirement accounts
You may already have advisors you rely on, but if you’re looking for additional insights at no cost, our experienced CFS* Financial Advisors are available to listen to your concerns and answer your questions. Visit our financial advisors page to find the nearest advisor and schedule a complimentary appointment.

If you want to talk about your personal finances in general
If you want help evaluating your budget right now or simply need help because you’re in financial difficulty, reach out and let us know. Our Certified Financial Specialists welcome these conversations and are standing by to talk to you. Request a complimentary appointment today – we want to talk about what’s most important to you.

BALANCE offers counseling by phone and online
One of the benefits of Patelco membership is complimentary access to counselors and educational tools by phone or online through our partnership with BALANCE™ – an industry leader in expert financial advice. They offer great articles and tips; for example, what to do if your income is reduced or what costs to cut immediately if you are facing financial hardships. Look for the Get Started button on our BALANCE page to connect to the BALANCE site. Once you're on the BALANCE site, select the CHAT button at the top of the page to start chatting – or directly call 888.456.2227.

We have self-serve resources available for you online, too
We've got dozens of articles online in our wellness section – covering everything from revising your budget to handling a drop in income. Our Money Management Planner and Personal Financial Assessment are also available online – they can help you jumpstart planning how to manage your money during this time and assessing the state of your personal finances. (These two worksheets are designed to use when talking to a BALANCE counselor, but you can also use them on your own.)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers help online
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is committed to providing you with up-to-date information and resources to help you protect and manage your finances, and make financial decisions during a pandemic.

 

To read the full details of the new stimulus bill plus additional 2021 relief from the California and federal governments, check out our stimulus bill guide. Below, we share the highlights of the December 2020 bill.

Stimulus payments
The government has sent $600 stimulus payments to those who qualify, plus $600 per eligible child. Eligibility is generally based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2019. Those who made $75,000 or less received the full $600.

Payments start phasing out for individuals whose 2019 AGI exceeds $75,000 (or $112,500 if you filed as head-of-household). For married couples filing jointly, payments start phasing out when combined income exceeds $150,000. For individuals without children, the payments go to zero when income reaches $87,000 (or $174,000 for married couples).

Unemployment benefits
People receiving state unemployment benefits will get an extra $300 weekly for 11 weeks, from the end of December 2020 through March 14, 2021.

The latest bill also extends two other pandemic unemployment programs originally set to expire around Christmas: the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program expands jobless benefits to gig workers, freelancers, independent contractors, the self-employed and certain other people affected by the coronavirus. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program provides an additional 13 weeks of payments to those who exhaust their regular state benefits.

Both programs would close to new applicants on March 14, 2021, but benefits will continue through April 5, 2021 for existing claimants who have not yet reached the maximum of 50 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Rental assistance
The bill extends until January 31, 2021 the federal eviction protection set to expire at the end of the year. It also provides $25 billion in rental assistance. Separately, California has frozen evictions for struggling tenants impacted by COVID-19 through June 30, 2021. This provision protects tenants as long as they’re paying a total 25% of their rent starting in September 2020, and can prove pandemic-related adversity like job or salary loss.

The $25 billion will be funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and dispersed to individual states. Tenants will apply for aid through state or local relief organizations. How quickly the assistance becomes available will be dependent on where you live. To find out what’s available in your area, visit the government website for your city or county.

If you’re looking for employment during this unprecedented time, we encourage you to look at a broad range of job websites. Robert Half®, the staffing experts, have come up with this list of the best job search websites.

LinkedIn^® is a great place to show off your skills and experiences. But did you know they also have resources and tips to help you land your next job? Check out their resume, interview tips and networking advice.

View our Employment Webinar
Register to watch our webinar on demand. Our Human Resources team has hosted an online event to provide tips and recommendations to help you navigate in the current economic environment.

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Patelco Online™ and the Mobile App provide convenient access to your account anytime, anywhere:

• A personal dashboard with up-to-the-minute balances, and upcoming payments and transfers
• The ability to deposit checks remotely, directly into your account
• Customizable notifications to help you stay informed about transactions, account balances, overdrafts and more
• Safe and secure options to transfer money
• Bill Pay to manage one-time payments and schedule automatic payments
• Budgeting tools to manage your money effectively
• Integration with Quicken^® and Mint^®, plus Excel^™ compatibility via .CSV download

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Unfortunately, during stressful situations including the COVID-19 pandemic, financial scams increase. You should safeguard not only your health but also your money and identity during this time.

Don’t share your personal information on social media
Scammers can hack into social media accounts — so it's possible that the "friend" you're talking to may not be your friend. In any case, you should never share your personal information with anyone — not with friends and not with strangers.

Your personal information includes your online banking User ID and password, your card number, your Member Number and your Social Security number. No one needs to know your banking information, and they don't need to access your account. We're aware of recent scams where members have given out their online banking User ID and password to a "friend" via Snapchat because the "friend" needed to deposit some money. If anyone approaches you on social media asking for your banking information, just say no.

Beware of mortgage scams and contact us if you need mortgage help
If you're a homeowner facing foreclosure, please contact us so we can talk about your options. Homeowners facing foreclosure should be aware of common scams. One common scam is deed-transferring to a third party. Another scam begins with scammers urging homeowners to not pay their mortgage in order to get a loan modification.

Most banks, credit unions, and mortgage lenders and servicers have agreed to allow homeowners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to delay or reduce their mortgage payments for up to three months. If we are your mortgage lender, contact us at 800.358.8228.

Don't pay any money up front for a loan
Do not pay anyone asking for up-front or advance fees for loan modification services or mortgage forbearance services. Contact the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) immediately at 877.373.4542 if you are asked to pay this kind of fee. Advance fees for loan modifications are not legal in California.

Avoid stimulus check scams
Scammers are calling and sending messages asking for personal information, promising they can get you a tax refund or stimulus check faster. Another common scam is asking you to deposit their stimulus check in exchange for you keeping part of their money. The check is most likely counterfeit —and any money sent to the fraudster will be lost.

No one from the IRS will reach out by phone, email, postal mail or in-person asking for any kind of information to complete your stimulus check. You should never deposit any check for someone else, especially in exchange for keeping part of the cash.

Fraudsters can spoof calls and texts from banks’ and credit unions’ 800 numbers, including our own. Patelco and legitimate organizations will never call, text or email you asking you to provide your Member Number, online banking credentials, card PIN, full card number or Social Security number. Protect yourself from malware and phishing attacks by not opening attachments from unfamiliar sources.

Be extra careful about calls, texts, and emails you receive
Don’t click links in messages from unknown senders or provide personal information over the phone.

• We’re seeing scammers sending fake messages pretending to be from banks and credit unions, as well as from organizations like the CDC, IRS, Social Security and charities.
• There has also been an increase in work-related scams because many people are working remotely. Here are some ways you can protect your company:
  • Beware of last-minute changes in instructions for paying an invoice or doing another financial transaction.
  • Verify any changes and information via your contact information on file — do not contact a vendor or coworker via the number or email address in a message, especially an unexpected message.
  • Ensure the URL in emails is associated with the business it claims to be from.
  • Be alert to hyperlinks that may contain misspellings of the actual domain name.
  • Verify the email address used to send emails, especially when using a mobile or handheld device, by ensuring the sender’s email address appears to match who it is coming from.
• Watch out for robocalls offering work-from-home employment, access to COVID-19 vaccinations or treatment, and cash benefits from the government — don’t fall for it.
• We’d also like to remind you that Patelco and legitimate organizations will never ask for information such as:
  • Your Member Number
  • Online banking credentials
  • Card PIN
  • Full card number
  • Social Security number

• We’re seeing scammers sending fake messages pretending to be from banks and credit unions, as well as from organizations like the CDC, IRS, Social Security and charities.
• There has also been an increase in work-related scams because many people are working remotely. Here are some ways you can protect your company:
  • Beware of last-minute changes in instructions for paying an invoice or doing another financial transaction.
  • Verify any changes and information via your contact information on file — do not contact a vendor or coworker via the number or email address in a message, especially an unexpected message.
  • Ensure the URL in emails is associated with the business it claims to be from.
  • Be alert to hyperlinks that may contain misspellings of the actual domain name.
  • Verify the email address used to send emails, especially when using a mobile or handheld device, by ensuring the sender’s email address appears to match who it is coming from.
• Watch out for robocalls offering work-from-home employment, access to COVID-19 vaccinations or treatment, and cash benefits from the government — don’t fall for it.
• We’d also like to remind you that Patelco and legitimate organizations will never ask for information such as:
  • Your Member Number
  • Online banking credentials
  • Card PIN
  • Full card number
  • Social Security number

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Medical Coverage under Covered California – Check to see if you or your family is eligible to obtain health coverage if you aren’t currently covered by an employer or are unemployed.

California Health and Human Services Agency – Find agencies in California that provide a wide range of services in the areas of health care, mental health, public health, alcohol and drug treatment, income assistance, social services and assistance to people with disabilities.

California Department on Aging - If you need information for yourself or a senior citizen in your life, visit your local Area Agency on Aging for services for Senior Citizens or call 800.510.2020.

TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) – Find out if your family is eligible to receive assistance from this federal program that provides monthly cash and Medicaid benefits.

Childcare resources - For information to help you find childcare during the pandemic click here.

Emotional support resources - If you need help or just want to talk to someone, we have emotional wellbeing resources to help.

• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for 24/7 crisis support
• California Peer-Run Warm Line: Bay area residents call 855.845.7415 for 24/7 non-emergency emotional support.
• Friendship Line: Call 888.670.1360 for 24/7 support if you are 60 years or older, or an adult living with disabilities.

Affordable housing resources

• Habitat for Humanity – Check out the various housing resources from our community partner Habit for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley
• Eviction Prevention
  • California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
  • Home Safe Program

• School district food distribution – Various school districts are offering students free breakfast and lunch, check with your local school district for details or with your local food bank. If you qualify for free lunch and school is not in session, go here to get resources.
• CALFRESH - You may be eligible for food stamps, easily apply here.
• TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) – Find out if your family is eligible to receive assistance from this federal program that provides monthly cash and Medicaid benefits.
• Food bank resources:
  • USDA National Hunger Hotline – Find out about food banks in your neighborhood by clicking here, calling 1.866.3.HUNGRY or 1.877.8.HAMBRE or texting 97779.
  • California Association of Food Banks – Find a food bank close to you for free fresh food resources.
  • Patelco partners with these local food banks:
    • Alameda County Food Bank
    • Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
    • Merced County Food Bank
    • Redwood Empire Food Bank
    • Second Harvest Food Bank
    • SF Marin Food Bank
    • Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services
    • Yolo Food Bank

Many of our members have lost income due to COVID-19 and might be facing food insecurities so we want to ensure that we are supporting those who are most vulnerable in our community– the elderly, children, and families. That’s why Patelco is donating $130,000 to Bay Area and Sacramento food banks.

Patelco has a long history of supporting our local food banks and they need us now more than ever to keep necessary and valuable services available. If you’re in a position to donate to these wonderful community organizations, we encourage you to do so. Learn more about what we are doing in the community and links to helping organizations in need.