October 2009

Hot Deals and Discounts from NEA Member Benefits
Join the 85,000 NEA members already registered for NEA Click & Save. Go to www.neamb.com/clickandsave today!

Take 20% Off at Talbots—only until October 12th!
Until October 12, 2009, NEA members receive a 20 percent discount on purchases at Talbots, the purveyor of classic and “re-imagined” classic apparel for women. Register or sign in on the NEA Member Benefits Web Site at www.neamb.com and print out your discount coupon to take to your nearest Talbots retail store. Good for getting some early holiday shopping done! This special offer is available until October 12, 2009.

The VIPLINK™ Program by Whirlpool Corporation Has Arrived!
In times like these, replacing or upgrading your appliances can be a financial strain—but it doesn’t have to be! As an NEA member, you are eligible for significant savings on popular appliances through the VIPLINK™ Program by Whirlpool Corporation. Choose products for the kitchen, laundry room, garage, and home from popular brands such as KitchenAid®, Maytag®, Whirlpool®, Amana®, Gladiator® GarageWorks and more.

In addition to special member pricing, you’ll enjoy secure website shopping and easy payment by Visa® or MasterCard®. And because NEA members can shop and order online, there’s no need to drive from store to store to comparison shop—you can do it all on the website! Also, your order can be delivered directly to your home and professionally installed.*

The result? You save time and money!
To create a Whirlpool VIPLINK™ Program member account, go to www.neamb.com, highlight the “Everyday Living” tab and click on “Benefits.” Scroll down to the Whirlpool Corporation VIPLINK™ Program heading under the “Discounts” section, and follow the registration instructions. Then simply order online or call 1-866-808-9274. NOTE: Additional savings are being offered now through October 15th, 2009, just for NEA members!

*Terms and conditions apply; log onto www.partners.whirlpool.com and click on ‘Terms of Use’ for complete program details.

NEA Click & Save “Buy-lights” for October 2009
NEA Click & Save, the online discount buying service for NEA members, highlights select retailers and merchants each month. Check out these featured “Buy-lights” for October:

SmartBargains.com: Save up to 80%
1-800-Flowers.com: Save 15% on any purchase
MyWinesDirect: Save up to 50% plus free shipping
Nike: Save up to 60%
Join the 85,000 NEA members already registered for NEA Click & Save. Go to www.neamb.com/clickandsave today!

Hertz Local Edition
$15 Off Your Weekly Rental - And, We'll Come and Get You®!
Save $15 on a weekly rental of any car class at Hertz neighborhood (off-airport) locations. Go to www.neamb.com/hertz or call your travel agent or Hertz directly at 1-800-654-2210. Be sure to use CDP# 50655 to get your NEA discount, and PC# 106304 to get $15 off!

Advance reservations required. Subject to availability, this offer is redeemable at participating Hertz Off Airport locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. This offer has no cash value, may not be used with Pre-Pay Rates, Tour Rates or Insurance Replacement Rates and cannot be combined with each other or with any other certificate, voucher, offer or promotion. Hertz age, driver and credit qualifications and weekly rate restrictions for the renting location apply. Taxes, tax reimbursement, age differential charges, fees and optional service charges, such as refueling, are not included. Discounts apply to time and mileage charges

Engage Your Students—and Save—with ZUMA ed!
ZUMA ed, an innovative developer of highly affordable, curriculum- and standards-based classroom presentations, is providing NEA members special discounts and an unbeatable introductory offer.
ZUMA ed’s exciting high school-level math, social studies, and science presentations are created by teachers for teachers, using the latest in animation, video, and interactive technology. Their products incorporate high-impact instructional techniques and imaginative media to help teach each lesson and generate back-and-forth discussion in the classroom.
ZUMA ed presentations save educators precious time by eliminating hours of work associated with creating homemade presentations and searching for visual images and video—but are completely customizable. New subjects are being added all the time.
You can’t beat the price—less than $20 per module! Plus, this fall, ZUMA ed’s special introductory offer gives members who purchase a module using their NEA discount an entire site license for the module purchased, so their colleagues can use it, too! View ZUMA ed products and try a free product at http://www.neamb.com/home/1209_4482.htm.
P.S. Don’t miss the live chat feature on the ZUMA ed website. Ask questions, make suggestions—they want to help with what you need!

Getting Ready to Buy a Home
If you’re considering making a home purchase, there are important steps you can take to “get ready” and enhance your buying (and selling) position:

Down Payment Strategies
To maximize the cash you can put toward your home purchase, make saving a priority. If you set realistic goals and adhere to a few key principles, you may be able to pull together the cash you need.

• Pay yourself first. Figure out how much you need to put away each month in order to reach your savings goal, and set that aside before attending to other expenses.

• Avoid large purchases. Before buying big-ticket items, ask yourself how it will affect your home purchase. If a non-essential item puts your goals at risk, you may want to put off buying it until after you’ve bought your home.

• Invest wisely. Financial investment always carries some degree of risk, and it’s important to weigh that risk carefully against your goals.

Proceeds from the sale of your current home can also contribute to your down payment. How much you profit from your home sale depends mainly on how much you have built up your equity, which is the difference between the value of your home and how much you owe on it.

If you’re concerned that you don’t have enough cash or equity to make a down payment—or even if you do have the money, but want to keep it in higher-yielding investments—there are low down payment programs that can help.

Maintaining Good Credit
As you know from your previous home financing experience, credit plays an important role in the mortgage approval process. Responsible credit use is an important part of the mortgage equation, no matter what your homeownership goals. A strong credit profile works to your advantage in trying to secure more favorable loan terms. Even if you have a history of paying your current mortgage on time, there are some additional steps you can take to make sure you are on solid footing:

• Check for errors on your credit report. You may obtain a free credit report, once every 12 months, online at annualcreditreport.com. Inspect it for incorrect or outdated entries, and report any mistakes to the credit agency.

• Buy with cash or checks instead of credit. If you don’t have the money on hand for a large purchase, consider delaying it until you do.

• Contact creditors immediately if you have a problem. Many creditors are willing to work with clients to help relieve difficult financial situations. Even if you have a less-than-perfect credit history, it may not mean you have to put your homeownership plans on hold.

Selling Your Current Home
Selling a home can take just as much planning and effort as buying one. Familiarize yourself with the home-selling process ahead of time, so you can focus on getting into your next home instead of getting rid of your last.

• Find a real estate agent. Interview a few listing agents and find one with whom you’re comfortable. A good agent can be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one.

• Develop a home-selling plan. It’s important to set clear goals and decide at the outset how involved you want to be in the selling process. Ask about your agent’s marketing plans for your home, discuss your expectations about their role and your role in selling the home, and work together to make the sale.

• Make necessary repairs. Walk through your home as a prospective buyer would. Check flooring, plumbing and lighting fixtures, heating and ventilation systems, roofing, and any other major features.

• Make minor improvements. Add small cosmetic touches that might help you sell the home. You could spruce up the entryway to make it more inviting, plant flowers in the front yard, and send belongings that clutter up rooms to storage.

• Price your home. Settle on a realistic price — you want your home to sell in a timely fashion, and not make buyers speculate on why it is just sitting on the market. Check sales prices of comparable homes and consider getting an appraisal to assess the market value of your home.

• Market your home. Work with your listing agent to attract as many potential buyers as possible. Advertise with “for sale” signs along with print and online listings, and host open houses to show off your home.

• Close the sale. After working through any remaining considerations, you simply need to get through all the paperwork. Your listing agent should help you compile all the necessary documents, and arrange to meet with the buyers to complete the transaction.

To learn more, call the NEA Home Financing Program at 1-800-632-4968 and speak with a Home Mortgage Consultant. Remember, the benefits of the NEA Home Financing Program are extended to parents and adult children of NEA members.Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. ©2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Lender.