The Foreign Service Journal, October 2006

72 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / OC T OB E R 2 0 0 6 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Staff: Executive Director Susan Reardon: reardon@afsa.org Business Department Controller Steven Tipton: tipton@afsa.org Accounting Assistant Jon Reed: reed@afsa.org Labor Management General Counsel Sharon Papp: papps@state.gov Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: badrichz@state.gov Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: yorkej@state.gov Grievance Attorneys Neera Parikh: parikhna@state.gov and Charles Garten: gartenc@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: dbroome@usaid.gov USAID Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: asigfusson@usaid.gov Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Representative Cory Nishi: nishi@afsa.org Web-site & Database Associate Sheng Zhao: zhao@afsa.org Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Outreach Programs Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Congressional Affairs Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: tracy@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: berger@afsa.org Retiree Recruitment Coordinator Norma Reyes: reyes@afsa.org Elderhostel Coordinator Janice Bay: bay@afsa.org AFSA HEADQUARTERS: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org AFSA E-MAIL: afsa@afsa.org FSJ: journal@afsa.org PRESIDENT: holmes@afsa.org STATE VP: kashkettsb@state.gov RETIREE VP: 42reuwash@earthlink.net USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FCS VP: donald.businger@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Shawn Dorman : dorman@afsa.org (202) 338-4045 x 503; Fax: (202) 338-8244 On the Web : www.afsa.org/news How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: J. Anthony Holmes STATE VICE PRESIDENT: Steven Kashkett USAID VICE PRESIDENT: Francisco Zamora FCS VICE PRESIDENT: Donald Businger FAS VICE PRESIDENT: Vacant RETIREE VICE PRESIDENT: David Reuther SECRETARY: Tex Harris TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Bradford Bell, Hugh Neighbour, Alan Misenheimer, Joyce Namde, Randy Steen, Daphne Titus and Andrew Young USAID REPRESENTATIVE: Mike Henning FCS REPRESENTATIVE: William Center FAS REPRESENTATIVE: Robert Curtis IBB REPRESENTATIVE: Vacant RETIREE REPRESENTATIVES: Leonard J. Baldyga, Roger Dankert, Larry Lesser and Gilbert Sheinbaum I n July, responding tomembers’ inquiries and concerns about new fees and other issues, AFSAmet with two officials from the StateDepartment Credit Union, Chair of the BoardMarlene Schwartz and CEO Jan Roche. AFSA asked for clarification of what appeared to be a new “International Service Assessment” fee being charged when a member uses bank cards and credit cards overseas. Roche explained that, in fact, credit card companies have always imposed this fee; now, following several court deci- sions, the companies have been mandated to show this fee separately. She added that some banks pass on an addi- tional fee to the customer, but the SDFCU does not. Some members had reported difficulties trying to use SDFCU credit cards overseas recently. Schwartz and Roche explained that many companies require telephone approval when an overseas charge is processed. Credit card compa- nies monitor card activity and react when it departs from a member’s previous spending patterns and when approval requests arrive from areas of the world where there is high fraud activity. This can lead to a rejection of the card. You can avoid most problems by contacting the SDFCU before you travel. Call 1 (800) 296-8882 or (703) 706- 5000 to speak to a credit union representative, or fax a request to SDFCU Card Services at least 24 hours before your departure. The fax number is (703) 706-5117. Include the destination(s), time frames for travel and your signature. If an overseas transaction is blocked, you can get help by calling the 24-hour assistance line at 1 (800) 266-9569 or (703) 706-5000. Another concern AFSA raised with SDFCU manage- ment was reported problems using the credit union Web site overseas. They assured us that the SDFCU site ( www.sdfcu.org ) allows any properly authenticated visitor, in the U.S. or outside, access to all online services. There are, however, many factors that can make online banking activities difficult overseas. Local Internet service providers may not have up-to-date systems, bandwidth may be insuf- ficient or high-speed access may not be available. More information is at www.sdfcu.org/news/ overseastrip.html . Concerns about Credit Union Services Life in the Foreign Service BY BRIAN AGGELER