Update Controlling
processing
costs
THE PROFESSIONALS at NOVA batch out for you if you forget.
Current news for Costco members Information Systems, Costco’s ■ Enter required infor-
SERVICE OF THE MONTH features business merchant credit-card processing mation. In order to avoid
and personal services offering exceptional provider, suggest these tips for higher rates when accepting
value to Costco members. managing your processing costs. corporate, business or purchas- ■ Make sure you batch ing cards, you should always
nightly. Batching (closing out enter a cutomer code and tax
SERVICE OF THE MONTH your terminal) each night will amount when prompted by
Another ensure that you are qualifying your terminal. If either piece of
transactions at the best possible information is missing, the rate
critical rate. Rates are best for transac- will be higher.
tions processed the same day, Costco members save on
rise to a higher rate if not closed credit-card processing with the
financial out within 24 hours and rise NOVA program. To learn how
more if closed out after 48 hours much you can save, call tollor more. Consider setting up free 1-888-605-2488 and men-
goal auto-close so your terminal will tion priority code 83104.
COMSTOCK SERVICE UPDATES
NEXT TO PLANNING for retirement, mapping out a strategy for financing college education expenses is the most frequent goal for Identity Guard program
members seeking the service of Ameriprise Financial. An Ameriprise financial advisor has the knowledge and tools to goes national
help in the three crucial areas of education planning:
■ Financial aid. When calculating need, most colleges and all
federal aid programs expect more than 33 percent of any assets
owned by your child to be dedicated to paying college costs, while
less than 6 percent of your own assets are viewed as available for
payment. An advisor may suggest keeping education and other
investments in your name.
COSTCO'S CREDIT REPORTS & Monitoring service, provided by Identity
Guard®, will soon roll out a nationwide program. Brochures will be
available in all warehouse locations starting in August.
Regularly monitoring your credit files can reveal changes associated with identity theft. Through this program, you can get a three-in-one credit report with side-by-side credit histories and credit scores
from the three major credit bureaus.
■ Taxes. An advisor can propose tax-advantaged savings plans
to get the most out of the current laws (some of which are expected
to expire in 2010), and help you adjust your plan over time.
■ Control. Custodial gift funds can be a double-edged sword.
Planning with an advisor helps determine the kind of control you
want to exercise over this important form of savings.
Daily monitoring by Identity Guard
yields prompt alerts to certain changes so
you can react quickly. Studies show that
fast discovery of the misuse of personal
information reduces the likelihood of loss.
How much is peace of mind worth?
Costco members can take advantage of a complimentary,
no-obligation initial consultation with an Ameriprise financial advisor
and, for doing so, will receive a $25 Costco Cash card. Executive
ALSO: Members who purchase a financial plan will receive $200 off the cost of
an initial written financial plan, and PHOTODISC
Costco Gold Star and Business mem-
bers will receive $100 off. For informa- tion, call toll-free 1-866-549-5952 or Running payroll
visit costco.com and click on “Services,” then on “Financial Planning.” with QuickBooks
Investments and financial advisory services made available through COSTCO NOW OFFERS QuickBooks® Assisted Payroll from Intuit®
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., member NASD and SIPC. Payroll Services. You can manage your employee processing while
Intuit handles your federal and state payroll tax deposits and fil-
Executive Members pay just $7.49 per
month for this service. Business and
See the June 2006 article about retirement
planning in the Online
Edition archives. Go to
costco.com and click
on “Costco magazine.”
Gold Star members pay $9.49 per
month. To enroll, visit costco.com, click
on “Services,” then click on “Credit
Reports & Monitoring.”
Don’t forget to ings, including W-2s.
Additional features include direct deposit, printing your own
use your Reward checks and customized payroll reports to best fit your business's
on your next trip needs. For more information about QuickBooks Assisted Payroll, call
to Costco. an Intuit payroll specialist at 1-866-297-8064.
All services are provided by third parties, may not be available in all areas and are subject to change without notice. Some restrictions apply. See “Services” at costco.com for applicable terms and conditions.
