Budgeting

The holiday season may still be a few weeks away – but your holiday shopping should start now. With another year full of potential shipping delays, product & staffing shortages, and other unfavorable issues, starting your holidays shopping early this year may be a good idea.

We hope that you’ve been able to save throughout the year for the holiday shopping season with a Christmas Club savings account!  However, if you’re not financially prepared...

Believe it or not, Winter weather isn’t far off. While the changing of seasons is routine, many don’t consider routine car repairs, maintenance, or complete vehicle upgrades until the snow is already settled. Now is a great time to do a once-over on your current vehicle to see what maintenance it may need to get you through another Winter. Or, if push comes to shove, to realize you may need to trade in the old clunker...

Taxes and deductions can be complicated, especially when tax credit eligibility constantly changes. For families with children, understanding what child tax credit assistance is available and how it will be distributed provides helpful insight on how best to optimize personal finances.

Recent changes to the Child Tax Credit expand its reach to help more families for the 2021 tax year. Advance payments, based on 2020 returns, began rolling out in July 2021 and will continue...

It’s July, and while Santa may have his toes in the sand, you can bet he’s already planning for the busy season, as should you! We know, it’s crazy to think about Christmas already; I mean we really just started enjoying Summer – but we suggest thinking about it now, to help prevent any stress, crisis, or lack of funds when Summer fades and then, suddenly, it’s holiday time.

Continue reading to learn 5 things you can do to tidy up your...

Credit score isn’t one of those topics you bring up during dinner, but maybe it should be. Many people don’t realize how important credit actually is and the impact your credit score makes in the grand scheme of your finances. Think of your credit score like a report card, your financial report card - one that will follow you through your entire life. You are the one in control of your credit, so make sure you are doing the best things possible to improve your score...

You spend your time on social media, watching Netflix, scrolling TikTok, and a number of other relaxing, yet frivolous things. Those are all great, however, we want to remind you that you need to save some time to actively managing your finances. Generally, we are more likely to keep tabs on our physical and mental health but studies have shown your finances can make a huge impact on your stress levels which eventually impacts your health. Digging into those financial matters...

As exhilarating as the idea is that you should ‘treat yourself’ on vacation, sometimes, it is probably not the right choice to make. If you don’t want to come home with sickening credit card bills, or a cash deficiency we encourage you to consider budgeting for your vacation.

Saving for a vacation doesn’t happen overnight. The best place to start is with a little account that we call a Vacation Club. This is a sub-account attached to your membership...

A credit score is a number that is used by financial institutions and/or credit card companies to determine the level of risk for a person when issuing a loan or credit card. A person’s credit score may influence the limit of credit available to them, as well as the term, length, and interest rate of a loan.

One of the first items that you (or a potential creditor) will see when looking at a credit report is your credit score: a number between 350 to 850. Generally,...

Outside of auto loans and mortgage loans, personal loans are likely the next type of loan you would use as a consumer. A personal loan is a type of unsecured loan, which means there is no collateral held in the event that you cannot pay back the loan. Generally, a personal loan is a form of credit that can help you make a large purchase or consolidate high-interest debt, but they can serve a number of other purposes as well.

Here are some common reasons...

Just the thought of retirement can be both exciting and terrifying at the same time. It’s what you’ve worked towards for your entire life, but it comes with many unknowns. You’re sure to be wondering if you’ve saved enough, can afford your expenses moving forward, and whether you’re truly ready to move into the next stage of your life.

The reality is that when it comes to retirement, many are unprepared due to a combination of increasing...