Credit Cards

How-to-Guide on How a Credit Card Works

1. What Is a Credit Card?

A credit card is a plastic (or digital) card that lets you borrow money to make purchases. When you use a credit card, you're using the credit union’s money, not your own. The credit union has allowed you up to a certain dollar amount (or credit limit, see below) to borrow. This is different from a debit card, which takes money directly from your checking account.

2. How...

Credit card APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the interest rate charged if you carry a balance on your card. It’s usually shown as a yearly (or annual) rate, but most credit cards calculate it daily or monthly. Knowing how to calculate APR charges can help you understand the cost of carrying a balance and avoid surprise fees. Here’s how to break it down!

Credit Report = Adult Report Card.  Will You Make the Grade?

When you take a test in school, the result of a good or bad grade can affect your overall grade for the course; it plays a part in whether you pass or fail. When talking about your credit report, imagine it as your adult report card. How you repay loans and credit cards affects your overall score, which can lead to good things for you or a world of financial challenges, depending on your overall credit...

Starting Your Credit Journey & Establishing Credit

Have you ever wondered how long it may take to build or improve your credit score? Here are a few tips from our experts, whether you’re just starting out or want to improve a low credit score.

Jump over to our CSE Couch chat with our Assistant Manager of the Lending Contact Center to discover more about establishing your credit.  Or, continue reading...

To start, let’s...

It’s hard to believe another year is passing us by! With so much information out there, we know some things can get overlooked, so we took some time to look back at 2022 to re-post our ‘best’ blogs for you, all in one place! Here are some of the top blogs our members found value in. The CSE blogs are a great way to get a lot of important information quickly, and we hope that through our blogs we can help...

Prepare Your Finances for the Holidays

The holidays might not be top of mind…yet, but this month marks the ‘100 days until Christmas milestone. We want to help you get a jump start on the holidays and provide ways you can prepare your finances now, in order to make your money go further when it comes time to shop.

To start,...

Credit cards are often used for a number of reasons, from the convenience of not carrying around cash, earning rewards with every transaction, or simply so you can make many or large purchases without worrying about it coming out of your account right away.

Although a credit card may be used similarly to a debit card, it works very different.

How credit cards work:

When you get a credit card it is set with a credit limit, or the amount...

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...

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...

Are you thinking about your Summer vacation? At CSE, we can make your whole experience a breeze from the financing to accessing your money while you're away, and even the security of your credit and debit cards while you're traveling. 

If you're looking to go on the vacation of a lifetime but don't have the spare cash, a personal loan at CSE is a great option to get you out of town within your budget. Or, if you've saved for vacation but are...