Category: Credit Cards

How-to-Guide: Cash, Credit, and Debit – How Should I Pay?

How-to-Guide: Building Credit for Gen Z—A Real-World Guide to Getting Started  For many Gen Z-ers, building credit can feel like one of those “adulting” tasks that you should be doing, but for many, no one really explains how crucial credit is for your financial future! Whether you're dreaming of renting your first apartment,

  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)...

Understanding Credit Card Interest Rates 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...

  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...

  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...

  2022 in Review: CSE's Best Blogs   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...

  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.   Would...

  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 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...