Lending

What Happens When a Lender Checks My Credit Score? (And 5 Tips to Keep It Strong)

If you’ve ever applied for a loan, credit card, or even a new phone plan, chances are the company said, “We’ll need to check your credit.” But what does that actually mean? And can it hurt your credit score?

Let’s break it down in a way that’s easy to understand — and give you 5 simple tips to keep your score healthy.

First:...

Understanding Buy Now, Pay Later Services

What You Need to Know Before You Click “Pay Later”

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services are popping up everywhere — from online shopping carts to your favorite clothing apps. They promise a simple solution: break up your purchase into smaller payments, often with “no interest” or “no fees.” It sounds like a great deal, right?

But like many things that sound too good...

Making the Most of a Staycation

Most things in life cost more these days. If you find yourself in need of a vacation, but it’s not in the budget this year, it’s time to plan a STAYcation! You still need a recharge and time off work, but reducing stress factors can make staycations even better. Take a look at reasons why Staycations are still great if the big vacation isn’t an option, and how to make the most of them.

Vaycay Your Way

With Summer right around the corner, it’s time to start turning your vacation dreams into a reality. Your mental health can use some Vitamin-D after Ohio’s Winters (yes, even the mild ones!), and CSE can help cover the cost so you don’t have to save up for months before going. An affordable vacation loan to fit your budget helps you get to where you want to go!

Planning a vacation is a great way to unwind and relax. It boosts...

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...

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,...

The economy has been a rollercoaster recently, to say the least, with supply chain issues, to staffing shortages for many businesses, not to mention record inflation. All of this is a perfect storm that has led to rumors of a recession on the horizon.

Although we don’t know if a recession...

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...

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...

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...