At what age should you start teaching your child about credit? Financial education starts much earlier than age 18, when you can open your first card. Children begin to form their lifelong money habits as early as preschool. Behavioral researchers from Cambridge University encourage parents to start teaching their kids about money as young as [...]
Free Financial Education - Understanding Credit Watch Understanding Credit Webinar Credit: Many want it but how do you get it? This session covers all aspects of becoming an educated credit consumer, including how lenders evaluate for credit approval, factors that impact credit qualification, how credit scoring works, and ways money management today impacts credit [...]
Basics of Personal Finance: An Overview Knowing and implementing the fundamentals of personal finance will enable you to make the most of your money today so you can achieve tomorrow’s goals. Money management, credit and debt, goal development, credit reports, saving and investing, tax and retirement planning, and insurance are subjects everybody can – and [...]
Free Financial Education Webinar: Using Credit Cards Wisely A credit card can be a valuable financial tool. However, before racking up big charges on multiple cards, participants should learn smart ways to handle their credit cards and take a disciplined approach. Session 1: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 Time: 12:30 p.m. Sign Up Session 2: Thursday, [...]
Nine Ways to Master Your Money 1. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals Saving tends to be easier when you have a certain purpose in mind: Saving for your first house, your retirement at a certain age, a child’s college education, or even a trip around the world. The important thing is for your goals to be specific, [...]
Free, Financial Education Webinars Join us for free webinars in 2023! Whether you’re an employee, member, family, or friend, our webinars are packed with useful info and are open to everyone. Just make sure to reserve your virtual seat. Select Sign Up at the links below to register. When prompted please enter ‘Green Country FCU’ as your [...]
We’re very excited to announce our free webinars for the second half of the year! Whether you’re an employee, member, family, or friend, our webinars are packed with useful info and are open to everyone. Just make sure to reserve your virtual seat. Select Sign Up at the links below to register. When prompted please enter [...]
10 ways to spend less when shopping online Get what you need without overpaying—or being tricked into overbuying. Key takeaways Retail sites have features that entice you to buy more than you need, but savvy shopping can help you stick to a budget. These tips and habits—including staying focused, carefully timing purchases, and factoring in [...]
Have you ever unexpectedly found out you’re going to have less income? It’s enough to throw you into a panic! The best way to get through hard times is to take a few deep breaths and put a plan together. Check out these common targets for quick and effective expense cuts. Food You might find [...]
How to Teach Your Kids About Money and Credit In this article: When Should Kids Start Building Credit? How to Help Your Child Build Good Credit Habits How to Teach Your Kids to Be Smart With Money Getting Your Kids Started With Credit Cards Can a Child Have a Credit Report and Score? How to [...]
5 Tips to Build (and Maintain) a Good Credit Score Like building a house, constructing a financially stable life requires laying a solid foundation. In difficult economic times like these, though, building that foundation can be a challenge. Good credit remains a core part of any financial foundation. Having good credit can make it easier [...]
Yes, credit cards can be dangerous. But credit cards are also a powerful tool if you know how to use them responsibly. How credit cards work A credit card is a revolving line of credit that allows you to make charges at any time up to the amount of a specific credit limit. When [...]
100 Days until Christmas? Now What?! As of today, you have 100 Days Until Christmas, so let's talk about the "B Word": you need to have a budget for Christmas and it is time to create one. Sit down and take a good hard look at your finances to see if you can get through [...]
18 Ways To Save Money This Week Finding creative ways to save money can make all the difference when it comes to your personal finances. Saving money whenever possible can help build your emergency fund, save for a vacation, or even free up money so you can start investing. For example, saving $10 a week from [...]
Teen checking account – 4 tips to keep in mind A checking account can help teach your teen important money basics. Get them started in high school to help them learn money management at an early age. You may have opened a savings account for your children as a way to sock away money [...]
Teens and Money: Checking and Savings Account One of the first steps toward real freedom (and adulthood) is having a checking and savings account in your own name. These accounts allow you to save money, make purchases, and pay bills efficiently. Both, however, require you to take an active management role, so that you can [...]
Money Missteps - A Great Thing to Happen to a Kid? You Spent Your Money on What?! Any parent with a child old enough to have control over money has probably at least thought that, if not shouted it across a dinner table. While the outrage at a teenager spending an entire pile of birthday [...]
No doubt about it—buying a home is a big investment. You’re on the hook for a long-term mortgage, and responsible for repairs and any other unforeseen expenses. But don’t get discouraged just yet. If you have strong money management skills (and cash saved up), you may be ready for homeownership. Here are three signs that [...]
If you have been impacted by the national COVID-19 health crisis and are having trouble paying your mortgage payment, forbearance may be an option for you. Forbearance is offered by some lenders to borrowers who have experienced a financial hardship such as a loss of income or increased medical expenses. Eligible borrowers approved for forbearance [...]
Think back to how you formed your financial habits. Did you learn everything you needed in school? From your parents? If you could go back and talk to your younger self, what financial pitfalls would you tell yourself to avoid? If you have children of your own, you may be wondering how and when to [...]
In the modern world, almost everyone holds a credit card. Reportedly, 7 in 10 American’s have at least one credit card and there are 364 million open credit card accounts in the U.S. as of November 2018. The reach and popularity of credit cards have made it a major target of fraudsters out there. Many [...]
The process of buying a home can be overwhelming—especially if it’s your first time. You want to make sure you’re getting the best house at the best value, but without prior experience, how can you really know? Here are some helpful pointers for first-time homebuyers: 1. Avoid making large purchases before you apply for your [...]
1. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals Saving tends to be easier when you have a certain purpose in mind: Saving for your first house, your retirement at a certain age, a child’s college education, or even a trip around the world. The important thing is for your goals to be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound, or [...]
In its most basic sense, credit means having the use of something before you pay for it. This ability to borrow adds flexibility to planning and makes it possible to pay for expensive items over a period of time. There are many types of credit that you can choose from, and each has its own [...]
If you’re not used to reading them, credit reports can make about as much sense as a restaurant menu printed in a foreign language. At least in a restaurant, you can point to what someone else is having. But if you don’t know how to read your credit file, you could make mistakes that could [...]
