Join us April 22nd for a First-Time Homebuyer Educational Session. Presented by Janice Sizemore, this session will cover: The homebuying process Financing Do's & Don'ts Closing Frequently Asked Questions This free seminar is for anyone and everyone who'd like to be better informed on the home buying process but especially for first-time homebuyers. Lenders with [...]
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 [...]
Don’t hit your own debt ceiling - What a maxed-out card does to your credit score The news today is filled with the U.S. government reaching its debt ceiling, which could freeze benefits for millions of American households and send the economy into a recession if not resolved. On a personal level, you can do the [...]
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 [...]
Upcoming Financial Education Webinars - Spanish Language Próximos Webinars de Educación Financiera - Idioma Español We’re very excited to announce a series of four FREE Spanish language financial education webinars to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Our webinars are open to everyone and packed with useful, relevant information. Click on the registration buttons below to reserve [...]
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 [...]
Solving the Mystery of Credit Reports MARCH FINANCIAL EDUCATION WEBINAR Credit report scores hold a lot of power—they can help buy that first home but can also take away financial opportunities. This informative webinar provides an overview of credit bureaus, credit scoring, guidance to dispute inaccuracies, improving credit scores, and dealing with identity theft and [...]
Webinar Recap: Rebuilding After A Financial Crisis Our November financial education webinar focused on the steps you can take to rebuild after a financial crisis. Here are the highlights: BUDGET - Analyze the money coming in and develop a reasonable and goal-oriented plan for what goes out. **TIP: Use a money tracker, like Money Manager inside online [...]
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 [...]
USING CREDIT CARDS WISELY Join us for a free educational webinar focusing on credit cards! 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. Register to attend in advance to be [...]
Personal finance topics all high school students should know For good reason, high school students are set on an academically rigorous track towards college. Unfortunately, though, personal finance (a topic they need to understand to survive in life) is rarely taught to them in school. As a parent, the duty often falls on you. Not [...]
Children and credit reports: why parents should start checking Turning 16 years old marks many milestones for a child: learning to drive, preparing for college, and yes, his or her first credit check. While it may seem counterintuitive (after all, most teens don’t have a credit history), the reality is that identity theft can happen [...]
Seven Steps to Protecting Your Child From Identity Theft It’s a shocking experience thousands of parents have endured: finding out someone else has been using their child’s identity. It’s heartbreaking to think of a young person trying to start out in life with an unjustly tarnished credit history. To guard against a future of frustration [...]
Are You in Credit Card Crisis? Get a cold, clammy feeling when you think of your credit card bills? If so, you are not alone. 40% of Americans carry credit card debt and the average balance is $5,700. If we exclude people who pay their balances in full every month, the average debt is $9,333. [...]
Webinar: Score a better future | credit basics with FICO Friday, April 23 @ 11:00 a.m. (CST) We all have financial goals but knowing how to get there can be a challenge. Don’t understand how credit scores impact your financial health, or know your FICO® Score? We want to help! In celebration of Financial Literacy [...]
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 [...]
Six Factors That Could Hurt Your Credit Score It's no secret that maintaining a good credit score is essential to strong financial health. It is a must if you ever wish to take out a substantial loan or need to apply for rental properties. Most people know the basics of what may hurt and what [...]
What to do if you see something wrong on your credit report Under the FCRA, both the credit reporting company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a credit reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage [...]
How do I get a copy of my credit reports? You are entitled to a free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). You can request a copy from AnnualCreditReport.com. You can request and review your free report through one of the following ways: [...]
Even when rates are low, refinancing your mortgage isn't always the right choice. Here are some points to consider before you refinance. Deciding when to refinance your home loan depends on several factors besides whether you can get a better mortgage rate than you already have. And though there are many reasons people refinance their [...]
Buying a home is at once an exciting and challenging venture. With commitment and planning, you can become a successful homeowner. This post covers everything you need to know to start the home buying process off right, including: Preparing for Homeownership Understanding Mortgages Getting a Loan Searching for a Home and Making an Offer Closing [...]
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 [...]
