Unlock the Power of Your Home: The Perks of a Home Equity Loan or HELOC Your home is more than a place to live — it’s one of the strongest financial tools you have. As you make payments and your home’s value grows, you build equity that can be used to improve your home, manage [...]
Your Path to Homeownership: Free Homebuyer Seminar Join us for a free, no-pressure homebuyer seminar. Buying a home is a big adventure — whether it’s your first time or your first time in a while. Join us for a clear, no-pressure walkthrough of today’s homebuying process from prequalification to closing. When: Tuesday, November 4, 5:30–6:30 [...]
It's a Great Time for a Midyear Financial Checkup As we reach the halfway point of the year, it’s a perfect time to pause and reflect on your financial goals. Are you staying on budget? Have unexpected expenses impacted your plans? A midyear financial checkup can help you course-correct, build momentum, and head into the [...]
Green Country FCU Launches New Personalized Financial Education Platform: Enrich June 2025 — Green Country Federal Credit Union is proud to introduce Enrich, a powerful and personalized financial education platform now available free to all members. Whether you're looking to pay down debt, boost your savings, or simply make smarter money choices, Enrich is your [...]
Getting Started with Improving a Poor Credit Score By Melissa Horton, Expert Last Updated: Aug 27, 2024 The best place to start in bring your credit score up into the “good” range, above 670, is to pull your credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can also check your credit by logging [...]
Getting Started With Buying a Home Last Updated: Aug 17, 2024 When buying a home, it is important to do your research and be practical. Don't be afraid to seek out advice from government programs and other agencies during your homebuying process. Welcome to our homebuying guide for those who don’t know all the ins and [...]
Here's what you need to know about emergency savings. Quick Look Having a stash of savings to draw on can help you handle unexpected expenses. Start by setting aside $1,000. Then, set your goal for 3 to 6 months’ worth of essential monthly expenses in your emergency savings account. Whether you're a savings pro or [...]
Scam Alert Fraud is on the Rise: Beware of these scams hitting members in Sand Springs, Tulsa and Coweta. We're seeing an increase in fraud attempts to our members. Please be aware of a few scams circulating right now. Scenario One: A member receives a phone call, the caller ID says Green Country. They caller [...]
Wise Watch: An Educational Forum on Elder Fraud Join us September 29th for an educational evening about scams affecting our local community Save the Date! Green Country FCU will be hosting an educational seminar on Sunday, September 29th covering the important topic of elder fraud. With guest speakers from the Tulsa Police Department and community [...]
Upcoming Webinars Financial Education on your time We’re 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 information and open to everyone. Just make sure to reserve your virtual seat. Select Sign Up at the links below to [...]
Five resolutions to help kids start the new year with financial awareness Help your kids kick off the new year with financial resolutions! With one year ending and another beginning, why not help kids start the new year with some financial resolutions? Each of the five planner areas – saving, earning, spending, donating, and learning [...]
Webinar: Safeguarding Kids' Identity and Online Privacy Today’s youth generation is tech-savvy and connected online. However, parents still play an important role in helping them avoid online hazards such as identity theft, privacy, and cyber-bullying. This workshop covers important issues including online privacy tips, managing computer settings, smartphone apps, and positive online behavior. Session 1: [...]
Webinar: Becoming a Homeowner Homeownership starts well before the contracts are signed—preparation is one of the keys to a smooth home-buying process. This session covers all major pre-purchase topics such as budgeting, the down payment, credit reports, debt-to-income ratios, and the mortgage lending process. Session 1: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Time: 12:30 p.m. Click to [...]
Webinar: Financially Savvy Seniors Join us for a free, informational webinar. Retirement can be a great time for seniors if they are prepared financially. Attendees will learn about specific retirement concerns such as managing money, Medicare, Social Security, improving cash flow, insurance, investing, estate planning, and more. REGISTER: Session 1: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Time: [...]
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 [...]
Webinar: RAISING A MONEY-SMART KID Earning money, spending and saving are important lessons children learn very early on in life. This session will help guide parents on effective ways to educate children about financial responsibility that can last a lifetime. Session 1: Tuesday, April 11, 2023 Time: 12:30 p.m. CST Sign Up Session 2: Thursday, [...]
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 [...]
Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About the Basics of Personal Finance 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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
Keeping Track Of Bills And Payments Knowing how to keep track of bills and payments is an important part of managing your finances. It ensures that you make your payments on time, which impacts other aspects of your finances. Take advantage of these tips on how to keep track of bills and payments. Create a [...]
Webinar: Basics of Personal Finance Free, Financial Education Webinars Join us for our first free webinar of 2023: Personal Finance Basics! We'll kick off Financial Wellness month with the basics, everything from managing daily expenses to investing for retirement. This session helps participants set personal finance goals, learn the basics of smart money management, and [...]
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 [...]
Fall/Winter Financial Education Webinars We’re very excited to announce our free webinars for the last quarter of the year and into 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 [...]
BREEZING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS It may be called “the most wonderful time of the year” but December can also be filled with unwanted debt with holiday spending. Learn budgeting strategies and tactics to avoid that year-end credit card crunch and sidestep debt traps in the future. REGISTER: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/2559794329983624976 Session 1: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Saying “I Do” to Homeownership: How to Prepare for This Big Commitment Buying a home is a major commitment. It’s a bit like, well, getting married: you’ve got to be ready and you have to find the right “one.” And, like a marriage, homeownership is a dynamic experience that requires a tremendous amount of care [...]
Four things every homebuyer needs to know about Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) If you’re shopping for a home, you’ve probably heard of an Adjustable Rate Mortgage or ARM. It’s a type of home loan with an interest rate that changes over time. The main perk is that it usually comes with an initially low rate, [...]
How To Go From Living Paycheck to Paycheck to Retiring Early Let’s take a look at a chat with Dr. Lakisha Simmons, a financial freedom coach who went from living paycheck to paycheck to saving $750,000 in four years and becoming financially independent. What steps did you take to become financially independent and able to [...]
ON THE ROAD TO RICHES Free Educational Webinar 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. Investing is one of the smartest things consumers can do to secure a brighter financial future. Every investor has [...]
We’re very excited to announce our free webinars for the second quarter 2022! 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 to register and click Show in My Time Zone to view the session time [...]
WOMEN AND MONEY: Take Control Over Your Financial Life Ladies, let’s talk about a financial topic that’s taboo for many of us to even think about discussing with another person… money. No, not how to spend money–that’s the easy part–how to save and invest it, like stocks, bonds, and other investments. What is it about [...]
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 [...]
What is the 30-day savings rule? The 30-day savings rule is simple: the next time you find yourself considering an impulse buy, stop yourself and think about it for 30 days. If you still want to make that purchase after those 30 days, go for it. This rule works because by forcing yourself to wait [...]
RX for Financial Health Talking about physical health and going to the doctor for regular check-ups is socially acceptable for many. So why is talking about financial health considered a taboo subject? Especially when, according to the Financial Health Network, only 34% of U.S. households are financially healthy. Imagine if financial health check-ups became the [...]
New Year Money Resolutions: 9 Tips to Meet Your Financial Goals Just having a New Year’s resolution can help your bank account, but most of the time, people fail. If you have trouble keeping that overly-broad, year-long goal you thought of while participating in rowdy New Year’s Eve festivities, here’s some advice: Keep it simple. [...]
How COVID-19 Has Changed People's Money Habits: The Significance of an Emergency Fund An emergency fund is a specific amount of money that you set aside for periods of uncertainty or suffering - such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people don't have (or even know about) an emergency fund until the pandemic struck and they [...]
Financial Education Webinars All webinars are free and open to everyone - even if you're not currently a Green Country FCU member! Register for the webinar of your preferred time (there’s two each month) but don’t worry if you can’t be there right at 12:30 or 7:30. As long as you’ve registered in advance, you’ll [...]
10 STEPS TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS December Webinar We all measure financial success differently, but all paths to get there require discipline and goals. This session teaches participants ways to financial control— including developing a spending plan, creating objectives, weighing insurance needs, and other tools that will help get on the road to personal financial success. [...]
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 [...]
REBUILDING AFTER A FINANCIAL CRISIS Maybe you had a medical emergency and can't pay the bills, or you lost your job. Many different hardships can send a normal financial situation into a tailspin. Join us for a free, educational webinar to learn how to get your finances back on track, including budgeting, repaying debt, rebuilding [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
UPDATE Sept. 17, 2021 As long as you've pre-registered for the Savvy Senior webinar, you'll have access to the recording until Sept. 24th - you should have a link emailed to you. Here are the key takeaways we noted from the event: Get started now! It's hard to catch up Setting aside a little bit [...]
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 [...]
Stay in the Know - WEBINARS Below are educational webinars (all FREE) for Green Country members. In August we focus on the Sandwich Generation - those of us taking care of both kids and parents and various financial-related issues that come up. We'll also share several webinars for back-to-school topics like FASFA applications, student [...]
5 Tips For Keeping Your Children Safe Online The Internet is an incredible tool to expand knowledge and information exchange for adults and children alike. but there are pitfalls This short paper will provide you with tips to help your children safely use the internet, benefitting from the positives and helping to avoid the negatives. [...]
Read this article at KOCO online and watch video Expert provides answers for Oklahomans curious about upcoming child tax credit payment Perris Jones Long-awaited payments will hit Oklahoma parents' bank accounts this week as the IRS's child tax credit payment will go out Thursday. Things will look a little different this year for Oklahomans who [...]
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 [...]
SAFEGUARDING KIDS’ IDENTITY Free Financial Education Webinar Today’s youth generation is tech-savvy and connected online. However, parents still play an important role in helping them avoid online hazards such as identity theft, privacy, and cyber-bullying. This workshop covers important issues including online privacy tips, managing computer settings, smartphone apps, and positive online behavior. Session 1: [...]
If You Get This Message From the IRS, Don't Open It New Tax Credit has scammers clamoring to take advantage of you. Scam callers claiming to be from the IRS are a dime a dozen. While tax season has come to an end, you might be gearing up to receive the IRS' child tax credit [...]
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 [...]
How to shield your family from financial elder abuse While it’s not always the most pleasant topic, discussing finances with aging family members is crucial. They may be fine now, but it’s possible that as the years pass, they’ll need help managing their money to keep up with expenses and bills. Plus, the unfortunate reality [...]
5 habits that can ruin your budget How did you ruin your budget last month? It was perfect on paper. You established different spending categories and set what seems like reasonable limits. Yet somehow it just didn't work out. And it keeps happening month after month. Sound familiar? The first thing to do is double-check [...]
Webinar: 30 WAYS TO TRIM A BUDGET REGISTER NOW - Watch on your schedule. Stretching your budget is a necessary step to achieving your financial goals. Learn smart ways to save on the things that impact your finances most, such as food, health care, insurance and more. Please join us for a free, informational webinar [...]
Rebuilding After a Financial Crisis There are many things in life that can derail even the best money management plans. When a crisis happens, most people take things day by day just hoping to get by. When the dust settles, they’re often left with a financial situation that is less than rosy. There are no [...]
While we're preparing for a financial disaster, it's worth taking a look at how an unexpected disaster hits. Oklahomans have seen their fair share of tornados, floods, grass fires, and ice storms. Here's an article about a house fire. Read through and think about what you would grab if you had less than 2 minutes [...]
Free Online Educational Webinars All webinars are free and open to everyone - even if you're not currently a Green Country FCU member! Register for the webinar of your preferred time (there’s two each month) but don’t worry if you can’t be there right at 12:30 or 7:30. As long as you’ve registered in advance, [...]
A financial crisis can throw even the best money management plan into chaos. This session focuses on ways to gain control of a crisis. Participants will learn about financial assessments, expense prioritization, and effective negotiation with creditors. Join us for one of two free, educational webinars. Anyone can attend and the recordings will be available [...]
5 key financial basics for teens One of the most powerful things for your teen to be able to do is to track where their money goes, and that starts with budgeting. Before your teen leaves home, they should know how to create a budget how to track spending, and how to save for the [...]
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 [...]
3 Ways to Teach Kids Good Money Habits Spend, Save and Share Jars Many parents teach their kids the value of hard work by paying them for chores. You can take this a step further by talking about what they can do with their hard-earned cash. Get three jars and add the label spend, save [...]
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 [...]
Spring Webinars Upcoming Online Educational Webinars: APRIL – BUILDING YOUR FIRST BUDGET A smart budget helps you cover your expenses and still buy some of the things you want. Find out how to make—and maintain—a budget based on your needs. This session is specifically geared toward teens and pre-teens as part of Youth Financial Literacy [...]
Free Webinar SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF CREDIT REPORTS Credit report scores hold a lot of power—they can help buy that first home but can also take away financial opportunities. This session provides an overview of credit bureaus, credit scoring, guidance to dispute inaccuracies, improving credit scores, and dealing with identity theft and fraud. Join us [...]
Credit Card Makeover A look at our first financial education webinar of the year. Quick - without looking it up, do you know how much you owe on all your credit cards? If you're not sure, it could be a sign that you're getting into credit card trouble. Not knowing how much you owe, or [...]
WEBINAR Credit Card Makeover: Getting Out of Debt Please join us for a free educational webinar. Credit Card Makeover: Getting Out of Debt Credit cards can be a great financial tool, but for some, can lead to debt and financial trouble. This session provides an overview of credit card usage, warning signs of credit issues, [...]
