During June, we observe Elder Abuse Awareness Month to shine a light on the troubling and often hidden issue affecting millions of older adults worldwide. Elder abuse can take many forms. It could be physical, emotional, or financial, and it could be due to neglect or to exploitation. Often, elder abuse goes unreported as a result of fear, shame, or isolation.
Sticking to a personal budget can prove to be challenging. This is especially true when inflation has impacted the cost of everything - from groceries and dining out, to housing and car payments. Plus, vacations and summer camps can bring additional unanticipated expenses. Now is a great time for account holders to review, update, or even create a personal budget for the first time, to help meet or exceed their personal financial goals.
Teens and Tweens can face unique risks specifically targeting them with scams promising quick cash for cashing checks, false online shopping deals, identity theft and social media connections with fraudulent intentions. Parents should open the lines of communication early and often.
How to fix a maxed-out credit card
Sometimes credit cards can be your worst enemy. They’re great when you use them responsibly, but everyone makes mistakes, and if you max out a card, that mistake can be hard to navigate. If you have a maxed-out card, take the following steps to remedy it.
Insights about the length of credit history
One component of your credit score is your credit history. The longer history of consistently paying bills on time that you can show lenders, the better off you are. Let’s answer some questions you might have about credit history and how it impacts your credit score.
Make sure you’re prepared for rainy days ahead!
Life can get expensive fast. Cars crash. Heaters die. You bend over to put on a sock – like you’ve done a thousand times before – and your back gives out. Hello pricey medical bills, prescriptions, physical therapy, and unplanned days off from work.
These days moving or transferring money has become increasingly more electronic through ACH or Wires and the use of checks is becoming extinct. Occasionally you may still receive a check in hand. Now what?
It’s that time of year again……New Year’s Resolution time!
Perhaps it’s the over-indulgence from holiday parties and family meals, or the idea of a fresh start that makes us want to change our habits. However, the dream of change and new beginnings can slip away almost as soon as the resolutions are made. In fact, according to businessinsider.com less than 10% of people actually achieve their goals and 25% quit within their first week! Those are tough statistics but there are proven ways to help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions!
Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping
Are you ready for the hustle and bustle? Are you looking forward to the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales? The holiday season is approaching and with that comes the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These high holy days for shoppers follow Thanksgiving each year. To make the most of these days, we offer you the following advice:
Fall has arrived, are you ready for the cooler weather? Have you taken the time to prep your home for the cold weather? Residential electricity rates have risen on average about 15% nationwide over the last 10 years, an increase of about $0.02 per year. Consumers who use oil heat are expected to pay about 20% more this year than last year.
Life has a way of throwing out a curve ball every now and then! One way to be prepared for the unexpected is to maintain a savings account. There are many different reasons to use your savings account; vacation, wedding expenses, or car repair. As for me, I have a savings account established for my Furry Family Members! I came across a situation with one of my pets recently, and it made me realize how grateful I was to have that savings account.
Mobile Deposit Capture also know as Mobile Deposit is an easy and convenient way to deposit checks directly from your phone. At ECU Credit Union, if you are unable to come to us – we want YOU to be able to have the resources to make your life as convenient as possible.
Are you a recent college or high school graduate? Or are you newly employed with that big ‘adult’ job? Have you thought about how much you will save, what will you splurge on buying, or what will you do with that first paycheck? As a young adult, and starting a new career, there are some financial decisions you make without thought. Sometimes you say “I’ll look into it later”, so it becomes out of sight, out of mind. You don’t really think about end of life decisions, because you are just starting to live… right! You may think “That kind of stuff is for older people to do”. In reality, you should be thinking about it!
