Create Purchase Power with Financial One

Imagine this: You've just graduated college and put in a few resumes. You feel anxious about hearing back from your new potential employers, and then... yes! You get a call to schedule an interview for the job you've had your eye on! This is PERFECT! The only problem is, you've been so busy studying for finals and working to pay for school that you haven’t been thinking about or saving for clothes shopping. You have no professional clothes whatsoever, and this is an event that requires more than yoga pants. Problem solved; you apply for Financial One’s Rewards Visa Credit Card and get approved! Now you can shop online or in store with no issue.

With Financial One’s Rewards Visa Card, there are no annual fees or balance transfer fees. Also, there are no fees for cash advances, so while you’re out, go ahead and borrow a few extra dollars to treat yourself to lunch. Financial One offers competitive fixed rates so there’s no time wasted comparing them to all the other cards sending you offer after offer.

In addition to the awesome credit offerings, this card will pay you for shopping! You will earn one point per every dollar spent. There is no limit to the amount of points you can earn, and they never expire. You also have the opportunity to earn bonus points by shopping with participating retailers. Earn 2x, 3x, 4x, or more points by shopping at places you already do! Rewards can also be redeemed for travel expenses such as airfare, hotels or even a cruise! Or you can use your points to get gift cards from Best Buy, Macy’s or Amazon. This card also offers easy management of payments. You can pay your bill 24/7 online!

With Financial One Credit Union’s Rewards Visa Credit Card, you find a solution to your financial setback and gain Purchase Power!

The Best Home Loans for Your Financial Planning

Finding the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood in the perfect town for your family is a big enough feat as it is. Why spend more time stressing out about how to finance your home? Luckily, Financial One Credit Union offers a variety of options for home financing.

Financial One offers competitively low rate solutions for whether you are buying, building, or refinancing your home. Better yet, our home loans are available for primary residences, second homes, vacation homes, mobile homes, and investment properties- meaning you can take care of both your house and your lake cabin with us.

Partnerships with Cambria Mortgages and local neighborhood consultants are available to help keep you informed so you can make the best decision. They offer members personal guidance as well as mortgage loan calculators to help you research home mortgage loans and sift through the best deals for you in terms of competitive rates and repayment plans.

Better still, Financial One offers home equity loans for your home improvement renovations whether large or small. Your could finance up to $15,000 with rates as low as 3.99% and payments as low as $50 per week. Financial One makes this loan process easy and convenient. You can apply online at any time, then once approved, you can sign electronically at home and receive funding in as little as 24 hours. This means you can start your dream home renovation project this weekend!

At Financial One Credit Union, we take care of our members and what matters most to them. Financing your home should not be a chore. Start with a visit to our website and then follow up by meeting with our home loan consultants to take advantage of what we have to offer with our home loans and payment protection plans that will protect your dream home and family today.

Financial Literacy Month

April is Financial Literacy Month! “What does that mean to me?” you may ask. Well, it means it is a time to increase your financial knowledge and to work to understand your behaviors when it comes to your finances. Here are some tips to help you create financial literacy and independence.   

Educate Yourself Early  

Establishing and maintaining healthy and strong financial habits as early as you can (not as the result of major financial disaster) will help you go far in the long run. The foundation of financial literacy includes knowing how to save efficiently, establishing an excellent credit score, learning how to budget, and understanding your financial behavior in order to continually better it. Staying literate means consistently checking your bank balance, debt levels, and behavior.

 

Understand Behavior  

Stick to a budget. Research before you buy. Have an emergency savings fund. Use coupons. While all these tips are important to follow, it’s important for your financial literacy that you understand your financial behavior.  A good way to analyze your own finances is to track your spending. An easy way to do this is to keep spreadsheets of what you spend money on and how often you spend. Also, work to understand your relationship with money: what triggers your spending, and what helps you to control your urge to spend.   

What You Should Save  

The concept of building your savings is exceptionally important. Use the 50-20-30 rule. This means separate your monthly budget as follows: 50 percent of your monthly earnings goes toward essentials (mortgage, rent, groceries), 30 percent goes toward your lifestyle spending, and 20 percent goes towards your financial priorities (debt repayments, retirement contributions, and your savings). You may find a need to tweak the ratio of the 50-20-30 rule, depending on your personal situation, but allocating and understanding where every part of your paycheck goes is extremely important.     

Know The Meaning of Financial Independence Being independent and financially literate before you bring another person into the picture is important to protecting your financial identity. Getting married or deciding to share mutual accounts means combining two financial personalities and habits. Create transparency with your partner by asking questions such as: how much debt are you bringing into the relationship, and how do you approach your finances. Whatever your individual histories are, make sure you have the financial literacy conversation with your partner before committing.   

If you are looking to bring kids into the picture, be the role model for their future good financial habits by showing, not telling as you go. Let your kids help look for deals at the grocery store. Have a clear change jar in the living room that they can see on a regular basis. Let them earn an allowance with hard work. Help them save for a new bike or their first car. All these behaviors will help them be financially literate early in their life as well as help to hold you accountable for your own habits.

   

Being financially literate will help you make the most of your spending habits and will help you reach your financial goals. Remember, you are in control. Manage your money, don’t let it manage you!

Hops For Hunger

Financial One Credit Union, as well as Southern Anoka Community Assistance (SACA) is proud to present the third annual Hops for Hunger! On Saturday, March 28th, brewers such as Boom Island, Dangerous Man, Fair State Brewing Coop, Sociable Cider Works and many, many more will be in attendance. Tickets are $35 and that cost includes the entry fee as well as tasting samples from all of the vendors that will be in attendance.

Not only will there be plenty of tasty beer to sample, but this event also includes live music from The
Brandon Projekt and Ash St. Johns Music, a silent auction that will include some awesome prizes, and a raffle if you are feeling lucky. Don’t forget to try some of the amazing food from Chowgirls Killer Catering.

The best part of this event is that all proceeds will go to benefit the Southern Anoka Community Assistance food shelf. SACA is a nonprofit that serves the communities of Columbia Heights, Hilltop, Fridley, and Spring Lake Park. In past years, Hops for Hunger has allowed SACA to purchase 175,000 pounds of food! It will again take place at the Solar Arts Building, 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, just upstairs from Indeed Brewing.

Financial One Credit Union is excited to be a part of this event and thank you for supporting SACA. Your help allows them to help our local communities. We look forward to seeing you this Saturday evening at Hops for Hunger III! Purchase tickets here: http://bit.ly/1xd4abr

Student Loans: What not to Do

As a freshman, it’s important to read and understand the promissory note before signing on the dotted line. As many previous graduates have learned, sometimes paying off your student loans is harder than what you bargained for. Here is what NOT to do when it comes to your student loans.

Taking Out Loans When You Do Not Need Them

About 60% of students currently take out student loans. The other 40% get around loans by choosing a cheaper school and paying in cash, finding scholarships that can pay for some of the tuition, or putting off school and working to save up some money. Do not sign accepting the loans if you do not need them.

Taking Every Dollar Offered

Unless you have chosen a very expensive school, you more than likely don’t need to take the maximum amount of money offered by the government. You should evaluate what you truly need and only take out that amount. If you are worried about books and other expenses consider working a part-time job.

Not Keeping Track of Your Paperwork

Whether you are organized or not, throwing away your debt information can hurt you in the long run. Where are you going to send payments if you don’t have your information? If you do lose your paperwork, the National Student Loan Data System is the place to go to try to recover some of your lost information.

Not Making Interest Payments While Still in School

Try setting aside a few dollars a month and putting it towards your student loan interest. While this may be tough to accomplish on a small budget, it can help you out in the long run if you get rid of some of the debt right away. Don’t let the interest capitalize and be added to your overall balance.

Using Your Loans Towards Non - School Related Activities

Using your loans towards non-school related activities. If you are taking extra money out on loans, don’t use it to buy another case of instant noodles. The best thing you can do is to take that check and immediately pay down your student loans. Spending borrowed money on vacations and off-campus housing isn’t necessary. Just because you have a check doesn’t mean you need to spend it.

FAQs on Student Loans

Student loans are known as a hassle. With all the regulations and rules, loans can be a frustrating topic for most students. However, student loans are a great tool that enable students to obtain their education at a university that they normally cannot afford. We took some of the most frequently asked questions and addressed them in this month’s blog.

What are my student loan options?

The most popular loan is the Federal Stafford Loan. This loan is available for most students but is capped well below the cost of most colleges. Another loan is the Federal PLUS Loan. This loan is for creditworthy parents of students. This loan can more than likely cover the full cost of education for any student. The third most popular loan is the Federal Perkins Loan. This loan is made directly by a school to the student. Some schools do not offer this loan, but those that do can decide who to give the loan to based on who needs it the most.

Am I Eligible for a Federal Student Loan?

If you are enrolled in a certified program at an eligible school, you are more than likely eligible for a federal loan. You must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. In addition have your high school diploma or GED equivalent. If you have been convicted under any federal or state laws you may not be eligible for aid in certain cases.

What’s the Difference between Federal and Private Loans?

Federal loans are highly regulated by the federal government and include many benefits like fixed interest rates and repayment plans whereas private loans are subsidized and usually more expensive. Most people maximize their federal loans before thinking about taking out a private loan.

How long is my Grace Period?

A grace period is a specific amount of time during which you do not have to make payments towards your student loans. Knowing how long your grace period lasts is crucial so you don’t miss payments. In the terms and conditions section of your promissory note, you will find details about your grace period. If you no longer have the note your school's financial aid office and your lender are excellent resources to assist you with finding out the correct information about the grace period.

Can I Cancel my Student Loans?

Federal student loans can be cancelled but there are very specific conditions you must meet to get your loans cancelled. A successful cancellation means the government must give back any payments you have made and help you try to turn your credit score around. An application form is available, but there may be tax consequences if you decide to go through with the cancellation.

Tips When Buying A Used Car

Buying a used car can save you a ton of money on your next vehicle. But with that comes risk as well. Minimize your risk by taking a look at these 5 easy steps on how to locate, price and negotiate.

Build a List of Cars You Want 

Avoid going into the process with only one car in mind. Put together a list of 3-5 makes and models that have you interested. Remain flexible, and you will have the best chance to find value in your price range.

Check the History of the Vehicle 

By using the vehicle identification number (VIN) and license plate, you can access history reports about any car you would like. These reports often have information that is crucial to the buying process. If the report is negative, try looking for a completely different vehicle.

Give it a Test Drive 

Trying out the car in person is your best bet to seeing if it is in good condition. It’s also your chance to see if it fits you right. Is it easy to get in and out? Is there enough room? How about the visibility? These are all vital to the final purchase of the vehicle

Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate 

People usually tense up when it comes to negotiation. Head into the conversation relaxed and make sure you are comfortable with the seller. Start with a low offer, but make sure it’s not too outrageous. Make sure you know exactly how high you will go before talks begin. Be patient, but never be afraid to walk out.

Close the Deal 

Before you make the final purchase, keep in mind that you have just bought a used car “as is”. That means there are no promises or guarantees after the sale is finished. After you have completed the purchase make sure the old owner has transferred title and registration to you. Also, make sure you update your insurance policy as soon as possible.

Team up with Financial One Credit Union to get a great interest rate and repayment options on your next used car loan! We provide helpful, member-focused service throughout the entire process.

Wherever you are, wherever you're going, we're here to get you there!