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Make These Four Changes And Get On Track For A Money Smart Year!

January 17, 2018 Did you resolve to do a better job with your finances in 2018? Good for you! We know you can do it! To help, we’ve come up with a catchy name — your Money Smart Year (don’t you feel inspired already?) — plus four January-friendly tips to get you started. #1. Get a better credit card. Remember last month when we suggested finding out if you had the best credit card? If you already did that, yippee and go immediately to #2. But if you didn’t, now is the time! For most of us, January is the month when our biggest bills hit. If you can’t afford to pay them off right away, you at least want to have the lowest interest rate possible. Can a Summit credit card beat your current rate? ! And don’t just look at interest rates. Check out rewards too (Summit’s are great, just FYI). If a Summit card is a better fit, you can transfer your balance for free — which is not true for every credit card out there. And Summit’s cards have no annual fees and lots of great security features, too. And here’s one more thing to think about: You could be helping others every time you shop and it won’t cost you a thing. Choose Summit’s and you’ll get the same rewards as our Visa Platinum card. Plus, Summit will donate $10 for every card opened plus 20% of our fee income every time you buy. So your new coat or dinner and a movie could help people around the world get access to affordable financial services. Doesn’t that feel great? #2. Don’t go crazy shopping January sales. Yes, if you find the best fitting pair of jeans you’ve ever had, permission granted to pull out your credit card. But if you’re about to buy a “bargain” you already have four of, or that doesn’t match anything you own or doesn’t fit quite right, back away! Go get yourself a nice coffee drink and walk the mall instead! #3. Reconsider that gym membership. Who doesn’t want to get healthier after weeks of eating leftover cut-out cookies? But an expensive gym membership isn’t really what motivates most of us. If you do opt for the membership, find rewards to motivate yourself to go. And check out cheaper ways to get fit: see what the local rec center has to offer, set up a walking/running schedule with a buddy (you’re more likely to stick with it), or check out fitness videos on YouTube. #4. Set up an appointment with a Summit expert. We can help you prepare for everything, from building a down payment for a house to saving for education, retirement, travel and rainy day funds. Would you be in a better place financially if you had a little help? Why not find out? Own your Money Smart Year, with a little help from Summit Credit Union! You might also be interested in Financial success isn’t how much money you have — it’s feeling good about what you’re doing with the money you have. Here are some tips on how to prioritize your debts and bills, negotiate with creditors and get your late payments back on solid ground. Even in these challenging times, there's  whole lot of good happening! At Summit, we've always believed financial success happens together and that's been truer than ever this past month. Here's what "together" has meant for our community. Navigating finances after college is hard, but you can take it one lesson at a time. Get tips for managing money and paying off student debt after graduation. Navigating finances after college is hard, but you can take it one lesson at a time. Get tips for managing money and paying off student debt after graduation. If you’re not sure if something is a scam, it’s ALWAYS better to act like it could be! Fraudsters are always coming up with creative new ways to steal from you and quick to take advantage of a crisis. Here are some of the most popular recent scams to watch for. With a little planning, you may be able to actually save a little money during the holidays. Check out these tips to keep costs down without missing out on the holiday fun. Some scams go right for your money; others try to get you to part with personal information – like account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, and personal identification numbers (PINs). Find out what you should look for and how to protect yourself. The holidays can be stressful & that’s why it’s important to prioritize your self-care. Use these tips to reduce stress without draining your bank account. Your home is your castle, your refuge and—let’s face it—a place where it can be very easy to sink a big chunk of money. Which is why you’re always on the lookout for “sweet spots”:  those home improvements that add comfort, safety or a little zing of style while you’re living in your house and will boost the asking price when it’s time to sell. And if you can find a way to save money on those improvements or cut home expenses at the same time, well that sweet spot just got a little sweeter! 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