Online Banking & Mobile Banking Apps to Upgrade on August 17th Our digital banking update has been months in the works and we are almost ready for the big reveal. We are using the latest technology to create a digital banking experience that we know you’re going to love. On August 17th, we'll make the [...]
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: [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Reposted from Money Under 30 If the usual budgeting methods and apps aren't working for you, try some of these lesser-known options — like the Kakeibo method, the expense-income approach, or the "no budget" budget. As a personal finance writer, I write about budgeting daily. That’s why it was a hard truth to face when [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
4 Reasons to File Your Taxes Early in 2022 And four reasons you may want to wait Tax season 2022 is nearly upon us. The tax filing deadline this year is April 18 (Tax Day). The IRS hasn’t officially announced when you can start sending your tax returns, but the earliest you can file [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Teens & Money Podcast Do you have 10 minutes? Listen to our quick podcast: teens and money. We're covering things like making a budget, setting goals, buying a car, and credit cards. Can't listen today? Download the transcript here.
If you missed it last week, don't worry, you can still register for the 2nd broadcast of this highly informational teaching tool. Session 2: Thursday, April 22, 2021 Time: 5:30 p.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. ET Sign Up If you can't view it live at 7:30 p.m. (CST) you will still have access to the [...]
Free Educational Webinar: Women & Money Whether it’s having children, career advancement, divorcing, or becoming a widow, there are certain pivotal times in women’s lives that can occur. This special educational session addresses considerations for budgeting, credit, and insurance. Let's celebrate International Women's Day. Session 1: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 @ 11:30 a.m. (CST) [...]
New stimulus package makes it easier to qualify for food stamps. Here’s what you need to know Millions of Americans report not having enough money to pay for food during the pandemic. The latest Covid relief package expands food benefits, giving further aid to millions of Americans who are facing financial difficulty because of the [...]
If you lost your source of income or had reduced income because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, making payments on your federal student loans may be nearly impossible. With the extension of The CARES Act, those borrowers have relief from paying through December 31st. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says if you have qualifying student [...]
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 [...]
Refinancing is the process of paying off an existing loan with the proceeds from a new loan and using the same property as collateral. Usually, the interest rate on the new mortgage will be less than the old, the loan will cost less and you will save money. However, refinancing isn’t appropriate for every homeowner. [...]
Think back to how you formed your financial habits. Did you learn everything you needed in school? From your parents? If you could go back and talk to your younger self, what financial pitfalls would you tell yourself to avoid? If you have children of your own, you may be wondering how and when to [...]
Calculate your savings goal and how to set aside every month in order to reach it.
One of the most important gifts you can give your children is an understanding of how to manage money. We all want our kids to be financially savvy adults one day, but it’s become increasingly difficult in today’s swag culture. Here are some things you can do to ensure your child grows up with a [...]
