It’s National Credit Union Youth Month, Are Your Kids Money Savvy?

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April is National Credit Union Youth Month, so we wanted to take a moment to highlight the importance of spending the time and energy to make sure your kids have some basic knowledge about money.

Did you know?

  • From 2004 to 2009, the median credit card debt among college students increased 74%
  • A report on the results of a financial literacy exam found that high school seniors scored on average only 48% correct.
  • A survey of 15 year old’s in the United States found that 18% of respondents did not learn fundamental financial skills that are often applied in everyday situations, such as building a simple budget, comparison shopping, and understanding an invoice.

With such a staggering knowledge gap, it’s easy for kids to grow up and fall victim to scams, high interest rate loans, and rack up an enormous amount of debt.

So, at what age is it right to start teaching your kids good financial habits? The short answer is – right now.

By age 3, your kids can grasp some basic money concepts. By age 7, many of their money habits are already forming. No matter what their age, let’s take this opportunity during National Credit Union Youth Month to start!

Does your child have a savings account or a safe place to deposit any money they receive?

Teaching your child the importance of saving money for a rainy day, should begin at an early age. If your kids don’t have a savings account, get them started with one as soon as possible.

First Financial offers a First Step Kids Savings Account for children up to 18 years of age. There are no minimum balance fees, and dividends are posted quarterly on balances $100 or greater.*

The moral of the story is the following: Take the time during National Credit Youth Month, to talk to your children about finances, budgeting, and saving money. It’s never too early (or too late)!

*As of 7/2/2020, the First Step Kids Account has an annual percentage yield of 0.03% on balances of $100.00 and more. The dividend rate may change after the account is opened. Parent or guardian must bring both the child’s birth certificate and social security card when opening a First Step Kids Account at any branch location.  Parent or guardian will be a joint owner and must also bring their identification. A First Financial Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties.

Valentine’s At Home and Virtual Date Night Ideas on a Budget

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This Valentine’s Day looks to be a little different, as the global pandemic continues. If you are unable to get out for a Valentine’s date night this year, or feel safer celebrating at home – here are some low cost ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day at home or virtually.

If You’re Celebrating V-Day At Home:

Fine Dining. You can definitely recreate a restaurant experience at home, complete with dressing up for the occasion and actually sitting down and/or being waited on. Take it a step further by printing real menus, get dressed up, set a fancy table, and pick your own restaurant name. Have fun cooking something you typically don’t make together, or if you have children who will be home and want to participate – include them as well and make it a fun family affair.

Ballroom (or any kind of) Dancing. You might not make it out to your local dance studio or any Valentine’s Night Out Parties this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still learn how to dance or dance at home and still have fun! Find a YouTube video, clear out a spot on the living room floor, and give it a spin.

Game Night. Maybe it’s not the peak of romance for some, but sitting down to a game of Scrabble or Monopoly together is a great way to spend some quality time while also giving your brain a workout. Get dressed up, serve up some snacks and pour the wine to make it feel even more like a date night.

Virtual Hometown Tours. If you didn’t grow up in the same place as your love, Google Earth offers a great date night opportunity – a virtual tour of your hometown, complete with stops at all the most important places. Even if you are both from the same area, use Google Earth or Google Maps to show your sweetheart around your college campus — or explore a city you’re hoping to visit together someday.

At Home Spa Services. Treat yourself — and your significant other, to some DIY indulgence. Whether you give each other manicures, facials, or massages, it’s bound to be more affordable (and more fun) than it would be in a salon or day spa. Check out this list of spa treatments you can do at home.

If you can’t be with your love in person this Valentine’s Day, here are a few virtual ways to celebrate, or adapt some of these ideas to your at home February 14th plan:

Virtual Coffee (or Cocktails). Zoom and FaceTime make it easy to recreate classic first date ideas like grabbing a drink together, or a cup of coffee while chatting over your drink of choice.

Read to Each Other. This can be romantic whether you’re at home together or apart. If you’re not in the same location, you can read to each other via video chat or over the phone. The options are endless, choose a book neither of you have read before or revisit an old favorite.

Live Stream Concerts and Events. Since the pandemic began, many entertainers have transferred their live shows to streaming services or made them available on their websites. Many are even free! Re-create the concert experience at home with a drink and sport some concert attire. Not to mention the added bonus of being able to hear each other talk during the virtual show and not have to shout over the music.

Virtual Movie Nights. It’s always fun to snuggle up with your sweetheart for a movie, even if it’s on the couch at home. If you’re stuck apart this year, you can spend time in front of the screen together. A browser extension called Teleparty is able to sync Netflix, Disney, Hulu, and HBO videos for multiple viewers while also providing a scrolling text chat along the right side of the screen. Don’t forget the popcorn!

Arts and Crafts. A romantic idea for the daring: paint or draw each other while on a video chat application. If that’s a little too intimidating, you could also spend virtual time together being creative with a craft like knitting, cross-stitch, or something else entirely. Plan to gift each other the products of your art creation!

Some Other Tips: If you’re at home together – put away the phones and digital devices, and look for the joy in the little moments spent together. If you’re spending the holiday apart or virtually – get dressed up anyway, and remember this is only temporary.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Article Source: The Penny Hoarder

 

3 Reasons to File Your Taxes Sooner Rather Than Later

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The Federal tax deadline has been extended to May 17, 2021. If you are planning on waiting until a lot closer to that day to get your taxes done, here are three reasons you should really get moving and file your taxes as soon as possible.

Sooner is better regardless of the outcome: The sooner you file, the sooner you’ll get money back if you are getting a refund. If 2020 hit you hard financially, that refund may be something you’ve been banking on. And if you get the opposite result and owe the government money, you’ll have more time to save up and pay. You can’t go wrong filing as early as possible.

You’ll reduce your stress: Filing tax paperwork was probably simple when you were in your 20s. Once life gets more complicated, it’s not quite as easy or quick to file. If you know your taxes will be more difficult than in past years, lessen the stress it might cause by getting started as soon as you have your W-2. Filing early can prevent Tax Day from being a source of stress.

It’ll be a smoother process: Not only is the IRS less busy at the beginning of the year, but tax professionals typically are as well. Keep this important detail in mind if you’re not filing on your own. If you file online it won’t be a big deal, but if you need a tax professional to help sort you out, you’ll be glad you got started earlier. The closer you get to the tax deadline, the longer the whole process will take (as well as you probably won’t be the only last minute client).

The moral of the story: Start preparing your tax documents and file as soon as possible!

Article Source: CUInsight.com

How to Shape Your Finances in a New Year

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This is a good time to make sure your accounts are ready for whatever may come your way in these unprecedented times. Here are a few ways you can make sure your finances are in decent shape as we begin 2021.

Stop acting on impulse: Think about your spending habits. Do you make impulse buys whenever you want? No matter how big or small, impulse purchases can lead to trouble. If you have several entertainment subscriptions, do you know which ones you’d cut if your budget suddenly needed to be tightened? If last year taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Save as much money as you can, don’t overspend on unnecessary things, and try to keep a tight reign on your budget each month.

Know how to use a credit card: Enjoying the use of a credit card can be risky if not properly managed. Even if you find it easy to pay off your purchases each month and you love earning credit card rewards, what will you do if your financial situation takes an unexpected turn or you lose your job? Don’t spend above your means, and try to always pay your credit card bill off each month so you’re not racking up debt plus interest.

Look ahead to your future: Have you saved enough to enjoy retirement one day? Are you going to be able to leave something to your loved ones? There are often a lot of questions when it comes to your financial future and retirement. Even if you don’t have a child to be your beneficiary, most people are living longer than ever these days and you’ll want to make sure you don’t outlive your savings. If you haven’t checked in with your financial advisor lately, use the unpredictability of last year as an excuse to at least have a quick conversation with them.

Did you know First Financial has an Investment and Retirement Center which offers complimentary retirement consultations to our members?*

Contact one of our Financial Advisors today!

*Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker/dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. First Financial Federal Credit Union (FFFCU) and First Financial Investment & Retirement Center are not registered as a broker/dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using First Financial Investment & Retirement Center, and may also be employees of FFFCU. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from and not affiliates of FFFCU or First Financial Investment & Retirement Center.

Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are:

Article Source: CUInsight.com

5 Ways to Financially Thrive in the New Year

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The time for “New year, new me” resolutions is here, and we’ve got five (actually attainable) resolutions that you’ll want to keep up with all year long. Read on to find out five ways to make 2021 a financially great year.

Learn a new (financial) language. Does listening to financial talk sometimes feel like hearing a foreign language? Instead of simply nodding along, make a resolution to improve your financial literacy this year. Finally learn the ins-and-outs of money management. There are plenty of resources online that can help you decode the definitions behind personal finance terms. You can even make a Quizlet to help you commit the terminology to memory! If you’re worried about finding the time to teach yourself this new language, try incorporating some financial podcasts into your weekly routine. By listening to financial podcasts, you can improve your finance skills while still going about your daily tasks. It’s a great way to get stuff done and get a better idea of what is going on in your wallet and bank account.

Clear out the clutter. Recurring payments can be a great time saver, but they can also get out of hand very easily. Sit down and comb through your recurring payments so you can know exactly where your money is going and when it’s being taken. Take an especially close look at your monthly subscriptions. How many television streaming services are you subscribed to? Music streaming services? There are countless entertainment streaming platforms out there, but you don’t need to subscribe to all of them. Make a list of your entertainment subscriptions and figure out which ones you actually use and which ones are just cluttering up your monthly or annual payments. This applies to paid store memberships, too — if you don’t shop at that discount warehouse much anymore, don’t forget to cancel the membership card before you get charged for the new year’s renewal!

Get creative. Don’t let yourself feel trapped by the status-quo of savings, there are many ways to get creative with your finances. Need some extra money for tighter areas in your budget but don’t know how where to get it? Look into refinancing your existing Auto Loan from another lender with us! With our low rates, your monthly payment will be more manageable, which means you’ll have more money in your pocket, ready to put to good use.*

Making the switch from a high-interest rate credit card to one of our lower-rate cards could also decrease the amount of money you’re spending per term, freeing up funds to put elsewhere.** There are so many avenues you can take to save money. Get in touch with our Loan Department, and we’ll help you get creative in finding them!

Take up a new (money-saving) hobby. Trying a new hobby can help improve one’s mood and daily motivation, but don’t forget that it could also help your wallet! Want to try improving your culinary skills? Great! Ditch the costly take-out meals and door deliveries, and resolve to cook meals at home. Halting the high delivery costs, taxes, and tips (or gas money for drive-thru and pick-up options) will drastically cut down your monthly expenses, giving you more money to spare. You could also pick up a new hobby that could help increase your income. The internet has given us a wealth of resources when it comes to finding freelance work. Skilled at editing? Explore the world of freelance editing for supplemental income. Got an artistic side? Look into starting up an online shop to sell your handmade goods on sites like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace. The options are exciting and endless (and will provide you with some supplemental income)!

Plan it out! Most people shudder at the word “budget.” It’s never fun to sit down and decide what you can’t spend money on. Instead, why not give yourself the freedom to choose what you can spend money on? This tactic for approaching money management is called a “spending plan,” and it’s a lot less intimidating than a budget. A spending plan gives you a lot more flexibility in your finances while still keeping you focused on covering your monthly essentials.

The process of determining your “non-negotiable” expenses is mainly the same as a budget: you have rent, electric, water, internet, groceries, emergency funds, etc. The difference begins when you determine your flexible categories. For example, entertainment, personal shopping, dining out, date nights, and more. A spending plan gives you the freedom to set ballpark amounts for these categories without restricting you too harshly. As long as you have your monthly non-negotiables covered, how you distribute money from month to month in your other categories doesn’t matter as much. A budget is far more restrictive, which can put you in a panicked mindset of “money is always tight, I have no wiggle room,” whereas, a spending plan gives you the control to say “I have the room to spend a little extra here this month.” Start 2021 establishing a spending plan and giving yourself the freedom to choose where your money should go and how you want to spend it!

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Not all applicants will qualify, subject to credit approval. Additional terms & conditions may apply. Actual rate may vary based on credit worthiness and term. A First Financial membership is required to obtain a First Financial auto loan and is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties. See credit union for details. A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account/loan. First Financial FCU maintains the right to not extend credit, after you respond, if we determine you do not meet our guidelines for creditworthiness. Current loans financed with First Financial FCU are not eligible for review or refinance.

**APR varies up to 18% when you open your account based on your credit worthiness. These APRs are for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Subject to credit approval. Rates quoted assume excellent borrower credit history. Your actual APR may vary based on your state of residence, approved loan amount, applicable discounts and your credit history. No Annual Fees. Other fees that apply: Cash advance fee of 1% of advance ($5 minimum and $25 maximum), Late Payment Fee of up to $25, Foreign Transaction Fee of 1% plus foreign exchange rate of transaction amount, $5 Card Replacement Fee, and Returned Payment Fee of up to $25. A First Financial membership is required to obtain a VISA Credit Card and is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers, or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties.

The Latte Factor: One Way to Get Your Finances on Track

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How often do you find yourself saying, “I can’t afford that!” Whether it’s about an unplanned expense or something that you want to buy. David Bach, author of The Latte Factor, says that’s usually just a lie we tell ourselves.

In his book, The Latte Factor, Bach lays out several key points that can be summed up as: Small amounts of money spent on a regular basis costs us far more than we can imagine.

The Latte Factor came about after a class Bach had taught some years ago. One of his students said she couldn’t afford to save, but she was drinking a latte at the time (and almost every day in his class). He ran the numbers and showed her that if she skipped the latte, she would save $5 a day. What does $5 a day mean to you? Let’s do the math. $5 a day is $150 per month. Would you like to save an extra $150 per month? What’s the value of $150 per month saved in 10 years from now? That’s $1,800 a year saved and $18,000 in 10 years from the Latte Factor alone. Over 25 years, five dollars a day will net you almost $50,000. It’s amazing how such a small difference each day can make a huge impact over time.

As you head into the new year, vow to stop saying “I can’t afford that!” and take a second look at your finances. You don’t have to starve yourself of enjoying everything that life has to offer. Instead, pick one thing you know you spend money on that you might be able to do without. Is it your morning latte, eating out for lunch every day, subscription service, etc.?

If you want to get serious about getting your finances in order this year, here are two recommendations:

  1. Buy The Latte Factor and read about how Zoey turned her morning latte into the words “I CAN afford this.” It’s a quick read and it’s really eye opening!
  2. Take a look at your current debt. Instead of making multiple payments on multiple loans, have you thought about consolidating those payments into one lower monthly payment? You may even get a lower interest rate that will minimize the amount of interest you’re paying.

Apply for a First Financial Consolidation Loan online, or contact us to see if we can help you get started in getting your finances in order this year.*

Happy New Year and Keep Thinking First!

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Actual rate will vary based on creditworthiness and loan term. Subject to credit approval. A First Financial Federal Credit Union membership is required to obtain a Personal Loan, and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties. A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account/loan.