Credit Unions | blog.firstffcu.com

Believe it or not, it’s May already. You’ve flipped the calendar page four times, and if you’re like more than 80% of the general public, it’s been a few months since your New Years’ resolutions crashed and burned. Have you taken the time to analyze why your good intentions didn’t pan out? Maybe they were too ambitious. Maybe they weren’t challenging enough. Whatever the reason (or excuse), your resolutions are over. Done. Finished. Or are they?

Failed goals aren’t ashes. They’re embers.

Is it possible to revive resolutions that haven’t shown signs of life in months? Absolutely. To stoke your motivational fire, you’ll need to revisit the reasons you set those goals in the first place. Take a close look at the things you want to accomplish, and then determine whether they’re still a realistic possibility. If so, recommit yourself. If not, adjust your expectations. But once you decide to have another go at it, work smarter not harder.

Find your momentum with micro-goals.

While it can be discouraging to examine missed goals or failure in general, author Erin Lowry addresses the topic of failed resolutions with refreshing candor on her Broke Millennial blog. Lowry shared, “Like most of us, I fail each year at my New Year’s resolutions. Then I realized I should apply one of my favorite money tactics to my resolutions. Micro-goals. I’m a big believer in setting a lofty goal and then working backward to chunk that goal down into manageable pieces.”

The beauty of micro-goals lies in their universal application. Financial Goals. Fitness ambitions. Relational hopes and dreams. Whatever the category, micro-goals can help you get back on track. The key to starting over is finding a way to gain momentum, and breaking your big goals into smaller goals can set yourself up for easy wins. Then, as you experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing each little task, you’ll find the inspiration to carry on toward your ultimate destination. Like the peaceful painter, Bob Ross, once said, “There’s nothing in the world that breeds success like success.”

Take another run at those financial goals.

Are you doubling back to pursue a financial resolution like paying off debt, building an emergency fund, or saving for retirement? Remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Your credit union can be an incredible partner in your pursuit of financial stability. From low-interest loans and high-interest savings accounts to financial counseling and investment advice – credit unions provide a wide array of solutions designed to help their members win with money.

Not a credit union member? Your first micro-goal is an easy one: become a credit union member as soon as possible! If you live, work, worship, volunteer, or attend school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties in New Jersey – you are eligible to become a member of First Financial. It’s easy, get started now!

Last year, credit union membership grew by 2 million people and credit union deposits topped $1 trillion for the first time ever, according to the Credit Union National Association. This was after banks got a bad rap during the financial crisis for their part in risky mortgage lending and for fees that many consumers view as unnecessarily greedy…

Think of credit unions as not-for-profit banks. That’s what they are, although they are not allowed to call themselves by that name. Do they have something to do with credit cards? Only partially. Or unions? No. Are they private clubs that few people can join? No again.

Today anybody can join a credit union. There’s always a way, and yet many people don’t realize that. True, in the old days, you could only join a credit union if your employer offered one. That’s still a great way in, but there are plenty of other ways to join. For example, one credit union runs a charitable foundation in its community and if you donate $25 to the foundation you are eligible to join the credit union. To become a member of First Financial, you must live, work, worship, volunteer, or attend school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties, New Jersey, as well as keep at least $5 in a base savings account with the credit union.*

Why would you want to? Since credit unions are not-for-profit, they can often afford to offer their members lower rates on loans. They are also more flexible in listening to members’ stories rather than just looking at their credit scores. So if you have imperfect credit, but there’s an understandable reason for it, such as an illness in the family, or a recession-related job loss, tell your story and you may still get approved for a loan at a credit union.

What size savings might you find? Here’s one example. After researching interest rates online for a $25,000 car loan, some banks were charging as much as 11.22 percent. The lowest rate found was at a credit union. Over the course of the loan, a lower rate of 4.25% would save you nearly $2,000!** Check out First Financial’s current loan rates to see if you can save money by refinancing or applying for one of our loans.

Go ahead, consider at least adding a credit union like First Financial to your financial strategy. Americans seem to be catching on that credit union membership is a beneficial piece of the financial puzzle.

“Every member of the credit union is an owner,” explains Issa Stephan, President and CEO of First Financial Federal Credit Union. “Money doesn’t go to a few investors, or to rally the stock price. We put what we need in capital as required by the federal government. Everything else goes back to the members through lower rates on loans, higher savings rates, updated technologies and assisting members through hard times. A lot of people lost their jobs and went through difficult times recently, and we use our resources to help our members with integrity and commitment to their long-term financial success.”

Doesn’t this make you interested in trying a credit union? If you’re not a member already, spread the word to family and friends! Call us at 732.312.1500, stop into any one of our branches, or visit us online at www.firstffcu.com to open a membership today!

*Click here to view the article source.

*$5 in a base savings account is your membership deposit and is required to remain in your base savings account at all times to be a member in good standing. All credit unions require a membership deposit. **Credit worthiness determines your APR.