Q: With 2020 drawing to a close, I’d love to give myself an end-of-year financial review before it goes. Where do I begin?
A: Giving yourself an end-of-year financial review is a wonderful way to check on the progress you’ve made toward your goals, highlight areas needing improvement, and update your accounts, funds, and investments. Here’s all you need to know about this important end-of-year ritual.
Q: Every December, you draw up a list of New Year’s resolutions that look depressingly similar to the ones you wrote last year. How can you make things different this year?
A: It’s fairly easy to dream of change, but it’s another thing entirely to actually make it happen. In fact, research shows that only 8 percent of people achieve their annual resolutions. However, with careful planning and the right approach, it is doable.
Wrap up this holiday season by going green with gifting.
No, we don’t mean wrapping your gifts in recycled paper. But before putting away all the holiday gifts you recently received, think of a few people on your list who can use something you already have but don’t need.
It may be an unopened present you got from someone this year that you have no use for – but this person would love. It might be a promotional item you received from work or a business you frequent. It can be an unused gift card that’s just sitting in your wallet. Look around and you’ll be amazed at how much you can find – and how much money you can save in advance of next year’s season!
Did you know: Text messaging has come under attack as one of the most vulnerable media for identity theft and more. Here’s what you need to know about an SMS message-based scam called “smishing.”
How it works
Smishing scams use text messages to establish contact with the intended victim to later access their personal information.
It’s time to start thinking about Christmas. Some of you are reading this on your phone while waiting in line at Starbucks, preparing to buy your first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season, but it’s time to start thinking of peppermint mochas instead. Even if you’re the “Bah, Humbug” type of person who regularly posts Facebook rants about the neighbors putting up their lights before Thanksgiving, making financial plans for the holiday is still a really good idea. It might be too early to hang a stocking, but it’s never too early to sock money away.
In the throes of a worldwide pandemic, most of us find ourselves spending more time at home in a new reality that is far from the norm. Like everything else in life, we can choose to react to our circumstances with complaints and annoyance or we can embrace them and make a bad situation positive and beneficial. The latter is of course, the better way to go. Here are 7 suggestions that will help us make the best of our newly -found spare time.
In the “good old days,” one would meet a spouse/or significant other, the old fashioned way, face-to face, at a party, church, blind date, et cetera. Today, these in-person rituals have gone the way of the dinosaur, replaced by dating apps and sites. And whereas these types of interactions may provide access to more potential partners, they also present more danger. The current pandemic has worsened the situation because it has caused more isolation and loneliness. With people looking for love, more heartless opportunists have pounced on the vulnerable. General online fraud has increased and so has what is known as romance scams.
We are all live busy and hectic lives. If many of us could afford it, we would pay for a personal assistant to help with chores, run errands and keep us organized. The good news is that as credit union members, we already have a right-hand assistant. It’s called electronic banking. And it’s free.
In the throes of a pandemic, keeping your credit score at a good level might not be top of mind if your job is in jeopardy and you are wondering how to keep the roof over your head and feed your family.
It is important nevertheless to do everything to keep your score intact. Your credit report is important. Blemishes stay on your file for seven years and can affect your ability to get a job, rent an apartment, or secure certain types of insurance. Here are some practical ways to achieve that goal.
It’s hurricane season. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a 70% chance of 13 to 19 named storms with six to 10 becoming hurricanes. Floridians are always being urged to make preparations. Most of us do, to some degree. This year however, things have changed. We are in the midst of a pandemic that shows no signs of abating. Under these circumstances, we need to make changes to our usual hurricane preparation plans. Here are some suggestions on how to proceed:
In the age of data breaches, phishing scams and fraudsters using technology to steal identities, we have to be so careful with our personal information. Criminals take the information they steal and sell it on the Dark Web. Not just once, but, many times over. What is the Dark Web? It’s a whole different side of the internet that is anonymously used by criminals to buy and sell stolen identities for illegal profits. Once your identity has been stolen, it can take up to 6 months or longer to fix and cost thousands.
Did you ever wonder why car dealers want to have you finance at their dealership? It’s customary in the industry for lenders to pay dealers a fee for these loans, and in some cases dealers are allowed to mark up the rate (APR) and keep the difference. It’s perfectly legal but I bet you didn’t know about it.
When you come directly to your credit union, you get a great rate and we have rate discounts for many members. We offer rate discounts for members in our Premium and Select relationship levels. If you have certain services with us, such as a checking account and a credit card, you may qualify for additional rate discounts. We also give “loyalty discounts” to reward members who have been with us for certain periods of time. And if you take advantage of our We Drive onsite dealer partner, we reduce your rate even further. Plus we give you lower “new car” rates on pre-owned vehicles up to two model years old with less than 36,000 miles. We’ve got rates that go as low as 1.74% with all discounts as of October 2019.
Please call or stop by We Drive to talk with one of our friendly staff and start taking advantage of what your credit union has to offer.
Not a member? Ask about joining. It’s easy and open to everyone in South Florida.
by Lloyd Gill President/CEO We Florida Financial
If you’re a member of We Florida Financial, you probably realize that credit unions are different from banks. We don’t have stockholders, we have members. We don’t try to sell you things you don’t need just to make money. We talk with you about what you need and want, and let you know how our products can improve your financial life.
July is National Military Consumer Month. It’s a month where the Federal Trade Commission focuses on helping military Service Members, Veterans and their families learn about key consumer protections they need to be successful. For the second year, the FTC is focusing Military Consumer Month on imposter scams. The goal is to help military personnel understand imposter scams and the steps they can take to avoid them. But in reality, everyone can use this advice to avoid getting scammed.
So you've shopped around for an RV loan in Florida and you think you've found the one? As a lender for RVs and boats, we want to get you on the road or in the water as quickly as possible so you can start living out the dream. But we also want to make sure that you have no regrets about your relationship with us.
Why is it that your money seems to evaporate whenever you are traveling? It is easy for expenses to pile up once you set out on your travels. Here are some tips to help keep money in your wallet while still having a great time on your vacation.
Equity is a nuanced concept, but everyone who owns a car needs to understand it. This is especially true for people who want to refinance their car to pocket cash or pay off high-interest debt.
People sometimes describe equity as how much of an asset you own. However, we may own the t-shirt we're wearing. No one talks about having equity in a t-shirt.
The real estate landscape can be tough for first-time homeowners with no equity. Many people struggle to meet the demands of everyday bills and still find space in the budget to put something away for a family home. Let's take a look at how long you could spend saving for a down home. Then, we'll look at an alternative loan program that can help you get into your dream home faster.
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