Financial Basics

Financial success starts with a solid foundation. Get started today by learning about budgeting and financial basics.

What to Know About Protecting Yourself During Tax Season

What to Know About Protecting Yourself During Tax Season

As the world continues to react to the virus, scammers are adapting their techniques to steal your money. With the increase in the number of transactions with the IRS this year (including child tax credit pre-payments, economic stimulus payments, and federal unemployment), the door has also become more widely open to thieves attempting to steal your tax benefits and your identity.

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Get Peace of Mind for Your Ride

Get Peace of Mind for Your Ride

Thinking about a new or “new to you” car? Having a reliable set of wheels is a crucial part of our daily lives, but it’s also a big financial decision that will likely impact your budget for the next several years. You know you’ll need to protect your ride with car insurance, and maybe even get a AAA membership, but are you aware of these programs that give you financial peace of mind?

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Take These Steps With Your Student Loans

Take These Steps With Your Student Loans

Now it’s time to take steps after the relief programs end. Borrowers should be ready to make student loan payments, even as policymakers discuss further extensions in the face of an increased number of borrowers becoming delinquent or defaulting on their loans. Listed here are steps to move forward as protections end:

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Triangulation Fraud and How You Can Be an Unwitting Participant

Triangulation Fraud and How You Can Be an Unwitting Participant

Identity theft continues to be more than just a costly headache. Once the bad guys have your identity information they can make repeated attempts to try to access your accounts, apply for credit in your name, and even steal your tax refund. This month we’re going to dig into some lesser-known, proactive steps you can take in the new year to protect yourself from becoming the target of identity fraud.

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Women & Credit: Here’s How to Get on Solid Ground

Women & Credit: Here’s How to Get on Solid Ground

For many years, research has shown that women in the U.S. are approved for less than men when they apply for credit products and are more likely to be denied outright. Perhaps because of this, women also put off applying for credit when compared to men, even when they need it to get on solid financial ground.

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5 Beginner Money Questions Answered

5 Beginner Money Questions Answered

When you’re just starting out, there’s a lot to learn about your finances and it can definitely feel overwhelming — but we’re here to help. We recently sat with some local college students to talk money, and here are the answers to their questions:

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GreenPath Debt Management Plans Reduced Member Debt by 34% in 2021

GreenPath Debt Management Plans Reduced Member Debt by 34% in 2021

We partner with GreenPath Financial Wellness to offer unbiased, empathetic, one-on-one financial advisement to our members. GreenPath’s certified credit counselors offer free assistance with budgeting, general financial wellness, debt counseling, foreclosure prevention and support, and student loan payment. GreenPath also offers a Debt Management Program where they negotiate with creditors on behalf of members enrolled in the program to reduce interest rates and help them repay debts faster. In 2021, GreenPath’s certified counselors assisted 8 SESLOC members with a combined $161,488 in debt pay off $55,656 through the program — that’s a reduction of outstanding debt by 34% in under a year!

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Five Ways to Keep Identity Thieves Guessing

Five Ways to Keep Identity Thieves Guessing

Identity theft continues to be more than just a costly headache. Once the bad guys have your identity information they can make repeated attempts to try to access your accounts, apply for credit in your name, and even steal your tax refund.

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5 Tips to Jump-Start Your Savings Plan

5 Tips to Jump-Start Your Savings Plan

Unplanned expenses or emergencies are other common life events. A car or house repair, or even a weather-related emergency, can make a dent in our budget. Whether it’s the struggle of delaying immediate rewards for greater benefit in the future or an unexpected expense, people looking to build a successful savings habit often run up against these very human challenges. To help manage these realities, here are five tips we suggest to jump-start your savings.

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