College is an exciting chapter for many people, opening doors to new experiences, newfound freedom, and independence. But it can also be a financially difficult and dangerous time — the financial mistakes people make as students can haunt them for years to come. That’s why students should look to their local credit union.
With many Americans holding out hope that their student loan debt will be reduced or forgiven altogether, but also struggling to keep up with the latest news from the federal government, it’s not hard to see why scammers have been so successful. That’s why we are highlighting five ways to protect yourself from fraudsters pretending to have the power to provide you with student debt relief.
While home grocery and meal delivery are fast and convenient, it can be helpful to weigh the pros and cons of the added expenses involved if it is a choice and not a necessity. Outlined here are the key cost considerations of home grocery deliveries, restaurant deliveries, and home-delivered meal subscription boxes.
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:
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:
In the college savings game, all strategies aren’t created equal. The best savings vehicles offer special tax advantages if the funds are used to pay for college. Tax-advantaged strategies are important because over time, you can potentially accumulate more money with a tax-advantaged investment compared to a taxable investment. Ideally, though, you’ll want to choose a savings vehicle that offers you the best combination of tax advantages, financial aid benefits, and flexibility, while meeting your overall investment needs.
If you qualify for federal financial aid, there are a number of strategies you can try to implement to enhance the amount of aid your child will receive when you apply for financial aid. The idea is to lower your expected family contribution (EFC), which in turn raises your child’s aid eligibility.
Yes, assuming you are talking about federal financial aid. Under the federal government’s financial aid formula, four main types of assets are excluded from consideration when determining your child’s financial need:
On August 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced an extension of the pause on federal student loan payments to January 31, 2022. The payment moratorium, currently in effect for millions of federal student loan borrowers, was set to end on September 30, 2021.
Dorm life is an exciting milestone for many incoming college students, but preparing to move in can be a little daunting (and costly). It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and overspend on items you don’t really need. So before you start shopping, consider these do’s and don’ts:
SESLOC Credit Union is thrilled to introduce the Instant Funds loans, a new short-term, small-dollar loans program designed to support individuals in need of emergency financial assistance. Keeping the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” in mind, we are introducing this product to ensure there is financial support for the underserved and underbanked in the Central Coast community.
We’re partnering with News Channel 12 to honor nonprofit volunteers who make our community thrive. Each month, we’re choosing a different nonprofit and asking them to select a valuable volunteer to receive the SESLOC Cares for Community Award. We’re thrilled to introduce Ray Segovia, from the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.
For a fifth year in a row, SESLOC held a fundraiser for the SLO Food Bank and Food Bank of Santa Barbara County this past May. With the support from employees and members, SESLOC raised $12,061.89.
On Friday, May 24, over 120 student leaders participating in the Week of Welcome (WOW) program were enriched by a financial wellness workshop hosted by SESLOC at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) campus in San Luis Obispo. The purpose of SESLOC and Cal Poly providing this workshop was to educate WOW leaders in practical and relevant financial education
On Monday, May 20, SESLOC Credit Union hosted a hands-on, real-world living and budgeting simulation event for 70 students at Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo. For this event, SESLOC partnered with Bite of Reality, an app that presents real-life scenarios of maintaining a budget, to improve the financial health and wellness of the Central Coast.
