Destinations Credit Union

Feeling Stuck In Your Car Loan? Might Be Time To Shop Around!

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Bills are a lot like bad weather. They’re going to come anyway, so you might as well not try to fix them, right? For some bills, that’s the case. For others, though, you can make a big difference in your monthly budget with a little legwork. 

One of the bills you can change is your car payment. Refinancing your vehicle loan can lead to a lower monthly payment, a shorter term, or both! It depends on a wide range of factors, including the value of your vehicle, how much you owe on your current loan, and your credit standing. 

If any of these factors have changed since you bought your car, you owe it to yourself to check out your refinancing options. Let’s look at some common life changes and when they might be cause to look at refinancing. Read on to learn about three scenarios where refinancing makes sense for your car or truck:
 

1.) Your credit improves
One of the biggest factors in determining your auto loan status is your credit score. When your lender is building a loan package, a credit report is pulled as a central part of that process. That number helps define your interest rate, whether or not you’ll have to pay a premium for insurance, and what other fees your lender might charge.
It’s worth keeping a copy of the credit report your lender pulled. That can let you see if your credit score has improved. It can take as little as nine months of steady repayment to boost your credit score, and that could result in a cheaper loan if you refinance.
If you didn’t have much experience with credit when you purchased your vehicle, refinancing can do you a world of good. Interest rates as high as 18% are common for borrowers who have little to no credit history. Having even a few months of solid payments on your side can cut that rate in half or more.
2.) You didn’t shop around before you borrowed
Many people feel railroaded throughout the car-buying process. They pick a car they like, then they are told what the price is, what the monthly payment is and everything else. It may seem like the choice of lenders for your car loan is predetermined.
Dealers tend to have a smaller range of lenders with whom they work exclusively. Those lenders know they have limited exposure to competition, so they can charge slightly higher fees and interest rates. By doing your own comparison shopping, you can save quite a bit on both the loan and any ancillary insurances or warranties you may have purchased. Dealer rates tend to be 1 to 1.5% higher than those offered at smaller lenders, like credit unions.
If you’ve never shopped around for a car loan, it’s definitely worth doing. By getting multiple offers, you can ensure you’re getting the best price available for your loan. Try to do your shopping inside a 15-day period. Otherwise, the multiple checks on your credit could negatively impact your credit score.
3.) You need to change your monthly payment
You may be in a much better financial situation now than when you bought your car. You may have a better job or more security. You may have paid off credit card or other debt. All of these things free up how much you can pay per month.
Most people don’t go into the refinancing process looking to increase their monthly payment, but you can save yourself money in the long term by committing to a faster repayment plan. If you can afford to pay more per month now, you can pay off the balance on your car faster. Shorter term loans usually also have lower interest rates, since the lender assumes less risk in making the loan. Once the car is paid off, you’ll have all that money to devote to other saving or spending priorities.
On the other hand, if money is tight, it might be a good idea to refinance into a longer term. While you might end up paying more in interest, you can reduce your monthly payment and save the money you need right now.
Your Turn: What do you do to save money on your car payment? Let us know your best tips and tricks in the comments, and don’t forget to stop by Destinations Credit Union to find out how refinancing can improve your financial life!
SOURCES:
http://www.bankrate.com/loans/auto-loans/10-steps-to-your-best-deal-on-a-car-loan/
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/long-improve-credit/story?id=33695732
https://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/ask-credit-karma-how-does-my-auto-loan-refinance-affect-my-credit/
https://www.creditkarma.com/article/refinancing-credit-effects
http://www.bankrate.com/auto/5-situations-when-it-makes-the-most-sense-to-refinance-your-car/ 
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On Valentine’s Day, we take time to remember those we love.  But, this Valentine’s Day, I’d like you to take some time to show yourself a little love.
There are many ways to do that – taking time for yourself, indulging in a little splurge, being with friends or family, or spending time on your favorite pastime. One way that you may not have considered is by securing your financial future.
Poor control over your finances can affect your emotional well-being.  A study by Quicken found that 52% of the American workforce lives in fear that they will not be able to retire by the age of 65. 33% lose sleep over their financial situation and 20% hide their debt out of embarrassment.
So, this Valentines Day, show yourself a little love by making a commitment to get your financial life under control.  Destinations offers many ways to help you find the financial solutions you need.

  • Free unlimited financial counseling is available by phone through our partnership with Accel.  
  • We can take a look at your loans from other financial institutions/dealerships and see if there is a way to lower your interest rate and/or payments.
  • You can save systematically through payroll deduction or automatic transfers from your accounts.
  • Use loan products designed to help you improve your credit, such as our Expressway to Success and Second Chance MasterCard.

The road to a secure financial future requires some time, commitment and may involve sacrificing some things now for security later.

Posted by:
Carol Szaroleta
Destinations Credit Union

Tax Form Secrets Revealed

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Tax forms have started rolling in and your mailbox looks like a can of alphabet soup exploded in it! What do you need and where do you start?

This is a tough time of year for people who don’t like paper. Starting at the end of January and continuing through March, taxpayers start drowning in paper. Sorting out what’s important and finding a place to store it is a big challenge, and it becomes harder if you don’t know what’s what. 

Fortunately, it’s easier to tell these forms apart than you might think. There are only a few types of forms you’ll need to deal with, and most of them don’t even need paper. Here are the four most common tax forms you’ll see and what to do with them! 

1.) W-2 
This is the most common informational form you’ll receive. It’s a statement from your employer that contains your yearly wages, how much tax you’ve had withheld and how much you’ve paid (pre-tax) for things like health care premiums. If you have one job, this may be the only major tax form you get. 

It’s also one of the most important forms. You’ll want to keep it with other tax documents until it’s time to file your taxes. This information – your yearly earnings and the amount of tax you’ve had withheld – are the most important factors for determining what your tax bill will be (or how big a refund you’ll get). 

2.) 1099 
This is a series of forms identifying income from sources other than a contract job. Most common is the 1099-INT, which lists interest income. You may get one of these from any financial institution where you have an account.
If you freelance or work as a contractor, you’ll probably receive a 1099-MISC. If you received unemployment or another source of government income, you’ll get a 1099-G. If you had debt canceled this year, you’ll get a 1099-C. There are a few other kinds of 1099 forms, but they all do basically the same thing.
You’ll need to hold on to these forms, too. They document income that you haven’t yet paid any taxes on. You’ll need the amounts on these forms when you get ready to file.
3.) 1095 
These are relatively new forms that deal with health insurance. Form 1095-A is a statement about insurance purchased through a marketplace exchange. 1095-B is for private health insurance. 1095-C is for employer-sponsored health care coverage.
These forms are important if you get a health insurance subsidy through the Affordable Care Act. If not, you can go ahead and put this form into long-term storage. You’ll be asked when you file if you had health insurance all 12 months of the year. The IRS receives a copy of this form to check your work, so you’ll only need it if issues come up regarding your coverage.
4.) 1098
Two forms, the 1098 and the 1098-T, report tax deductible expenses. The 1098 form lists mortgage interest and points on your primary residence, while the 1098-T itemizes tuition and other expenses paid to an institution of higher learning. The 1098-T is used in a variety of places, including claiming the Lifetime Learning Credit and the Hope Credit.
Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of deductions relating to mortgage expenses, you’ll need to itemize your deductions. Claiming the deductions listed on the 1098 requires you to forgo the standard deduction, which for most people turns out to be a bad idea. Unless you have a host of other deductions, or you bought or refinanced your home this year, claiming the standard deduction and filing the 1098 away for later will serve you best.
The bad news is you can’t file your taxes and be rid of the whole mess until you get all of your forms together. You’ll need to keep any W-2 forms, 1099 forms and your 1098-T form together until all of them arrive. Get a manila folder or a document envelope to keep them all in the same place. Keep that folder somewhere safe, and as soon as possible, file your taxes so you can put it into storage. Keep your returns for at least 3 years after you file. A paper copy of last year’s tax return in your filing cabinet can make a world of difference!
If you do your taxes yourself, you may want to look at an online resource like TurboTax.  Destinations Credit Union members can get a discount of filing this way.
Your Turn: How do you keep up with the paperwork requirements of your tax return? Have a magical filing system? Share your best organizational strategies with us in the comments!

SOURCES:
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-tips/
https://www.efile.com/tax-form/tax-year/2016-federal-form-1095-a-health-insurance-marketplace-statement.pdf
https://www.efile.com/tax-form/tax-year/2016-federal-form-1098-mortgage-interest-statement.pdf
https://www.efile.com/irs-federal-income-1040-tax-forms/


7 New Year’s Resolutions For A Richer 2017

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The New Year is a great time of renewal. That makes it a good time to make bold, decisive changes in your life. Leave behind the baggage that was 2016 and start fresh with a blank slate in 2017. If you’re looking for some resolutions to improve your personal finances, we’re pleased to offer seven ways to make 2017 the year of the dollar!

1.) Track your spending

If you’re looking to take your first steps toward financial literacy, figuring out where your money goes should be at the top of your list. If you don’t know where your money goes, it’s going to be tough to follow through with any other money plans. You may have a general sense of how much you spend, but after a month where you’ve recorded every dollar, you’ll have a much better picture. Using apps like Mint or Personal Capital can automate the process. You might even find that keeping track of what you do with your money encourages you to spend a little more judiciously.

2.) Make a budget

About 70% of Americans live financially spontaneous lives. They don’t make a plan for spending or saving. When asked why they chose not to do so, the most common response was that the family spent all the money anyway. This is a circular problem. If you don’t have a budget that includes setting aside money for long-term expenses and savings, you’ll end up spending all your money on unplanned things and events. The best way to stop the cycle is to sit down and make a budget that modifies your spending to be more in line with your priorities.

3.) Get out of debt

Easier said than done, right? However, there’s no bigger stumbling block to financial security and wealth building than debt. It’s hard to save for long-term goals when so much of your monthly income gets eaten up by interest and fees. There are a variety of methods you can use to help accelerate your payoffs. For instance, you can add an extra $50 or $100 to your credit card payments. Or, you can focus all your payment resources on the highest interest debt until it’s paid off and then move it all to the next highest for snowballing your way to freedom from debt.

4.) Start an emergency fund

The best way to avoid going into debt is to have some money on hand to handle the occasional, yet inevitable, emergency. Most Americans, though, can’t come up with $500 in such instances. Set a specific goal, like adding $10 per month to a savings account. At the end of the year, you’ll have more than $100 available in case something goes wrong.

5.) Start a retirement account

You can’t save for what you don’t think about. When retirement is years or decades away, it’s difficult to incorporate thinking about it into your daily routine. If you have a retirement account open, you’ll get monthly statements, which serve as reminders. The challenge, though, is taking that first step. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. While there are important differences between Roth and Traditional accounts, either one is better than no retirement savings at all. If your job offers a 401(k) matching program, sign up to get at least the full matching funds amount – it’s free money. Do a little bit of research, then open the account that seems like the best idea.

6.) Automate your savings

Saving money takes willpower. Because it’s hard to practice self-denial on a constant basis, that extra $5 you’ve earmarked for savings can very easily turn into a mid-morning coffee. Fighting that impulse is a constant struggle. That’s why it’s easiest to avoid the decision altogether. Change your direct deposit to put some of your paycheck directly into a savings account, where you won’t even think of spending it impulsively.

7.) Get educated

Knowledge is power, and that’s especially true in the world of personal finance. What you know about your money goes a long way toward determining how much of it you get to keep. There’s a lot to learn, but you’ve got a wealth of information at your fingertips. Resolve to read one personal finance article a week (subscribing to this Blog can be a great start). Not only will this give you good ideas for improving your personal financial situation; you’ll also spend more time thinking about your money. That will lead to positive results down the line!

Happy New Year from all of us at Destinations Credit Union. We hope you have a safe, happy, and prosperous 2017!

Your Turn: What resolutions are you making this year? Will 2017 be the year you join a book club, quit smoking or spend more time with your family? Let us know in the comments!.

SOURCES:
https://wallethub.com/blog/financial-new-years-resolutions/9202/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/money/13-financial-new-years-resolutions-you-should-make
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/savingspending/budgeting/newYearsRes.php
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/16/so-what-percentage-of-americans-actually-keep-a-budget-gallup-results-may-surprise-you/


Help! I Overspent On Christmas!

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It’s so easy to go overboard on Christmas. If you have kids, you want everything to be perfect for them. You want to build priceless memories, so spending any amount seems worth it. If you’re just getting started, you want to impress your family with how together you have things. Giving extravagant gifts to your family members seems like a great idea … until you’re staring at a huge credit card bill in January.

However it happened, it’s important to approach this problem rationally. Constantly blaming yourself won’t fix the problem. The important part now is to right yourself financially. You can’t take back gifts and return them at this point. You have to deal with the situation that’s in front of you.

Fortunately, you’re not alone. Destinations Credit Union is here to help. Check out these four ways you can patch up your finances and have things right before summer.

1.) Budgeting advice

It can be very tempting to make only the minimum payments on the credit card you used to buy Christmas. Unfortunately, it’s also the best way to ensure you’re in debt for all the Christmases from here on out.

Making minimum payments on credit cards prolongs the length of time you’re in debt. It also makes the total amount you pay for your debt skyrocket. Making just the minimum payment adds an extra $175 to a $10,000 balance at 21% APR.

What you need is an aggressive debt repayment plan. The question you should be asking yourself isn’t, “What’s the least I can pay on this debt?” Instead, identify the most you can afford to pay. Destinations Credit Union can help with informative guides and worksheets on household budgeting.

Making an extreme budget is usually not a good choice, but in this case, it’s essential until you get yourself out from under that holiday-fueled debt. Make some sacrifices and get ready to tighten your belt for a little while. Yeah, coming up with an extra $35 or $50 a month is tough, but it’s the easiest way to get things moving.

2.) Refinancing major purchases

If you went overboard on one or two major purchases, like a car for a teen, it may not be credit card debt you need help overcoming. Slick dealers offer crazy-sounding incentives like zero down and zero percent financing on cars to entice people to give cars for Christmas. Unfortunately, once you’ve signed on the dotted line, you may see you’re in for more than you can handle with a car payment.

Destinations Credit Union can help. Our auto and other major purchase loans often feature rates that are better than dealerships. You may need to finance over a longer term to manage the monthly expenses, or you may just need to restructure to pay less now. Either way, you’ll find more favorable and flexible terms with us than you will at the dealer. 

3.) Debt counseling 
Does reading those credit card statements fill you with a dizzying sense of despair? Destinations Credit Union can help you make sense of them.

Make an appointment to speak with a debt counselor.  Through our partnership with Accel, Destinations Credit Union offers free unlimited debt counseling. You’ll gain a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities. You can also come up with a realistic plan to pay off your debt and avoid falling into the same trap next year.

4.) Personal loans

Instead of making dozens of minimum payments, wouldn’t it be nice to focus your debt into one manageable plan? A debt consolidation loan can do just that. Best of all, it can save you money in the long run by lowering your interest rate and monthly payment commitment. Rather than paying a credit card APR, you can get the low fixed rate on a personal loan.

Although collateral, or something to secure the loan, can help get you a lower interest rate, it isn’t necessary. All you need is some basic personal information and a willing partner, like Destinations Credit Union. Our loan specialists can help you organize and simplify your payments, working toward a debt-free life.

Your Turn: Feeling buyer’s remorse after a big holiday spending spree? Let us know about it in the comments. If you’ve got a system to stay on budget, help your fellow members and share your wisdom!
SOURCES:
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-cards/minimum-payment-credit-card/
https://www.igrad.com/articles/what-to-do-after-you-have-overspent-on-christmas
https://www.debt.org/consolidation/


Staying On The Job: Four Practical Ideas For Making Yourself Indispensable

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Wondering if it will be your last day on the job every day is emotionally taxing. Trying to be productive, let alone happy, with the constant threat of job loss is an impossibility. On the other hand, security in a position can do wonders for your morale. Sadly, though, that goal is out of reach for many Americans. A recent Pew Forum study shows that 40% of Americans fear they will lose their jobs in the next 12 months.
That’s bad news both for companies and their employees. Workers who worry about their job security are less likely to be effective. At the same time, low job security tends to exacerbate the effects of work-related stress, resulting in poor sleep, feelings of hopelessness and fatigue. In short, it’s exhausting to worry about your job constantly, and when you’re exhausted, your work suffers.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your position at work. While they won’t fix a toxic workplace or calm an easily angered manager, they can make you feel better about your skills and more secure in your position. Try these four steps to boost your value to your employer!
1.) Become an expert
One of the best ways to secure your job against replacement or outsourcing is to offer specific knowledge that no one else can. Whenever anyone has a question about how something in your area works, you become the go-to person.
Your range of expertise doesn’t have to be broad, but it should be essential. Learning everything about one of your company’s biggest clients, or every facet of a popular product or service, can give you a strong advantage around the office. Of course, having the knowledge is only the beginning; you also need to find ways to connect your area of expertise to as many facets of your company as possible. Being the expert in a field that fits into every part of your company is a great way to make yourself indispensable.
When choosing an area for skills development, try to focus on business segments that are growing. Look for places where there’s new hiring or promotions. Those represent the future of the company, and you want to be right there in the thick of it.
2.) Help others
An ordinary response to extra work is to put your fingers in your ears and ignore it. You’ve got enough on your plate already, right? Sadly, this is the kind of thinking that endangers careers. While you don’t need to say yes to everything, helping your co-workers is a great way to improve your job security.
When you do this, though, don’t do it while expecting a quid-pro-quo. You’re helping others because you’re a team player, not because you’re expecting them to turn around and help you again. This positive attitude is another strong asset that will stick in the minds of managers making tough personnel choices.
When it comes time for companies to make tough decisions about who to keep, they often look for flexible people. Downsizing is easier if you’ve got people who can easily flip between job functions. Helping others deal with their workloads can demonstrate that kind of flexibility. In the worst case scenario, having one more person calling you indispensable because you’re always there to help them can only benefit your job security.
3.) Master a system
New technology is often the bane of businesses. When importing a new system, piece of equipment, or software tool, it takes time to train employees to use it. Worse yet, if no one knows how to use it, the considerable capital expense invested in it is basically wasted.
You can help prevent that waste by learning a system better than anyone else. Become the resource person for a piece of technology that’s instrumental to your business. It could be a data entry system, a new machine, or a network resource. That puts another tangible value behind your attachment to the company: The machine or system is useless for the time it would take to train someone new.
4.) Develop your soft skills
New people can be trained in just about anything, and they might be able to do it better than you. Younger workers may be willing to do the same work for a lower salary, or have more recent knowledge about an industry. What they don’t have is an integration in company culture that makes work easier. You can develop that integration by working on the “people skills” that help the workplace function.
This could be as basic as knowing names and building relationships in other departments, or as involved as taking a course in interpersonal communication. Become the co-worker everyone wants to work with. While you still need to keep your job-specific knowledge up-to-date, maintaining relationships with your colleagues and clients is just as important.
YOUR TURN: How do you stay engaged and involved at your workplace? What tips would you provide for people who have a fear of losing their jobs?
SOURCES:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2016/02/15/bulletproof-your-position-10-tips-for-improving-job-security/2/#bae83e338e7f
http://www.ioatwork.com/when-does-job-security-affect-job-performance/
http://work.chron.com/job-security-influences-job-satisfaction-performance-30781.html
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/the-state-of-american-jobs/

Common Mistakes During Open Enrollment

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Fall is a time of many changes. The temperatures cool, the leaves change color, and the world starts getting ready for winter. With all that change, there’s one thing people often leave the same: their workplace benefits packages.

November is the beginning of the open enrollment period for many workplace benefit plans. It’s also the open enrollment period for insurance policies on the Obamacare marketplace. This makes it an excellent time to review your insurance information and other benefits.  Destinations Credit Union has a partnership with TruStage Insurance which offers members good pricing on plans through the marketplace.  Watch our website for details.

These perks may have been a big part of what drew you to your job in the first place, so it makes sense to get as much out of them as possible. You may be paying too much (or too little!) for health insurance, and now’s your chance to fix it. Be sure to watch out for these three common pitfalls when enrolling in workplace benefits.

1.) The passive opt-in

When starting a new job, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the barrage of paperwork and decisions. Health insurance decisions are just one of the dozen new responsibilities, so they get a fraction of the attention they deserve. For many people, though, those are the health insurance choices they stay with for much of their careers.

There are two key reasons why sticking with the default option may be a poor choice. First, your life situation has likely changed. As you get older, your need for more comprehensive health coverage increases. You may also need more extensive dependent coverage or you may have more disposable income to contribute to an HSA or FSA.

Second, your employer’s offerings may have changed. Most companies renegotiate their insurance rates annually, and may have negotiated for greater flexibility, lower premiums or better coverage. These are only options you’ll discover if you sit down with your HR representative and figure out your coverage for the next benefits year.

2.) Forgetting spousal benefits

Doubling preventative solutions is rarely a bad thing. Having a belt and suspenders seems like the most cautious way to keep your pants up. However, when it comes to health insurance, being covered by both your and your spouse’s plans can be a serious financial hazard.

First, you may be paying more than necessary. Adding a spouse to a workplace policy is usually cheaper than paying for two separate policies. Take a look at both policies and see which one provides the right combination of better prices and better coverage.

More dangerously, double insurance can frequently leave you in the middle of a fight between insurance companies. Both will insist that the other should pay first, and you could wind up buried under a mountain of paperwork for coordination of benefits. This trouble can compound when there are children covered under multiple policies. While you’ll never be on the hook for the whole charge, you may have to work twice as hard to get covered.

If you and your spouse are on different enrollment periods, most companies will provide a preview of the planned benefits offerings outside open enrollment. This allows you and your partner to review and consider the available options. Picking one insurance plan for both of you can really cut down your costs.

3.) Ignoring HSA/FSA options

Enrolling in a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can sting at first. Seeing dollars go out of your paycheck before you spend them hurts. Don’t let that deter you, though.

HSAs and FSAs are similar in function, but there are important differences. Both allow you to contribute pre-tax dollars that you can use for health care-related expenses. The difference is that HSAs rollover their entire remaining balance to the next year, while FSAs only rollover up to a certain limit established by your plan. There are other differences, like whether or not the account follows you after you leave the company, but the principle difference is the rollover effect.

Enrolling in one of these accounts requires estimating your healthcare costs for the next year. For most people, the safest assumption is that you’ll spend the same amount next year as you did last year. However, if you’ve got a planned medical expense, such as a pregnancy, surgery or other major issue that will arise next year, you can get an estimate to guide your contributions.

Funding an HSA or an FSA is basically free money off your taxes. One way or another, you’ll have to pay for health care costs. By designating money for it early, you can avoid paying taxes on money you’ll spend for health care.

No matter how long you’ve held your current position, it’s worth revisiting your benefits options once a year. Don’t just throw away the paperwork about your insurance, and don’t skip the informational policy meetings. Be an active participant in your benefits decisions. After all, you’ve earned them.

YOUR TURN: Insurance questions are difficult. What matters most to you when picking an insurance policy? Help your fellow benefit strugglers in the comments with your best advice!

SOURCES:

https://www.verywell.com/hsa-vs-fsa-whats-the-difference-1738552
http://www.benefitsbabble.com/understanding-coordination-benefits/
https://www.wageworks.com/blog/2016/september/06/attention-employees-top-4-open-enrollment-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them


Single At Retirement

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Most of the retirement advice out there is for people “growing old together.” What does a person need to do to plan for a fabulously single life after work?
Take a look at nearly any retirement guide, and there’ll be a section on what to do with your spouse’s income and savings. If you don’t have a spouse, there are several benefits you won’t have: spousal Social Security benefits, life insurance payouts and equity, and preferential tax treatment for married couples. It can seem like the deck is stacked against you.
Regardless of why you find yourself planning for a single retirement, whether it’s death, divorce or just not meeting the right person, you’re not alone. According to the US census, 54% of men and 27% of women over age 65 are single. They’ll face a much more difficult retirement landscape than their married counterparts.
That doesn’t mean you need to find the first available partner to get hitched, though. There are many strategies that are easier for single people to execute than their married counterparts. Here are three steps you can take to make your retirement years safe and secure.
1.) Start saving now
One area where single people lag behind married couples is in retirement savings. More than 40% of unmarried women and 34% of unmarried men have saved less than $1,000 for retirement. There may be any number of reasons for this, but the bottom line remains the same: Start saving more.
It may be helpful to start small. Try a dollar-a-day saving challenge by saving one dollar every day for 30 days. Use that money to start or add to a tax-advantaged retirement account like an IRA. After 30 days, one dollar every day will start to feel like a habit and it’ll be easier to add more to it.
Beyond putting more money away, single retirement may require a more cautious retirement plan. You may need to work longer to achieve the same level of security in retirement. For most people, the years they work just prior to retirement are their peak earning years. A few more years at your max salary (and max savings rate) can add up quickly!
2.) Choose your accounts wisely
There are a few common retirement situations that put single people at greater risk. These risks mean that you’ll want to prepare a little differently than married couples. Most notably, single people have less support and flexibility if they start outliving their savings. For married couples, the larger pool of assets and supplemental income streams help to keep this from being a serious worry. Singles don’t have access to these benefits, so they need to be more careful in their selection of retirement vehicles. Looking to guaranteed sources of income, such as lifetime annuities and defined benefit plans, can help alleviate these concerns. While these investments may have a place in every portfolio, the additional security they provide to single people makes them especially useful.
Also, major medical problems pose a more significant challenge. Instead of having to depend on a partner to take care of you if you require long-term care, you may need professional assistance. This might come in the form of either in-home care or a residential facility. Long-term care insurance, though expensive, can be an excellent way to protect yourself against these costs. Similarly, keeping a robust Health Savings Account (HSA) can help save on taxes now and pay for medical expenses later.
3.) Take advantage of the opportunities
While being single in retirement does pose a number of challenges, it also opens up a number of exciting opportunities. For example, there’s no reason why your retirement years have to be in the same community where you worked. You can take advantage of your new lifestyle to move to a place with a lower cost of living, thus extending your retirement savings.
There are also many bridges to retirement that are available to singles that may not be as desirable for married couples. Starting a small business using your workforce skills can put you in a position to maximize your tax benefits while also bolstering your income over those early retirement years. Whether it’s in consulting, freelancing, or something unrelated to your career, you can put your skills to work pursuing your passions.
Since there’s no guaranteed inheritance outside a marriage, your estate planning has many more options. You don’t have a partner depending on your assets when you’re gone, so you can dedicate your remaining savings to a cause that’s important to you. You’ll want to set up an estate plan that reflects your values and commitments, and you have the opportunity to do just that.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your retirement planning, you owe it to yourself to see what benefits are available to credit union members. Call, click, or stop by Destinations Credit Union today!
YOUR TURN: What are you most looking forward to in retirement? How do you plan to make that dream a reality? If you’ve already retired, what tips do you have for the next generation?
SOURCES:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/18/women-more-likely-than-men-to-retire-poor.html
http://www.wsj.com/articles/retirement-planning-tips-for-singles-1412540047
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/07/22/Single-Lady-s-Guide-Retirement-Planning
http://retirementrevised.com/retirement-planning-for-singles-three-must-do-items/2/


Good Ideas, Bad For Credit: How Your Responsible Choices Can End Up Hurting Your Credit Score

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I’ve had some trouble with credit in the past, but I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. I think I’m doing everything right, but my credit score still isn’t rising! What gives? 

Credit scores can affect you more than you know. Employers look at credit scores. Landlords look at credit scores. Bill providers look at credit scores, and they might decide to charge you if yours gets too low. With all this pressure, you’ve no doubt started working on some good habits for improving your credit score. You pay your bills on time, are sure to not max out your credit line and work hard not to default on a loan. You might be surprised to find out that some actions you take to improve your credit score are actually hurting it. 

If your credit score isn’t where you want it to be, it might be due to one of these habits. Read on for four good ideas that might actually be hurting your credit score:

1.) Debt settlement

Settling your old debt can seem like an easy way to get out of a sticky situation. You make an agreement with a third party, pay a part of your debt and the owner writes off the rest of it.

However, unless it’s at least 90 days since the debt was due, it’s always better for your credit score to pay the debt back in full yourself. Settling a debt for less than you owe can take your credit score down as much as a hundred points. This happens because the debtor only took your settlement on the assumption they’d never see the full amount you owed. Future lenders worry that they’ll end up in the same situation, and that makes them hesitant to lend.

2.) Turning down credit

It might seem like a good idea to reject a higher credit limit. If your credit card offers to boost your limit, that might seem to indicate you have more money to spend. If you’ve struggled with responsible credit management in the past, you might want to turn it down in an effort to keep your spending in check. Keeping your credit limit low can give you a budget and a sense of security regarding when you’ll stop yourself from spending.

However, a higher credit limit does come with benefits. To be exact, it can boost your score quite a lot through a something called a credit utilization ratio. That’s the ratio of your credit card balance to your credit card limit. The less you spend relative to what your limit is, the higher your score in terms of this one factor. That means, if you have a higher credit limit, you’ll be using less of it, and therefore increasing your score.

3.) Avoiding credit cards

With all this rigmarole and paperwork, many people might think it’s easier to just not have a credit card at all. While it might make your life simpler at first, it can complicate your relationship with credit in the future. You might not need credit for day-to-day things like buying groceries or gas, but you will need it for a home loan, auto loans and to prove to potential landlords and employers that you can be trusted. So long as you’re paying everything on time and not carrying a high balance, a credit card is much more beneficial in the long run.

4.) Closing paid accounts

Paying off a credit card can be a big struggle. Once it’s over, your instinct might lead you to throw it away, burn it or otherwise have it completely out of your life once and for all. Credit reporting agencies say something different, though. Since 15% of your credit score is the length of your credit history, you want to keep your cards for as long as possible.

Additionally, your credit utilization score is worth 30% of your total score. Closing a credit card account also kills available credit, which lowers that balance-to-limit ratio. You can destroy the card itself and delete its record from online shopping sites to be certain you’ll never accidentally use it, but don’t cancel it. Even after all that, you should keep the account open (provided there’s no annual fee attached to it), just to keep your score up.

Credit scores have never been easy. There’s an endless number of twists, turns and troubles to keep in mind. It may seem like there’s no one on your side in this struggle. Yes, you have to be in charge and be responsible enough to pay everything on time. Destinations Credit Union can help. Call, click, or stop by today to get help with budgeting, credit management or debt consolidation.

You don’t have to go it alone.

Your Turn: Any tips or tricks you use for managing debt and/or improving your credit score? What has seemed to work or not worked?

How To Get By In An Emergency: Personal Loan Or Credit Card?

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Unexpected expenses, by nature, can come out of nowhere. Your check engine light comes on, and your car demands you put another thousand dollars into keeping it on the road. That cough that just won’t go away turns out to be more serious than you thought. Your air conditioner gives up during the longest heatwave you can remember. No matter what causes these personal catastrophes, they all have one thing in common: They’re expensive. 

The best financial advice suggests a rainy day fund for situations like these. However, for many people, that’s just not practical. Just getting to the end of the month can sometimes feel like an emergency. An emergency fund is one of those things it’d be nice to have, but there’s just no room for it after the bills have been paid.
 

If you feel the pressure of not knowing where your emergency spending could come from, you’re not alone. A Federal Reserve survey found that 47% of Americans would not be able to come up with $400 in an emergency. The way they’d cope with that emergency? They’d borrow.
As a credit union member, you have options when it comes to borrowing. Two of the most popular choices for emergency funding are a personal loanand a credit card.
There are pros and cons to both, so let’s take a look at a few.
1.) Limits
Credit cards are generally designed to cover day-to-day purchases. They have credit limits in the thousands, which is enough to handle most small appliance purchases and some car troubles. Most of the value of credit cards is in the convenience, though. Because it’s a credit line you have to use as needed, there’s no need to apply for a new loan each time you incur an expense.
However, many people may not have a high enough credit limit to cover a major medical expense, a significant home repair, or a big appliance. This is where many choose to utilize a personal loan.
Your personal loan approval amount depends on several factors, such as your income, credit score, and other assets. For borrowers who have a good credit history and a strong ability to repay, these loans could be $10,000 or more. That’s enough to cover most serious expenses that come up out of nowhere.
2.) Repayment options
Credit card repayment is typically handled on a monthly basis. You’ll have a minimum payment, which, if you’ve got a high balance, might take a long while to pay off. There’s no fixed term to repayment; so if you continue to charge while making only minimum payments due, paying off your loan can take forever.
A personal loan, on the other hand, will include a fixed monthly payment that will let you repay the loan in a set amount of time. You’ll sign paperwork at the beginning of the term, which spells out exactly when you’ll be done repaying the loan. The loan is amortized, or set up so you’re making equal payments to cover both interest and principal over the life of the loan. There’s no penalty for early repayment, either. So, if you find yourself ahead of schedule, you can pay off the balance and save some money!
3.) Usability
Credit cards only work at a merchant terminal. While they’re accepted in many places, they are not universal. If you’re trying to pay family or friends, a credit card may not be the easiest way to get it done.
A personal loan is deposited directly to your draft account. Although you’ll usually be sending it directly to the entity where the money is owed, the money is yours. You can withdraw it as cash, write checks, or use auto draft features.
If you’re trying to work out a reduced price for a major expense, many businesses are willing to offer a cash discount. Businesses pay for processing credit card fees, which can be quite a bit of money, so a cash payment can work to the advantage of everyone. If you’re working with a hospital on a medical expense or a dental office, they may be willing to negotiate a lower fee in return for cash payment as well.
4.) Interest rates
Credit card interest rates can be high. Exactly how high depends upon your credit score and the kind of card you have, but 15% is the global average. Some credit cards may offer introductory rates that are considerably lower, but at the end of that introductory period the whole balance is converted to the higher interest rate – meaning you’ll also be charged more interest on what has not been paid off.
Some credit cards also have fluctuating interest rates that can go up or down based on the prime interest rate (Destinations Credit Union’s MasterCard has a fixed rate that does not fluctuate). Credit card companies are allowed to change your interest rate if your credit score changes dramatically. Fluctuations in your interest rate can make it difficult to plan for your financial future.
A personal loan has a fixed interest rate at the time you get the loan. Provided you don’t miss a payment, your interest rate will never increase. You can make a budget for the future that involves paying a fixed amount over roughly a 5-year period.
Interest rates on personal loans also tend to be much lower than on credit cards. For people with average credit, interest rates can be as much as 5% lower than those on credit cards. For people with better credit and higher incomes, that interest rate is even lower.
As a member of Destinations Credit Union, you have access to the competitive rates for personal loans and loans in general. If you’re between a rock and a hard place, Destinations Credit Union can help you out. Call, click or stop by today!
Your turn: What’s your emergency financial plan? Where would you go if you needed $400 for an unexpected expense? If you’ve been through a financial emergency like that, any advice for those who might be in a similar situation?
SOURCES:

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/cheap-personal-loans/
http://www.valuepenguin.com/average-credit-card-interest-rates

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-cards/credit-card-issuer-raising-interest-rate-5-times/

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/05/my-secret-shame/476415/