financial education

The Importance of Being Financially Fit

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Are you ready to stretch those financial fitness muscles? We hope so, because it’s time to get financially fit!

Being financially fit means living a life of complete financial responsibility. The Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI), also known as the Financial Health Network, defines four basic components of financial health: Spend, Save, Borrow and Plan. These components reference everyday financial activities. As such, every choice you make in terms of these four activities either builds or detracts from your financial fitness. Like physical fitness, you can beef up those fitness muscles a little bit more each day.

Being financially fit is crucial for a well-balanced, stress-free life. Here’s why (and how):

Expand your financial knowledge

A financially fit person is constantly broadening their money knowledge. They read personal finance books and blogs, attend financial education seminars and are aware of the evolving state of the economy. This enables them to make monetary decisions from a position of knowledge and power, leaving much less up to chance or luck.

Stick to a budget

A financially fit person knows that tracking monthly expenses is key to financial health. They are careful to set aside money from their monthly income for all fixed and discretionary expenses and to stay within budget for each spending category.

Minimize debt

A financially fit person is committed to paying down debts and seeks to live debt-free. Constant budgeting, ongoing financial education and planning ahead enables them to make it through the month, and through unexpected expenses, without spiraling into debt.

Maximize savings 

A financially fit person prioritizes savings. In fact, savings is a fixed item on their monthly budget instead of something that only happens if there’s money left over. This allows them to think ahead and build a comfortable nest egg or emergency fund. In turn, having a robust safety net means sleeping better at night knowing there’s money available to cover unexpected expenses or a change in life circumstances.

Maintain complete awareness of the state of your finances

A financially fit person knows exactly how much money they owe, the accumulated value of their assets and the complete sum of their fixed and fluctuating expenses. This awareness takes the stress out of money management, allowing them to make better financial choices.

Maintain a healthy credit score

A financially fit person knows that an excellent credit history and score is a crucial component to long-term financial health. They are careful to pay all bills on time, hold onto their credit cards for a while and to keep their credit utilization low. This enables them to qualify for long-term loans with favorable interest rates, which saves them money for years to come.

Help your money go further

A financially fit person does not waste large sums of money on interest charges for purchases made using borrowed funds via credit cards or loans. They live within their means and only use these resources for purchases they can actually afford, or for large, long-term assets, like a car or a house. This means they have more funds at their disposal to help build their wealth through savings and investments.

Create concrete financial goals

A financially fit person has long-term and short-term financial goals. This enables them to keep their focus on the big picture when making everyday money choices, empowering them to actually realize their financial dreams.

Achieve financial independence

A financially fit person is independent. They don’t rely on loans from friends or family members to get by, and they don’t need to pay with plastic at the end of the month because they ran out of money. Their well-padded emergency fund means they don’t depend on their monthly income to put bread on the table, either. By sticking to a budget, prioritizing savings and maintaining an awareness of their finances, they are strong, secure and completely independent.

Being financially fit means living a life without battling anxiety about getting through the month or stressing about the future. You can achieve financial fitness by committing to making choices in each of the four components of financial health (spend, save, borrow, plan) that are forward-thinking and help to build your financial wellness.

If you’re not sure where to start in your journey to get your finances in shape, contact Destinations Credit Union’s HOPE Inside financial well-being coach and get started! It’s free and with the investment of a little time and effort, you get get on solid financial footing in a relatively short period of time.

Your Turn: Why is financial fitness so important? Share your reasons with us in the comments.

All You Need to Know About Data Breaches

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If you follow the news, you’ll note that there seems to be another major data breach person typing on keyboard with graphic locks over the imagemonopolizing headlines every week. The details vary, but in each breach, thousands, millions or even billions of victims’ sensitive information is compromised, and they’re now vulnerable to identity theft unless they take immediate action.

Here at Destinations CU, your financial success and safety is our primary goal. To help keep your information and your finances secure, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide on data breaches.

What is a data breach?

Data breaches occur when sensitive information is accessed or used without authorization. Factors like a wealth of online data and sophisticated hacking tools have spurred a steep increase in data breaches in recent years, causing tremendous damage to individual consumers and businesses across every industry.

Data breaches occur by exploiting vulnerabilities in a company’s security system. Alternatively, an employee can be tricked into giving a cybercriminal access to the company’s network.

The goal of most data breaches is to obtain personal information, like names, email addresses and passwords, as well as financial information, like credit card numbers and account details. This information is used by criminals to steal identities and empty accounts, or sold to other criminals who will then do so.

While major data breaches make headlines, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there is an average of three data breaches each day, most of which will never even make the news.

After a data breach

Whenever you hear about a major data breach that can possibly affect you, it’s best to monitor your accounts for suspicious activity. In most cases, you will be notified by the victimized company if your data has been compromised; however, it helps to keep an eye on your accounts even if you haven’t been contacted so you can minimize your loss by acting quickly if your are among the unfortunate victims.

If you’ve been victimized by a breach

If you’ve been informed your information is compromised by a data breach, take the following steps immediately:

1. Freeze your credit
Placing a freeze on your credit is the most crucial step you can take to stop scammers from getting at your information. A credit freeze will not bring down your credit score, but it will serve as a red flag for lenders and credit companies by alerting them to the fact that you may have been a victim of fraud. This added layer of protection will make it difficult, or impossible, for hackers to open a new credit line or loan in your name.
You can freeze your credit at no cost at all three of the major credit bureaus, Equifax, Transunion and Experian. You’ll need to provide some basic information and you’ll receive a PIN for the freeze. Use this number to lift the freeze when you believe it is safe to do so.

2. Change your passwords
Most people are on the alert following a major data breach, but they tend to let their guard down once the heat is off and things calm down. Hackers know this, and they’ll often hold onto victims’ information immediately following a data breach and then sell it months down the line to other identity thieves. To protect your accounts from a delayed-reaction hack, change all of your passwords after a breach that possibly has affected you.

3. File an identity theft report
Unfortunately, these protective measures can sometimes be too little, too late. If your accounts have been compromised, and you believe your identity has been stolen, file an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as soon as possible. This will assist the feds in tracking down your hacker(s) and returning your finances to their usual state as quickly as possible.

Protecting your information

There’s no fool-proof way to protect yourself from a data breach, but following these simple steps can help keep your information as safe as possible:

Monitor your credit. Check your credit accounts for suspicious activity on a regular basis. You can request a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com. You may also want to consider signing up for credit monitoring, a service that will cost you $10-30 a month for the promise of notifying you immediately about any suspicious activity on your accounts.

Use strong, unique passwords. Use a different password for each account, and choose codes that are at least eight characters long. Also, use a variety of numbers, letters and symbols. Vary your capitalization use as well, and don’t utilize any portion of your name, phone number or a common phrase as your password. Using a password manager like Dashlane or iPassword can also help keep your information safe. It’s also a good idea to choose two-factor authentication when possible, and non-password authentication, such as face recognition or fingerprint sign-in, for stronger protection.

Browse safely. Never share sensitive information online and always keep your security and spam settings at their strongest levels. Make sure your devices are fully updated at all times. It’s also a good idea to keep your social media accounts as private as possible.

Destinations Credit Union has tools to help you prevent unauthorized use of your account.  In our mobile app, you can sign up for card controls and get notified each time your debit or credit card is used.  In addition, you can get group pricing, as a Destinations Credit Union member, on ID Shield, which helps restore your identity in the event of a theft.

Hackers never stop trying to get at your data, but with the right protective measures in place, you can keep them from seeing success.

Your Turn: How do you protect yourself from data breaches? Share your tips with us in the comments.

Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/02/25/what-is-a-data-breach/amp/
https://www.malwarebytes.com/data-breach/
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-a-data-breach/

 

9 Ways For Kids To Make Money

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The best way to teach a child financial responsibility is by encouraging her to earn and 3 kids at lemonaide standmanage money on her own. As the weather warms and summer nears, there are many opportunities for your kids to pull in some extra money.

If money-making is not on your children’s minds, you may need to direct them toward that line of thinking. The next time they ask you to buy something that’s out of budget, tell them they can earn the money to buy it themselves. As an alternative, suggest that you’ll cover half the cost if they earn the other half. Talk to them about finding a summer job, the work they can do on weekends, or suggest a one-time gig they can initiate.

In honor of Youth Savings Month, let’s take a look at 9 easy ways your kids can earn some extra cash.

  1. A lemonade stand

It may be old-fashioned, but kids can bring in good money by selling cups of America’s favorite hot-weather drink. For optimal exposure, let your kids set up their stands near a local yard sale or another neighborhood event. Don’t forget to check local municipality laws to make sure your stand is completely legal.

  1. Help a senior

Your pre-teen can be a huge help to a local senior while earning money on the side. Let your child run some errands, take out the trash, clean the litter box or just chat with a lonely senior. If your own parents or in-laws live nearby, speak to them about having your child help them out for payment.

  1. Hold a yard sale

Spring-cleaning season is the perfect time to host a yard sale on your front lawn. Let your kids be in charge by having them choose the items to feature, set the prices and run the sale. You’ll want to be available to oversee their work and to make sure the prices are fair, but let them make most decisions on their own. Take off your helicopter-parent helmet and let your kids learn lessons that will stay with them for life.

  1. Do yard work

If your children are old enough to handle a gas-powered mower and can be relied upon to trim shrubs and weed gardens, let them hire themselves out to do yard work. Your neighbors will be glad to have the help, and your kids will be out in the sunshine while earning some money on the side.

  1. Help with pets

Are your kids animal-crazy? Let them use their penchant for pets to help people with pet-related chores. They can walk dogs around the neighborhood and offer to pet-sit for the afternoon while a neighbor is out. If your child is truly a budding entrepreneur and has the necessary skills, they can even set up a pet-grooming station out in the yard. Let them scrub the neighborhood dogs and cats, brush the hair and trim claws for some extra cash.

  1. Be junior tech-support

Generation Z kids are practically born holding smartphones in their hands. Let your kids use those skills to help some older folks who may not be as tech-savvy. They can offer to organize digital photos and create albums, assist with data entry and filling out online forms, or help a senior create a Facebook page or learn how to use a new phone or device.

  1. Help a mom

Your child may be too young to babysit on their own, but they can offer their services assisting a neighborhood mom while she’s at home. Let your child take the kids out to the yard while mom watches from the deck, play with the kids at home while mom does laundry or help them with their summer homework while mom’s busy in the kitchen.

  1. Collect recyclables

Call up a local recycling plant to find out how much they pay for every pound of recyclable materials. Then help your child gather empty bottles, cans, cardboard boxes and old newspapers to bring to the plant. You’ll be keeping the planet green and helping your child earn some pocket money at the same time.

  1. Wash cars

Let your child try out her car-washing skills on the family car. Once she’s got the technique down pat, have her offer the service to the neighborhood. Your neighbors will cross another weekend chore off their list and your child will be learning that hard work can really pay off.

Encourage your kids to earn their own money and you’ll be teaching them financial responsibility in the best way possible. And, don’t forget to teach them to save part of what they earn in their Destinations Credit Union account!

Your Turn: How do your kids earn money? Tell us about it in the comments.

 

 

SOURCES:

 

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/10-ways-for-preteens-make-money-this-summer/

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-can-kids-make-money-2085398

https://selfsufficientkids.com/how-to-earn-money-as-a-kid-elementary-age/

5 Tips For Raising Secure And Unspoiled Kids

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Raising children is a constant balancing act. You want to provide structure and stability,Piggy bank in front of blackboard but you also don’t want to run an overly militant household. It’s important to you that you show you care about your child’s whereabouts and choices, but you don’t want to be a helicopter parent. You want your kids to do well in school, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on them.

And when it comes to money, you want your kids to know you can provide them with all of their physical needs, but you don’t want to raise spoiled children who feel entitled to their every whim.

How can you achieve that?

Giving your children a sound financial education should be an integral part of your parenting, and it all goes toward creating this balance. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of five steps you can take to achieve your goal. A parent can never have too many practical pointers!

1.) Use an allowance as a teaching tool

According to a study conducted by the American Institute of CPAs, 89% of parents who give their kids an allowance require them to earn that money through chores. But Ron Lieber, author of The Opposite of Spoiled, argues that this practice is counterintuitive. Lieber claims that allowances should not be given as a reward or as a salary, but as a teaching tool. By giving kids their own spending money with no strings attached, you can help them learn how to manage their money and control their spending habits.

You can also use this opportunity to help them implement the three-jar system, in which they allocate predetermined percentages of their money toward spending, saving, and giving.

2.) Boost their confidence

Peer pressure is a lifelong struggle that may be at its strongest during school-age years. After all, your kids are spending most of their waking hours in the presence of their peers. They may not be astute or mature enough to understand that people must make spending choices that reflect their personal financial situation – and not their neighbor’s.

Help your children make the right choices by fostering a sense of worth that is independent of material possessions. Boost their confidence and build them up so they feel good about themselves just for who they are, and not for what they own or wear.

3.) Say no

Regardless of your financial status, it is crucial that you to refuse your children’s requests from time to time. Everyone needs to learn how to accept a no, and every time you give in to a child’s demand, you are raising their standard of living a bit more.

Say your daughter asks for a $200 designer jacket when you know she has a perfectly wearable one from last spring. If you give in to her begging, you may be affecting her future choices in two ways:

  • By giving in easily, you have just diminished the value of $200 in her eyes.
  • You are raising her standards to a level you – or she – may not be able to sustain.

This doesn’t mean you can never give a child something “just because.” But experts recommend the sporadic “no” so your kids learn to accept that they can’t always have everything they want.

When turning down a request, it’s best to keep money out of the picture. You want your kids to know you can provide them with everything they need, and to understand that they don’t really need everything they want.

Instead of saying: “We can’t afford that right now.”

Try: “You don’t really need that right now.”

4.) Encourage work

Kids who hold down a job when they’re still young are getting a head start on life as an adult. Encourage your child to look for a summer job, shovel snow for your neighbors in the winter and rake their leaves in the fall and accept the occasional babysitting job. They’ll learn responsibility and develop a work ethic. And, best of all, they’ll start valuing their money more when they see how hard it can be to earn a single dollar.

5.) Model gratitude and giving

One of the most important lessons you can give your children is to appreciate what they have and to give back to others. These lessons won’t hit home by being shoved down your kids’ throats through lectures. Instead, use every opportunity you can find to model these behaviors for your children.

Someone did you an unexpected favor? Thank them loudly and profusely – in front of your kids.

Thrilled with your new living room couches? Don’t just luxuriate in their loveliness and softness; verbalize how thankful you are to be able to afford such fine furniture.

You can easily make gratitude a family project by instituting a thankfulness routine at the dinner table in which every child shares a part of their day for which they’re thankful. Or, you can create a “Jar Of Gratitude,” in which family members drop small slips of paper describing something they’re grateful for, to be read aloud on a weekly basis in front of the entire family.

Do the same with giving, bringing your children along with you when you donate old clothing or food, and allowing them to watch you give money to your favorite charitable causes.

By helping your children develop these habits and essential traits, you’ll ward off feelings of entitlement and raise kindhearted, giving adults.

Your Turn: How do keep your kids from getting spoiled? Share your best tips with us in the comments!

SOURCES:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/02/24/how-to-not-raise-spoiled-children-7-crucial-money-lessons/amp/ 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/how-to-raisee-kinder-less-entitled-kids-according-to-science/2016/10/03/1a74fa3a-7525-11e6-b786-19d0cb1ed06c_story.html?utm_term=.b2cf30aef01c 
https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/un-spoil-your-kid/ 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201102/parenting-how-not-raise-spoiled-brats%3Famp