Clearing The Air On Credit Card Balance Transfers….Benefit or Waste of Time?

Odds are you have probably received a mailing or two talking about credit card balance transfers.  If you’re anything like us, a lot of those mailings end up in your junk mail pile.  Some of them should stay there, but others could truly put you in a better financial situation regarding credit card debt.  Here are a couple of reasons you should look twice at credit card balance transfers, especially when they are with your local credit union, like Honor!

• Consolidate Your Debt – If you are like a large number of people, there is probably more than one credit card in your wallet that has a balance on it.  This is where doing a balance transfer to pull all your credit card debt into one card at your local credit union can really help you.  You will save time when it comes to making your payments each month because you will have a one stop shop, and you will be able to make a plan to pay off your debt faster when it is all under one roof!  At the end of the day, the best loan is a paid off loan and a balance transfer can get you set on that path!
• Save on interest – This is where reading the fine print on some of those flashy pieces of mail you get regarding balance transfers comes into play.  Not every one of them will truly save you money.  Look for balance transfers that offer a reasonable lower interest rate, like offers from your local credit union!  For example, Honor CU can help you look at all of your credit card debt and then tell you exactly how much we can save you in interest if you were to do a balance transfer to one of our Visa’s!
• Local Member Service – Have you ever had to call the 1-800 number to sort out the problem with XYZ credit card that ends up connecting you to a huge call center that’s not even in this country?!  If you have then you know how frustrating this can be, and if you have multiple cards that means multiple 1-800 numbers and call centers.  Balance transfers to your local credit union allow you to call one number or stop in one local branch and talk to a real person about whatever your issue or question may be.

So overall, you can see there are numerous benefits to a balance transfer, when you choose the right one.  Do your homework and make sure that whatever offer you select will actually put you in a better financial position.  And when in doubt, just pop in to your local Honor branch or give us a call and we can take a look and help you evaluate all of your options with the ultimate goal of saving you the most money and helping you achieve financial success!

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about next week using #askhonorcu!  

Listen to Honor' Scott and 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill talk about the benefits of balance transfers on Mason Jar Monday! 

Three Lessons Your Credit Union Can Teach You About Dating

I’m going to guess that when you think your dating life, looking to your credit union for advice didn’t cross your mind!  Well, there is actually a lot that you can apply to your relationship by just looking at your relationship with your local credit union!  Here are three lessons that your credit union can teach you about dating:

1.  Every relationship is unique!  You may ask your buddies or group of girlfriends advice when it comes to dating, but at the end of the day you know that only you and your significant other really know the ins and outs of what makes your relationship tick.  The same goes with your finances.  No two people’s financial situation is the same, and your local credit union, like Honor, understands that!  Credit unions look at each member’s finances individually to get you in the best situation for your unique situation in life.

2.  Be yourself!  Your credit score doesn’t lie.  When your credit union looks at your financial situation it’s best to present the entire picture as it really is so that they can help you get in the best financial spot possible! The same applies for dating. Don’t present yourself to be someone you’re not just to attempt to impress someone.  Be yourself, and they will like you for all the right reasons and never be disappointed when the picture you have painted them fades away.

3.  Beauty is on the inside!  So much about dating is based on that first impression, but it’s what inside that really counts!  It sounds corny and cliché but it’s true…it’s always best to get to know someone’s personality before you make a judgment call.  Your credit union does just that.  Credit unions value every member the same, regardless of what you look like or dress like.  We want to help make your financial situation as beautiful (on the inside!) as it possibly can be, because that’s what you are going to appreciate in the long run and that’s what is really important!

Just like your soul mate is out there waiting somewhere for you (or maybe you’ve found them already!), there is a financial institution match out there for you, too!  If you haven’t found your credit union soul mate yet, check out a local credit union, like Honor, today to start the beginning of a healthy financial relationship!

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about next week using #askhonorcu!  

Honor's Kaylee joined Y-Country 97.5's Wild Bill for Mason Jar Monday this week!  Listen to their conversation on dating tips from your credit union here!

Ways To Impress Your Valentine On A Budget

Did you know that Valentine’s Day is the most commercialized “holiday” in the entire world, and it’s not even a federally recognized holiday!  Whether your Valentine’s day will be spent with your significant other or a family affair, there are ways that you can make this coming weekend special without breaking the bank!

• Don’t buy a card, MAKE one!  More than 1 billion cards are sent each Valentine’s Day, just in the United States, estimates the U.S. Greeting Card Association!  Save the generic sayings and pictures and send (or even better – hand deliver) a card that means more.  Whether you are crafty and artsy or not, it truly will be the thought that counts.  Include an inside joke or saying that means something special to your unique relationship.
• Cook dinner at home, together!  We’ve talked before about the intense mark up on both food and beverages at restaurants.  Of course, there is always that factor of not having to prepare or clean up after the meal, but sometimes both of those things can be more fun when done together in the comfort of your own home!  Decide what fancy feast to cook together as a couple or a family and do it together!  You may be surprised at not only how much money you will save by staying home, but also how many laughs you can have together cooking a meal together from scratch! Rent both of your favorite movies to top the night off from the front row seat of your own couch. 
• DIY a thoughtful gift!  If you really want to do something a little above and beyond the traditional chocolate or flowers, find a gift that means more and you can make yourself!  If just the thought of trying to find a gift to hand-make leaves you dumb founded, get on Pinterest or a DIY craft site for ideas that are affordable AND come with step by step instructions!  Maybe you still go the route of flowers, but you give them in a vase that is customized by you!  

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about next week using #askhonorcu!  

Three Apps That Will Help You Save Money

There are literally thousands of apps available for download (and a lot of them are free!) on smartphones or tablets.  A lot of them help us do a lot of useful things, like pass the time beating every level of Angry Birds or dominating your friends in Words With Friends.  As fun as apps like that are, there are quite a few other apps that can do something even more powerful…they can help you save money!  Here are three types of apps* that you need to check out -

1.  Retailer’s Apps – Instead of keeping all those junk emails with coupons, or actually using scissors to physically cut coupons out keep them all at the swipe of your finger!  So many retailers have their own app that will let you select your main location and will even push coupons to your phone and notify you when they are available and when they are about to expire so you don’t miss out on any savings!

2.  Gift Card Apps – I can’t count the times that I have been searching through my wallet or purse looking for that gift card I just KNOW I have in there somewhere to finally give up and end up paying with cash or credit because there’s a line behind me.  Save the room in your wallet and stop missing out on gift card balances by keeping them in your phone!  The app holds the balance, so even if you break or lose your phone (gasp!) you won’t miss out on the money you had left on the gift card because it’s stored in the app!

3.  Honor MobileApp (last but certainly not least!) – Gone are the days when you could only access your account inside your local credit union branch.  Honor’s gone mobile, and a lot of other financial institutions have to!  Having your account at your fingertips via your smart phone or tablet will allow you to keep better tabs on your account balance and your spending.  Plus, through Honor’s app, you have access to features that the website doesn’t offer – like mobile deposit that lets you deposit checks without having to come into the branch!  New features are on the way, too like P2P and Apple Pay!

Honor's Kaylee stopped in to chat with 97.5 Y-Country's Wild Bill about her favorite apps to help you save money in this week's Mason Jar Monday!

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @honorcu and let us know what you want to hear about next week using #askhonorcu!  

*Source: Click Here