Stay Safe from Gift Card Scams This Holiday Season
As the holidays approach, gift cards remain a popular gift option, but they’re also a target for scammers. These fraudsters use tactics like phishing and tampering with physical gift cards to steal funds before they can be used. To protect yourself and your loved ones this season, it’s important to stay aware of these risks.
Having a well-stocked emergency fund is important. But so is saving for retirement. So how do you know which one to focus on? Well, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you should know.
Avoiding Financial Frights: How to Budget for Halloween Spending
Halloween is a time for spooky fun, but it can also bring a scare to your wallet if you're not careful. From costumes to decorations and treats, the costs can add up quickly. Here’s how to manage your Halloween budget and keep your spending under control while still enjoying the festivities.
Now is the moment to turn your attention to your tax obligations. With less than 60 days remaining until the tax deadline now is a good time to prepare your documents and file.
Unlocking Financial Goals: The Power of Club Accounts
Need a smart strategy to save on essential school supplies? Planning your dream vacation or gearing up for the holiday season? With a club account, you can save for essential school supplies, exciting vacations, and joyful holiday celebrations, making your financial goals more attainable and stress-free.
Using a credit card is one of the fastest and easiest ways to build credit or improve your credit score. Responsibly using credit cards allows you to demonstrate to lenders that you can manage payments. The earlier you begin, the better.
How to Begin Establishing your Credit
A healthy credit history can actually help you save money! The higher your credit score, the lower your interest rates will be on loans, therefore saving you money in interest over the life of the loan.
Here are three ways you can start building credit:
Payment history. Make sure you’re paying your bills on time! Try to have alerts in place to remind you when bills are due and make at least the minimum payment due. Missed and late payments get reported back to the credit bureaus, which hurts your credit.
The amount of credit you’re using. When you have a credit card, you’re approved for a specific credit limit. How much credit you’re using is called your credit utilization rate. The higher your utilization rate, the lower your credit score, because it makes lenders concerned that you may be spending more than you can pay back.
Account Mix. Opening different types of accounts allows you to have a mix of accounts that help build your credit. In addition to credit cards, MVCU also offers a credit builder loan. This loan helps you establish or even fix credit so you can let lenders know that you’re a safe bet before they lend you large sums of money. Learn more about our credit builder loan.
MVCU has credit cards designed to fit your needs. Begin building your credit today by applying for a credit card.