Savings

It all started in 2008 with a relationship between General Motors executives and the Michigan Credit Union. Today, Invest in America has saved money for millions of credit union members all across the country, including a new milestone of savings on 500,000 U.S. vehicles.

Invest in America now offers significant discount opportunities through partnerships with a number of U.S. companies and organizations. Here are just a few of those companies and the discounts they bring to credit union members:

It’s easy to promise that we won’t spend excess money as we’re sequestered away in our living rooms, relaxing in our easy chairs. But when we’re standing within arm’s reach of the best-looking jacket we’ve ever seen, well, that easy chair promise seems so very far away. That jacket has jumped into our psyches and hit directly on the hard-to-ignore impulse button.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself once in awhile with an off-the-chart purchase. After all, you keep your nose to the grindstone; a little reward can be in order. The problem steps in when that reward becomes more of a standard practice, happening on a regular basis. Your budget could suffer, which in turn means you could suffer down the road.

The object here is to put some real clamps on impulse buying. But how? The peeps at Freeintenyears.com have some tips.

Bank On MOre is a campaign developed by the Missouri Credit Union Association (MCUA) to raise awareness about credit unions in Missouri and our distinct differences from banks. You will see this campaign all around the area.

So you know the benefits of being a member of a credit union, but your friends and family don’t. Here’s a quick list of what credit unions offer that banks don’t, from the Bank On MOre campaign:

Aunt Jeanne already has enough cowhide-themed knick-knacks in her kitchen, and your brother doesn’t really need another tool. What to get them this time around? How about the gift of choice? Give them a pre-paid Visa gift card from Vantage, and they can choose whatever they want from just about anywhere they want it.

Higher education can be a real challenge with both an abrupt lifestyle change and some serious education. Unfortunately, that education could include a course in personal finance via The School of Hard Knocks. College is already expensive and doesn’t need additional financial pitfalls. According to College Board, an average college student at a public university will pay nearly $18,000 for tuition, fees, room and board for the 2012-2013 school year. That’s some real-world finance right there.

Many students aren’t ready for the financial grind of living on their own. There are mistakes that are easy to make. That’s where Vantage Credit Union’s College Resource Center can help. You’ll find all kinds of advice on all kinds of topics. One includes the seven worst money mistakes made by students. Let’s take a look.

East St. Louis. Florissant. Sunset Hills. Warrenton. Vantage has a presence throughout the St. Louis Metro area. We’ve been entrenched in the community for over 55 years now, and we consider ourselves lucky to be in a position to give back, whether through donations or services. Here are just a few things we’re proud of:

So that knock at the door was a neighbor girl selling Girl Scout cookies, not the Publisher’s Clearing House Prize Patrol delivering that big check. And the phone call before that was Aunt Edna describing her latest bout with achy joints, not your financial guy with advice on what to do with your Powerball winnings. Nope, you’re still not rich. But why?

Believe it or not, there might be concrete reasons as to why you’re not “rich,” or at the very least, more comfortable in your financial skin. Let’s take a look at a few reasons that might be responsible, courtesy of Yahoo! Finance.

What? You’re not earning cash rewards through MyE-Rewards? It’s free money with no sign-up or coupons to print. Now’s the time to start taking advantage! In January 2013, the average reward amount per account was $3.25. Top merchants used during January to receive cash back included:

• Redbox
• Starbucks
• FedEx
• Charter
• Chevy’s
• Burger King
• Auto Zone
• Church’s Fried Chicken
• Sports Authority

Movies. Eating. Deliveries. Vehicle maintenance. Chances are pretty good you’ve made use of at least a handful of these services in the last few months. You could be earning cash back just by making the purchases with your Vantage check card.

Let’s do a quick review on what you’re missing.

When it comes to the average amount of debt in U.S. households, our credit card balances are behind only mortgages ($149,782) and student loans ($34,703). American consumers are in debt to the tune of over $11 TRILLION, with just under half carrying a credit card balance, with an average balance of over $15,000*.

If we take the average credit card balance for U.S. households ($15,000) and attach the average interest rate (around 14%), according to Bankrate.com’s Credit Card Calculator, the minimum payment (at 2% of your balance) would be $300.