Month Challenge: Ways to Save – Change and Costs at Home

At the start of May I decided that I was going to do a challenge all month long on saving. Not just money but ways to save at home. I am huge debit card user, so instead of carrying cash around I decided that whenever I make a purchase with my card I will round up on the balance. So if I spent $36.34 on gas, I was going to round up to $37 and put the $.66 in my saving account. From just our normal spending throughout May, we were able to put $28.44 in our savings. That’s just from rounding up on change!

As for saving at home, I saved some milk containers and cleaned them out. Every time I’d run the sink water, waiting for it to warm up, I’d have the water run into the milk container. The water that we would have wasted, I used to put into the dog’s water dish. We've been able to save over 10 gallons of water that we would have other wise wasted.

The small things can add up. Those were just things you would do on a normal day. Now, if I were to save the change each month on our normal purchases, averaging the $28/month, I’d have $336 in my savings from just change. That doesn't include if you take out cash and save that change as well! Also with the water, just saving from the sink is the start. It opens my eyes to what other water we waste. From taking a shower, brushing our teeth, to doing laundry. I plan on challenging myself more to save! Every penny counts!

Why don't you see what you can save for the month of July?

Post by: Sara D

How do you know if you're getting a good price on a car?

You’re at a car dealership and you find a vehicle that you like, but you’re not sure if it’s worth what they are asking for. What do you do? Call your credit union! Horizon Community Credit Union has a client log-in with NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association). Just supply us with the VIN# for the vehicle, year, make and model and we can bring up the value in a couple of minutes. Why NADA? NADA delivers monthly trade-in, loan and retail values to give us an idea what the vehicle is really worth. Wonder what value to use? At HCCU we will determine your vehicles value by looking at the clean loan value because it figures in the depreciation (decrease in value over time) of the vehicle. We can also give you values if you’re looking to sell your vehicle or use it as a trade-in. Call us today to get your value!

Post by: Katie B

Snapshots from Green Bay Kids' Day 2014

Yesterday Horizon Community Credit Union participated in Kids Day at Leicht Park! Even though the weather was a little chilly, it was a successful event.  Alice and Katie worked our HCCU booth and had a blast seeing all the kids who stopped by! Kids drew pictures of what they would save their money for, and in turn they received a freeze pop. We also handed out goody bags and coloring books. It was great to see many of the kids from the community and to hear about their saving goals! Thank you to everyone who came out to visit us!

Nobody likes to think the unthinkable...

What would happen to your family if you became disabled, or worse, if you died?  Are they protected?


Disability insurance is designed to help maintain your standard of living while you are out of work.  It is the oldest form of health insurance, providing coverage when you are unable to work due to accident or long illnesses.  Statistically, there is a 30% chance of someone needing disability insurance before the age of 60.

Disability insurance replaces up to 60% of your income if you are out of work for the above reasons.  You can use funds to pay your mortgage, rent, monthly bills, medical bills, whatever you need to pay.  Disability insurance is non-taxable.  You will not pay any income tax on any disability insurance you receive.  It is also inexpensive, making it easy to maintain a policy so that you are covered in case anything happens to you.



Life insurance is designed to replace your income in the event of your death, therefore helping maintain your family’s standard of living. It also allows you to keep the financial promises you made during your lifetime if you die before those promises are fully paid.  Life insurance protects your assets and the assets of your loved ones. Your death benefit payout is non-taxable, so your family will not have to pay taxes on your death benefits.

Life insurance can also be accessed during your lifetime in certain circumstances, such as when you are suffering from a chronic or terminal illness.  Some plans accrue cash value which can be accessed during the life of the policy for any reason.  It can also be used as a supplemental form of retirement income, depending on type of life insurance you purchase.  Life insurance is also very affordable; the earlier you buy life insurance the more reasonably you can acquire it.

Post by: Lori S

Don’t forget to spend your money too!

What? SPEND my money? Shouldn't we be telling you to SAVE your money? Absolutely! Make sure you can save as much as you can, but don’t forget to spend a little too! We've all gone window shopping and have seen something we were dying to get but have decided against it, but why? Don’t cheat yourself! You've worked hard to earn your money so treat yourself a little bit. But HOLD ON!! I don’t mean cleaning out your accounts and going on a wild shopping spree or purchasing that awesome car you saw yesterday. But seriously, spend a little, save a little. There is no reason why you should keep all that money locked up. So come on in to your credit union, take out a few bucks, or put a few in, treat yourself to an ice cream sundae and bathe in the sun. You definitely deserve it!

Post by: Kelly V

Seven...definitely more than a number!!!!!!!

Seven. The luckiest number…what do you think?

When rolling two standard dice (six sided), the probability that seven will come up is 1/6. Those are the best odds of any result. On the other hand, there are seven deadly sins (if you believe that), then there is the movie from many years ago, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (now that would be an expensive ceremony!), and the infamous list from when I was younger put together by a comedian, “Seven words you can never say on television”. I won’t repeat those now, but suffice to say I have since heard them on the television, and I’m not happy about it. Then there are the most famous seven: Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey!

So why do I keep on talking about seven? Because there are 7 Cooperative Principles that guide us. These principles date back to some of the earliest co-ops that formed in England in the 1800s. To this day, they still form the foundation on which cooperatives around the world operate. Horizon Community Credit Union is a cooperative and has adapted these principles to the financial needs and goals of our members. These 7 Cooperative Principles guide us in everything we do.

#1 Volunteer: we are open to anyone that is allowed by our membership charter. http://www.horizonccu.com/joinhccu.php

#2 Democratic: we are democratically run, controlled by our members.

#3 Economic: members contribute equally to the capital of the cooperative and recognize benefits in proportion to the extent of their financial transactions and general usage.

#4 Independence: we are controlled by our members, not outside shareholders.

#5 Education: cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers, and employees, so that they can prosper and contribute to the growth and well-being of the cooperative.

#6 Cooperation: cooperatives serve best when working with others in the cooperative movement.

#7 Community: while focusing on member needs, giving back and developing community is something we take very seriously.

We are a cooperative. We are your credit union!

Post by: Pat J

Free Stuff?!?!?! Everyone loves Free Stuff! How can I get some?

When you use your Horizon Community Credit Union Visa® Credit Card every purchase earns you reward points. And with those reward points, you can get free stuff. Since I have started using my Horizon Credit Card, I have accumulated many points. Which means I probably use my credit card way too much. :) With those points I have purchased two sets of pans for all the cooking I do, and a set of diamond hoop earrings (what girl doesn't want jewelry), and I still have points left to use!

You’re automatically enrolled in Scorecard® Rewards when you get a Horizon Community Visa® Credit Card so all you have to do is start using it. When you are ready to cash in some points or if you’d like to see what’s available to you, just visit www.scorecardrewards.com to set up your account. The website will let you know how many points you have and let you see the numerous items available, from housewares to jewelry, clothing and electronics, just to name a few. In the months of November and December, when we are all doing our Christmas shopping, Horizon offers double points. And now this summer, gas purchases will also double your points. So get out there and start adding up your points by using your Horizon Visa® Credit Card, and check out the great free stuff you can get.

Post by: Karen S

Summer Jobs

We all know how sad teenagers can be when school lets out for the summer. So instead of watching them lie in bed and sit on the couch for three months, why not encourage your youth to find a summer job? Having a job can teach young adults important values and skills that are important in the real world. It allows them to gain work experience which is very valuable on a resume. It gives them an opportunity to be responsible, and these traits can carry over at home and school. It also teaches them to be accountable with their money, as they will learn the value of it, and save up for things such as a vehicle or college!

Post by: Matt K

Hey book lovers - we have something you are going to LOVE!

Maybe you've already heard of the Little Free Library®, but maybe not. It was started right here in Wisconsin (Hudson to be specific), and it’s a nonprofit that promotes literacy, a love of reading, and brings communities together by building free book exchanges worldwide. It’s just one giant book exchange. You take a book, you leave a book. It’s that simple!

Well guess what, now each of our branches has a Little Free Library® of its’ own! The next time you are visiting us, check it out! They are right in the entrance of each branch. If you have any books that you’ve read and would like to share with others, bring them along, leave them in the library, and take some new books to read.

If you’d like to learn more about the program, find out how to get a Little Free Library® of your own, or if you want to check the map to see where other Little Free Libraries® are located (there are thousands located all over the world), check out their website - http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/®.

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. Seuss

Post by: Cari J

Demystifying Your Credit Score

So everyone talks about credit scores, but does anyone really know what goes into a credit score or what to do to raise their score?  Most people don’t really know, even if they think they do.  You don’t get a high credit score simply by paying your bills on time as many people think (although that does help).  There are actually a lot of things that are considered when compiling a score.  Take a look at the pretty graph below:

The importance of each category will vary for each person depending on their overall credit picture.  That means that someone just out of high school may not have as much emphasis put on the payment history category as someone who has had loans and other credit for years.  As that credit picture changes, so does the importance of each category.  Really clarifies things for you, doesn't it? 

While credit score does play a part in whether or not you will be approved for a loan, it isn't the only thing that lenders look at, so if your score isn't ideal that doesn't mean you can’t get a loan.  Your score can affect the interest rate you pay on your loans though, so it’s a good idea to know your score and take steps to improve it. 

Even though how your score is actually calculated may still be a bit confusing, knowing more about what goes into it will help you make good decisions in the future.  Here are a few simple things that you can do to improve your credit and score: 

1.   Take a look at your credit report.  There are a variety of websites you can use.  At www.annualcreditreport.com you can get a free report from each of the 3 bureaus annually, and if you find something on your report that isn't correct, they have information there to help you dispute it (not only that, but they have a TON of helpful info if you’d like to find out more about credit and credit scores).  When looking at other sites for free credit reports, watch for sites that make it appear to be free but actually only offer a free trial period.

2.  Make your payments on time.  To help you do that, set up automatic payments so that you don’t have to remember each month.

3.    Do things in moderation.  That means don’t max out your credit cards or other lines of credit.  Having only one card that is to its limit is not better than having 2 cards with smaller balances on each one, so keep your balances low on revolving debt (like credit cards).  Closing a bunch of cards or opening a bunch of cards isn’t going to help either.  Basically, don’t do anything drastic.

Post by: Cari J

How early is too early to save for the holidays?

The Christmas season is one of the most joyful times of the year, but it can also be the most expensive. Buying wonderful gifts for loved ones can sure take a hit on your bank account. If you’re not prepared, it can be stressful! There is actually an account here at the Credit Union that is designed specifically to help save up for this time of the year!

In 1909 the first ever Christmas Club Account was created to help consumers save for Christmas. At that time there were only 350 total account holders. Today, people all over the country use this option to help save up money throughout the year, not only for Christmas but for other big events as well!

This account can easily be opened by visiting an MSR at one of our branches! Then you just deposit a little bit each month. On October 1st, the entire balance of the account will be transferred back to you, either by a transfer to your checking or savings account, or in a check. There are no restrictions on the amount of withdrawals or deposits made either, so if something unexpected comes up, you can use your Christmas savings without a penalty! Come on in to set up one of these fabulous accounts with us and start saving now!

PS – Christmas is only about 6 months away!

Post by: Emily P

Loan? Piece of cake.

So you need a loan. Now what? We realize the process can be a bit intimidating, and that you probably have questions. How do you get things started? What information do you need to give us? How long it will take to get approved? We want to help you through that! While the information needed and the time it takes varies some depending on the type of loan, having as many of the loan details as possible beforehand can definitely get you a decision and get you the money you need a lot faster.

For many people, the most convenient way to get started is to complete an application online. This gives us most of the information we need for the loan, and also gives us the OK to run your credit report to get the process rolling. If face-to-face is more your style, give us a quick call to schedule an appointment. That way the meeting is not rushed, and you know that a loan officer will have enough time to chat with you, take your application, and answer your questions.

Here’s the information you need to give us:

• Your personal info (name, address, date of birth, social security number etc.). And if you’re married, we will need the same info about your spouse even if he/she is not signing on the loan. 
• How much money you need, and what you need it for. Or if you’re refinancing a loan from somewhere else, your payoff amount on that loan. 
• How much you pay for your mortgage or rent monthly. 
• How much money you make and documentation (2 recent pay stubs or tax returns) for you, any cosigners, and your spouse (again, just if you’re married even if your spouse isn't signing on the loan). 
• Information about what you’re planning on buying with the loan funds (if applicable). 
• Information on what you are using to secure the loan, also referred to as collateral. This may be what you are purchasing, or may be something you already own. By having collateral securing the loan your interest rate typically decreases, sometimes significantly. 

Once we have all this information, we are able to process your application and get you a decision. At Horizon Community Credit Union, we review and decision all of our loans locally! Because someone within the CU or on the board of directors is the making the decision, we are committed to getting back to you as quickly as possible, often the same day for consumer loans! While our decision-making is also quick for real estate loans, there are more things that are required, such as an appraisal and title insurance. Closing times for real estate loans from start to finish are typically 30-45 days.

It’s really easy, we promise! So have you been thinking about making a purchase? Need a loan? Start an application today at http://www.horizonccu.com/loans.php or contact a loan officer at 920-433-0122! We look forward to helping you achieve financial success!

Post by: Katie B