Since we blew away our goal of raising $750, HCCU’s President, Pat Josephson let all the employees douse him with green jello, and everyone was more than happy to comply!
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| HCCU President Pat getting SLIMED by staff. |
Post by: Cari J.
Horizon Community Credit Union staff write each and every post for this blog. From recipes to product information, staff activities to financial suggestions, there's something here for you. Read on, and remember: Success is on YOUR Horizon...
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Tools 4 Schools was a HUGE Success!
Thanks to the support of our members and business partners Tools 4 Schools raised $1,572.52! School supplies were provided for Martin Elementary and Nicolet Elementary Schools in Green Bay to give kids the tools they need to succeed. People helping people, that’s what it’s all about!
Since we blew away our goal of raising $750, HCCU’s President, Pat Josephson let all the employees douse him with green jello, and everyone was more than happy to comply!
Since we blew away our goal of raising $750, HCCU’s President, Pat Josephson let all the employees douse him with green jello, and everyone was more than happy to comply!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Four Financial Moves Every College Grad Must Make ASAP
Tis the season—there are graduations almost every weekend! For those who’ve just graduated college, the future may seem a bit frightening. Don't worry-- Suze Orman has some solid advice. If her name sounds familiar, it should. Suze Orman is considered a “force in the world of personal finance,” and her advice is trusted by many. Here’s some of the advice she has for college graduates:
1. Get On Top of Your Student Loans: Yes, you have a six-month grace period before repayment of federal loans must begin. Don’t you dare wait five months and three weeks before focusing on this. Screw up on repayment is one of the most damaging mistakes you can ever make, and it becomes both hard and expensive to get on track if you fall behind.
2. Make Sure You Have Health Insurance: If you haven’t yet started a job with benefits, or you’re taking a gap year, please don’t go naked here. Yes, the odds are low you might get sick, but insurance is about protecting yourself from the big “what ifs.” Besides, it’s not just about illness; any type of injury can set you back, from a broken bone to a torn ACL. If your parents have health insurance from an employer they should be able to carry you on that policy until you are 26, for a cost. Ask them to find out the cost, then compare it to what you can purchase for yourself (Go to healthcare.gov). If you and your parents decide it’s best to go with their plan, and you have a paying job, you should pay your share of their premium, or at the very least contribute. You’re their kid, but you are also an adult now.
3. Get a Credit Card…if You Don’t Already Have One: As much as I applaud using just a debit card—paying as you go, rather than being tempted to overspend with a credit card—it still is important to have a credit card as well. The goal is to use it just a few times each month—for small purchases. And then pay your bill, in full, each month. Doing that is going to go a long way in establishing a solid credit score.
Automate Savings ASAP. Okay, you know how I feel about the emergency fund. And you know how I feel about saving for retirement. Both are non-negotiable Must Do’s—and the sooner the smarter. I respect you may not have a big income just yet. But please listen to me: that’s not an excuse for doing nothing. You need to do something—save something—every month.
Emergency Savings: Set up an automatic monthly transfer (it should be free) from your checking account into a separate savings account. How much? Well, how much feels right? Then add 10% to that number. That’s my challenge. Just try it for six months. I think you will surprise yourself at how doable it is, and how powerful it feels to start building an emergency savings account.
Retirement Savings: If you are offered a workplace retirement plan that comes with a company matching contribution, you better grab it. Be sure to confirm that you are contributing enough to qualify for the maximum match from your boss. It’s sad, but many companies set the “default” contribution rate for new employees at such a low level that the employee doesn’t get all the matching contribution they are entitled to. Don’t make that mistake!
If you don’t have a retirement plan through work, or the plan doesn’t offer a match, the best first-step for new grads is to start saving via a Roth IRA. Again, you can set up a monthly transfer from a checking account into a Roth IRA investment account. Some discount brokerages, such as TDAmeritrade don’t have a high minimum initial investment, so you can get started transferring say $100 or so a month into a Roth IRA.
We can help you here at Horizon Community Credit Union-don’t hesitate to call! An MSR can help you with savings accounts, automatic transfers, or IRA's. You can also talk to a loan officer about a credit card!
Post by: Breanna B.
1. Get On Top of Your Student Loans: Yes, you have a six-month grace period before repayment of federal loans must begin. Don’t you dare wait five months and three weeks before focusing on this. Screw up on repayment is one of the most damaging mistakes you can ever make, and it becomes both hard and expensive to get on track if you fall behind.
2. Make Sure You Have Health Insurance: If you haven’t yet started a job with benefits, or you’re taking a gap year, please don’t go naked here. Yes, the odds are low you might get sick, but insurance is about protecting yourself from the big “what ifs.” Besides, it’s not just about illness; any type of injury can set you back, from a broken bone to a torn ACL. If your parents have health insurance from an employer they should be able to carry you on that policy until you are 26, for a cost. Ask them to find out the cost, then compare it to what you can purchase for yourself (Go to healthcare.gov). If you and your parents decide it’s best to go with their plan, and you have a paying job, you should pay your share of their premium, or at the very least contribute. You’re their kid, but you are also an adult now.
3. Get a Credit Card…if You Don’t Already Have One: As much as I applaud using just a debit card—paying as you go, rather than being tempted to overspend with a credit card—it still is important to have a credit card as well. The goal is to use it just a few times each month—for small purchases. And then pay your bill, in full, each month. Doing that is going to go a long way in establishing a solid credit score.
Automate Savings ASAP. Okay, you know how I feel about the emergency fund. And you know how I feel about saving for retirement. Both are non-negotiable Must Do’s—and the sooner the smarter. I respect you may not have a big income just yet. But please listen to me: that’s not an excuse for doing nothing. You need to do something—save something—every month.
Emergency Savings: Set up an automatic monthly transfer (it should be free) from your checking account into a separate savings account. How much? Well, how much feels right? Then add 10% to that number. That’s my challenge. Just try it for six months. I think you will surprise yourself at how doable it is, and how powerful it feels to start building an emergency savings account.
Retirement Savings: If you are offered a workplace retirement plan that comes with a company matching contribution, you better grab it. Be sure to confirm that you are contributing enough to qualify for the maximum match from your boss. It’s sad, but many companies set the “default” contribution rate for new employees at such a low level that the employee doesn’t get all the matching contribution they are entitled to. Don’t make that mistake!
If you don’t have a retirement plan through work, or the plan doesn’t offer a match, the best first-step for new grads is to start saving via a Roth IRA. Again, you can set up a monthly transfer from a checking account into a Roth IRA investment account. Some discount brokerages, such as TDAmeritrade don’t have a high minimum initial investment, so you can get started transferring say $100 or so a month into a Roth IRA.
We can help you here at Horizon Community Credit Union-don’t hesitate to call! An MSR can help you with savings accounts, automatic transfers, or IRA's. You can also talk to a loan officer about a credit card!
Post by: Breanna B.
Monday, March 30, 2015
How Do Successful People Stay Calm
The ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance.
Ninety percent of top performers are skilled at managing
their emotions in times of stress. Stress can wreak havoc on our physical
and mental health, long periods of stress can cause degeneration in the brain
that is actually responsible for self-control.
The tricky thing about stress or anxiety that it comes with
is it is actually a necessary emotion. Our brains are wired so it is
difficult to take action until we feel at least some emotion, in fact,
performance peaks under moderate levels of stress, as long as it is not for
long periods it’s harmless. Long periods of stress can contribute to
increased risk of heart disease, depression and obesity and decreases
performance.
Ten ways to help you stay calm:
- Avoid asking, "What if"
- Stay positive
- Disconnect - when you make yourself available 24/7 you expose yourself to constant stressors
- Limit caffeine – this one is a huge difficulty for myself
- Sleep
- Squash negative-talk
- Re-frame your perspective
- Breath
- Have a support system - use it
- Appreciate what you have
Just food for thought, some things are easier said than
done, however, with practice we can achieve way more than not.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Post by: Lori S.
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