Have a SAFE Halloween this year!

Trick-or-treating is just around the corner.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has a number of tips to help make Halloween safe.

Costumes    

• Choose costumes that are light-colored and more visible to motorists.
• Use reflective tape to decorate costumes and candy bags to increase visibility of children to drivers. Reflective tape may be purchased at hardware, bicycle, or sporting goods store.
• Use makeup rather than a mask; if your child’s costume does include a mask, make sure it fits snugly and that the eye holes are large enough to allow full vision.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes.
• Costumes should be short enough that a child will not trip and fall.

Pedestrians   

• Engage in Halloween activities during the daylight hours, if possible.
• Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.
• Remind children to walk, not run, and to only cross streets at crosswalks.
• Be sure your children are accompanied by a responsible adult who has flashlight. Flashlights or chemical light sticks should be use so that children can see and be seen by motorists.
• Remove obstacles from your lawn, porch, or steps if you are expecting trick-or-treaters.
• Make sure your front porch is well-lit.
• Avoid using candle-lit jack-o-lanterns if possible. If you do use candles, don’t place them near curtains, furnishings, or decorations. Move them off porches where children’s costumes may ignite.
• Keep your pets in another room when you are expecting trick-or-treaters.
• Small children should not carve pumpkins; instead, allow them to draw the designs on the pumpkin and adults may carve.
• Turn on an outside light if welcoming trick-or-treaters.

Treat Safety

• Instruct  children to wait until they are home to eat any candy.
• Check candy and novelty toys for potential choking hazards.
• Make sure packaging doesn’t have any tears or tampering.
• Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

Motorists

• Slow down, especially in residential areas.
• Watch for children darting out from parked cars.
• When Driving Children around, use child safety seats or seat belts, and have children get out of cars on the curb side, not facing traffic.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Post by: Alice E.

Tips for a Stress(less) Christmas

Every year I tell myself that I am going to buy gifts earlier then December and that I am going to get the decorating done right after Thanksgiving. Well I can tell you that it’s December 18th and I still have to finish Christmas shopping and there are no lights outside my house right now. I can’t believe how quick Christmas seems to be coming this year. I have spoken to friends and family on both sides of the spectrum and it seems some are totally ready for Christmas while others are stressing about getting things done. Now it might be too late for me, but these are some things that may be helpful to you and that I plan to keep in mind for Christmas next year….I hope!

1. Start Saving! I started my Christmas club with HCCU 2 years ago and this has help so much with our Christmas budget. I put away $25 per pay check and come October I have around $650 saved. I can’t imagine where I would have pulled that money from if I hadn’t been saving all year long. Christmas gifts get expensive so save your money to save you the stress.

2. Start decorating after Thanksgiving! I usually end up working the day after Thanksgiving and in the past I always ended up decorating the Saturday after Christmas. I don’t know what my procrastination was this year, but I didn’t get my decorations up until 2 weeks ago. Decorate early so that you have time to pick up decorations that you may need to replace or update It also allows you to enjoy your decoration efforts for a lot longer.

3. Start shopping early! My mom used to always start shopping after Christmas. She said that is when you get the best deals. I used to work in retail so I know that this is true especially when it comes to Christmas items. Some Christmas clearance starts at 70% on December 26th. Think about how much you can get done if you do not have to shop in December. You also won’t have to deal with crowds and trying to figure out what people want. Try to keep in mind when you hear your friends and family talking about things they want throughout the year and pick those items up right away. Again, whatever you can get done early will make you less stressed.

4. Don’t try to please everyone! My boyfriend has divorced parents so we are bound to at least 3 Christmases each year. Add in Christmas with our extended families and that can be a lot! We tell ourselves each year that our immediate family comes first. We always make it to my parent’s house each year, his mom’s house and his dads. If we can fit our extended families in as well we do, but we don’t go to every party that we get invited to. This allows us to enjoy Christmas and not feel like all we are doing is traveling all day long.

5. Limit your spending! Each year it feels like we are spending more and more on Christmas gifts. Each year I tell myself that we are going to cut back and it seems like we continue to buy more. While our families always come first I decided this year to cut back on buying all of our friend’s gifts. Instead of buying gifts we decided to go out and have a nice dinner. Each couple ends up spending $100 on gifts, that money can pay for a really nice dinner and then you are not buying things that your friends could go out and buy themselves.

So there you have it. These are some great tips on how you can make the holidays a bit less stressful. I can’t tell you how many times I hear people say that they don’t like Christmas because of all the work that they need to do. Keep these tips in mind and you may just have a Merry Christmas after all!

Written By: Katie B.

Holiday Shopping Tips!

Holiday shopping is just around the corner, and HCCU has a few tips for you this holiday season:

http://ow.ly/TbdyC 

Tip #1—Use the Right Card.

Before you start shopping check your credit cards and see which card has the best rewards program so that you get the most back.
If you spend more than you saved, check which card has the lowest interest rate before you start charging.
HCCU offers VISA® Credit Cards with lots of great benefits! If you don’t have one yet. get the details or apply today: visit our website at www.horizonccu.com or call (920) 433-0122.

Tip #2—Check out the EXTRA perks your HCCU VISA® Credit Card get you.

Yes, there are all the regular benefits our card offers; low rates, no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, and Scorecard Rewards Points, where you earn 1 Scorecard Point for every $1 you spend with your HCCU VISA Credit Card on purchases.
In addition, VISA® is giving away a Grand Prize trip to Super Bowl 50 and a 1st Place Prize of $5,000 to throw a Super Bowl bash to be remembered. All you have to do is use your VISA® card between now and 11/30/2015.
If that isn’t enough, HCCU is also giving you a gift this season! Use your HCCU Credit Card between 11/1/15 and 12/31/15 and earn DOUBLE REWARD POINTS! That means 2 Scorecard Reward Points for every $1 you spend! When you’re done with your shopping you can redeem your points and get yourself a little something at www.scorecardrewards.com.

Tip #3—Use It’sMe247!

Our online banking is a fast and easy way to get current account balances, transfer money between accounts, reconcile your checkbook, and more, plus it’s available 24/7. Did we mention it’s FREE? Try it today—contact us to activate your online account.

Tip #4—Ditch Checks.

We have a MUCH better solution for you than writing out paper checks at the store—a VISA® Debit Card from HCCU. You can use it at merchants and if you select credit the money still comes right out of your checking account. By selecting credit and signing instead of entering your PIN, it VISA offers you more fraud protection. If you have direct deposit, are a student, or you’ve celebrated your 50th birthday already, your 1st debit card is FREE. Apply today!

Post by: Cari J.

Tips So YOU Can Enjoy the Party!

• Choose 5-6 different appetizers. Of those, 3 or 4 should be things you can make ahead of time and serve cold, room temperature, or easily reheat. 

• Plan to prepare about 10 pieces or bites per person. Ex: for a party of 6, prepare about 60 pieces. If you are making 5 appetizers, make about 12 pieces of each. Always round up so you don’t run out!

• Plan to serve a couple dips, bowls of nuts, or a cheese platter when guests arrive.

• Write down the menu and print out recipes in advance.

• Try your recipes ahead of time.

• Note any garnishes you want to include with your appetizers so they aren’t forgotten.

• Make a shopping list a few days before the event & try to get most of the shopping out of the way early.

• Write out a schedule of what needs to be done the day before, the day of, and right before the party.

• Take out serving platters and table decorations the day before.

http://ow.ly/Tbdnd 

Relax and Enjoy!

Post by: Cari J.

College Freshman? Check this out!

As much as we may not want to start thinking about it yet, a new school year is right around the corner. To those high school graduates about to start your first year of college, there are a lot of things to prepare for. Here are some tips to start preparing now:

- Create an academic plan. The idea of planning out the next four years of your life can be daunting, but doing it will save you frustration and time in the future. Since you have to sign up for classes in the summer anyway, try meeting with an academic advisor and make a rough schedule of when you’re going to take your major classes over the next eight semesters.

- Make a shopping list. Sitting down and making a list of all the things you’ll need at college is a good idea. A better idea is to make the list in more than one sitting and over time instead. Why start a list now? You can add to it as you think of things over the next couple months, and you will probably be better prepared when the semester rolls around.

- Talk to your roommates. Most likely, you’ll be rooming with complete strangers. But they don’t have to be complete strangers. Reach out to them once you find out who they are. Not only will it ease your mind to know a little bit about them, but you can also figure out who’s bringing what. No need for two microwaves.

- Apply for a student loan. If you’re looking for a student loan, The Horizon Community Credit Union Smart Option Student Loan by Sallie Mae is a great choice with three great repayment options and competitive interest rates. You can even apply for a loan through our online banking; also you can check balances, keep track of transaction histories, and make transfers.

- Open a checking account. You might want to consider a student checking account; it doesn’t require a minimum balance and doesn’t charge for the first debit card. If you choose to get a debit card, you’ll have an easy way to pay for everyday expenses like food and gas. For those emergency expenses that come up, a credit card might be a good back up as well.

- Get your parents involved. And for the parents that want to be a little more involved, we provide See/Jump Authorization. See Authorization allows members to log into their own account online and monitor balances and transactions for another account simultaneously. Jump Authorization allows members to actually conduct transactions on that second account while still being logged into their original account. As an extra precaution, we could set up an overdraft protection from your parents’ accounts to your account so you don’t get charged any overdraft fees.

Some other tips to help you financially once you get to school would be to create a budget and stick to it, keep track of your spending, and take advantage of student discounts. Overall, using this summer to prepare will give you a lot less to worry about at school.

Post by: Noelle C.

4 Tips for Improving Your Move

http://www.redball.com/moving-tip/5-odd-useful-moving-tips/

Are you moving this summer, or in the near future? Check out these tips from one of our MSR's!

Pack a travel bag and a need-right-away bag: Even if you pack up your belongings right before you move, it’s still going to be at least a couple of days before you can unpack your necessities. So pack enough clothes for a week and all the things you need to get ready each morning. Also pack a bag with things you’ll need right away like sheets, towels, scissors, and important papers. Put these bags in the backseat of your car or somewhere away from all your other packed things. If you can easily access these necessities, you will be a lot less stressed that first week after you’ve moved.

Get all your additional housing expenses figured out: It’s great to take care of your rent or mortgage payment before you’ve moved in, but what about electricity, water, Internet, and cable? Figure out who’s providing what and how much you’ll owe them. Get contact numbers in case you have questions and be ready to pay the bill when it comes without any surprises. You could even schedule someone to come to your house the day after you move and get your Internet and cable figured out, so you have one less headache.

Clean before you unpack: It can be tempting to just unpack everything as soon as you can. But you’ll save yourself time if you wipe, scrub, vacuum, and sweep your new place before all of your stuff is in the way. Take the hour or two to clean those areas that’ll soon be filled with things. Then you won’t be moving everything twice to clean.

Finish unpacking one room as soon as you can: This is more psychological than anything. You can’t unpack everything right away, and you will need a couple of things unpacked from each room right away. But if you just focus on completely finishing one room within a week, you’ll feel like you actually accomplished something. You’ll have a room to go to get away from all the boxes and clutter. And it makes your new place feel like home a little bit quicker.

Post by: Noelle C.

The 52 Week Savings Challenge!

So, it’s the time of year where we are all about spending money, whether it’s for gifts, visits to family, donations to charity, or for the fantastic meals that you’ve been dreaming about all year. It seems that everything around you is telling you to buy, buy, buy, so it may seem like a weird time to talk about saving your money, but we all have to start somewhere!

About a year ago, I found a cool savings challenge that I wanted to try. I’ve struggled for years to save enough money so that I would have a comfortable margin for error- if my car broke down, if an unexpected bill hit, etc- but nothing seemed to motivate me enough to actually start saving. Sure, when the problem was right in front of me, I would say that tomorrow I would start, but tomorrow is always just a little too late to help. The challenge I found seemed relatively easy, and since it was basically a competition, I was going to WIN.

For each week of the year, you put aside another dollar. So, the first week is one dollar, the second is two dollars, the third is three, etc. The most you ever have to do is $52, and that’s at the end of the challenge. By then, you’ve seen your money growing, and feel a sense of real pride. At the end of the year, you have an additional $1378!

If you started the challenge right now, this week, you would have enough saved next year to have a spectacular Christmas season, or perhaps something put aside to start paying for that new car, because the old one just keeps breaking. It’s also rather convenient to have a small fund to “borrow” from, something I’ve done at least three times this year. If I hadn’t been challenging myself, I wouldn’t have had enough to get my car repaired when the brakes went out, I wouldn’t have been able to purchase a new laptop when the old one refused to turn back on, and I wouldn’t have been able to pay my rent one month when the money from a paycheck was going to be a week later than I had anticipated.

And because I’m addicted to a challenge, I have two going on at the same time, about two months apart. When this is all done, I’ll have almost $3000 saved in just over a year, and that’s something I haven’t ever done before. It’s enough to replace the car that keeps breaking, or take a little vacation, or perhaps to save for another rainy day. I do know that I’ll be doing this again next year, and maybe this time I’ll put it in an Add-On CD, so that I won’t be able to touch it unless there’s an emergency. Maybe that will encourage some better fiscal planning on my part. This challenge certainly has. 

Post by: Liz R

Coupon Craze

Need a new hobby that will save you money? Start couponing! It will be worth your time and effort! “I don’t have time for it” is probably what you’re thinking. I said the exact same thing. We’ve all seen, or at least heard, the show “Extreme Couponers” where people fill up their store carts and pay little to nothing for the entire transaction. How can you do that too? Read the tips below to start saving!

Tips for couponing:

· Purchase newspapers. Make sure to purchase 4 Sunday newspapers, this is where you are able to find most coupons. Since most coupons state “limit 4 like coupons per household per day”, a good rule is to purchase 4 newspapers, therefore, allowing you to buy maximum amount of products.

· Per Purchase vs. Per Transaction. When a coupon says “Limit 1 coupon per purchase”, per purchase means per item, NOT a transaction.
          Ex. If I buy 4 toothbrushes, I can use 4 coupons; one coupon per item.

· Stack/combine your coupons. Make sure to use manufacturer coupons and store coupons together. You are allowed to do this unless stated otherwise in the stores coupon policy. You cannot stack a manufacturer coupon with another manufacturer coupon, the same with store coupons.
          Ex. If I buy 4 toothbrushes, I can use 4 manufacturer coupons and 4 store coupons.

· Know the stores coupon policy. You always want to make sure you are up-to-date with updates done by the company.

· Don’t buy everything. Once you get a good deal, you don’t want to stop. However, a good rule is to buy only what you need. Otherwise, you will be spending more money than you need to.

Still don’t see where you can save? Read my shopping trip below for a better idea.

I went to a local store in town which had a sale: buy three (3) oral care products and receive a $5 gift card. I bought three (3) tubes of toothpaste, each for $3.99 bringing me to a total of $11.97 before taxes. I had three (3) manufacturer coupons for the toothpaste each for $2 and three (3) $1 store coupons that I also used for the products, bringing me down to a grand total of $2.97 before taxes. But remember, since I bought three oral care products, I also received a $5 gift card back. So really, I got three tubes of toothpaste for FREE and got back $2.03 as a credit. How awesome is that!

The math:
3 toothpastes @ $3.99 each = 3 x $3.99 = $11.97 (subtotal before coupons & taxes)
3 toothpaste manufacturer coupons @ $2 each = 3 x $2 = -$6.00
3 toothpaste store coupons @ $1 each = 3 x $1 = -$3.00
Total after coupons: $2.97 (subtotal before taxes)
Receive $5 gift card for purchase of 3 oral care products -$5.00
Final Price for 3 tubes of toothpaste: FREE with $2.03 credit

Couponing has now become an exciting hobby for me! Although it does take time to sort through coupons and deals, it will definitely be worth your time! Saving has never been so much fun!

Post by: Kelly V.

POA & POD - What you should know!

Before I started working at Horizon Community Credit Union, I was employed as a caregiver for seniors. I assisted with daily living needs, but over time I became aware of the type of financial responsibilities seniors have. One of the things that seniors must establish later in life is a financial power of attorney, often called POA’s.

A Power of Attorney for Finances is a person to whom you have granted the right to handle your finances and property. There are a few important things to know about a POA for Finances. First, establishing a financial POA does not mean you relinquish control of your finances and property. You still have the power over your finances and property, but in the case that you cannot act, your financial POA can act for you. Even if you are able to act, your POA can conduct that action for you.  Second, financial POA is durable. This means that, unless you specify otherwise, the POA is still active even if you become incapacitated. Third, you can change your POA at any time. You simply need to revoke the current POA form and complete another one. Lastly, and most importantly, the financial POA has no power over your finances and property after your passing.

There is a form made available by the state of Wisconsin that establishes POA for Finances, and the link for that will be available at the bottom of this post. You need to meet with your lawyer to complete this form. Horizon Community Credit Union requires legal documentation such as the form available thorough the link. I encourage you to look through the form, as there is so much information regarding POA of Finances that I would have to write a short book instead of a blog post.  It is also important to note that this particular POA is for Finances only. If you wish to establish a POA for your healthcare decisions, that is a separate process.

Another term you may hear is POD, which means Payable on Death. In laymen’s terms, anyone you establish as a POD becomes a beneficiary of your account upon your passing. A POD does not have any powers over finances or property.

What I’ve explained only just touches on the subject of POA/POD. If you have legal questions, certainly consult your lawyer. If you have the paperwork required to establish a POA or you have questions about what paperwork the credit union requires to establish a POA, you can stop by the paperwork or call with questions any Horizon Community Credit Union branch during normal business hours. If you would like to set up a beneficiary POD, stop by either of the Horizon Community Credit Union branch during normal business hours. You need to know your POD beneficiary’s information (SSN and the like) or you can bring the person you wish to assign as a POD beneficiary with you.

POA and POD can seem complicated, and sometimes they are. At Horizon Community Credit Union we’re here to help you understand. Though your legal questions should be directed to an attorney, the Member Service Representatives at either Horizon Community Credit Union branch can help clarify any remaining questions.

State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Power of Attorney for Finances Form

Post by: Breanna B.

Emergency Savings

What Is An Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is money that you’ve saved up for the purpose of helping you maintain your normal life through the emergencies that life hands you.

When is it okay to use it?

• When you lose your job
• When an appliance breaks down
• Medical emergency 
• When a car needs repairs

When is it NOT okay to use it?

• Going on a shopping spree
• Buying a new TV
• Going on vacation
• Buying a new car

How to start up an Emergency Fund…

A common mistake made by many who plan to start an emergency fund is that they set their goal too high and often get discouraged when they realize that it will take longer than they expected to reach it.

Set your initial goal low!
Set a goal that you would be able to reach in just a few months rather than a few years. Take into consideration your financial situation and determine how much you can afford to put into your emergency fund each week. Anything is better than nothing at all; the important thing is to get started today!  

Where to save your emergency fund?
After you decide what amount you want to start off with, think about where you want to keep your money. Since it is an emergency fund it would be smart to keep it somewhere where you can get access to it easily. We can help! You can open up a savings account, money market account or short-term certificates here at Horizon Community Credit Union. Any of these accounts will give you easy access to your money, while earning you some interest!

How often should you deposit money into your emergency fund?
When deciding how much to start putting into your savings fund, try to make sure you are able to deposit that amount weekly. For example, $40 a week would get you to $500 in three months! It doesn’t have to be $40 a week though; it can be what you can afford and make sure it challenges you a bit, just not something impossible.

Don’t have the time to stop in every week?
Sometimes life gets a little busy and you may not find the time to be stopping by every week to deposit your weekly addition to your emergency fund. It happens to all of us! Something that Horizon Community Credit Union offers that you could find useful would be reoccurring transfers. When you open up an account you can set a reoccurring transfer to transfer your specific amount every week without you having to worry about stopping in! And when you reach your goal you can choose to stop the reoccurring transfer.  Or if you are feeling ambitious you could set a higher goal and continue putting money into your emergency fund!

How to keep track of your emergency fund?
You can use our online banking and keep track of how much your emergency fund is growing! It’s fast and easy and you can use it on your computer at home or on the go with your phone!

Saving money shouldn’t be as hard as it seems. With the help of the accounts and services Horizon Community Credit Union offers it is convenient, reliable and safe! 

Post by: Karla C.