New Horizons Credit Union Blog

Holiday shopping is a stressful time for many, specially when it comes to Christmas shopping. With the holidays just around the corner, you need to find ways to make this experience LESS stressful, right? Lucky for you we've gathered some helpful tips on ways you can get smart about Christmas shopping!  1. Set Yourself a Budget We wouldn't be a credit union if we didn't always talk about budgeting! To get smart about Christmas shopping, you first have to set aside a budget on how much you're willing to spend on each person. Try not to go over that spending so you can reach your shopping goals stress free! 2. Shop the Sales Ahead of Time Everyone loves a good sale, so why not shop for Christmas gifts then? It's always smart to think ahead and shop before the holidays roll around. You can easily get great deals throughout the year, especially the days AFTER Christmas. This smart way of shopping can save you the hassle of battling the holiday crowds at ...

The Colonial Pipeline and JBS Meat Packing Co. cyberattacks were a wakeup call for all of us. They impacted all of us and it came out of nowhere. You may be asking yourself,  “if those corporations are not safe from hackers, how could I possibly be safe?”  Well, you can take a couple of steps to make sure your information doesn’t get in the wrong hands. 1. Layer Your Protection We all get into the habit of creating easy passwords with our names and birthdates because they’re easy to remember, but that’s our number one mistake! Come up with a strong P@$sw0Rd that incorporates letters, numbers, and symbols to make it harder to crack. If a website or app has multifactor authentication, use it! It seems like a lot of work, but would you rather go through multiple verification steps to make sure your information is safe, or would you rather a hacker steal all of your information? 2. Be Alert! Check your accounts daily! Make sure all your money adds up and you do...

Online and Mobile Banking have taken the banking world by storm. More and more people are accessing their banking information through their computers or smart phones! How convenient is it that you can check your account wherever and whenever you want? You can make check deposits by snapping a picture, transfer money easily between accounts, and receive your work check through direct deposit. Here are some advantages of  Online and Mobile Banking: (Opens in a new Window) 1. Enhanced Security Access to your banking information is protected by multiple protection layers to keep your personal data private and prevent unauthorized access. You can set up face or fingerprint recognition for an added layer of protection. You can also turn on two or three step verification where you'll be asked for a security code and/or security question when you log in. Though it may seem annoying and redundant, it's best to have this to protect your account. 2. 24/7 Convenient Access ...

Being a homeowner comes with its many challenges. You have to protect your home against natural disasters, fires, water damage, mold, and more. If and when something does happen to your home, you have to be prepared in order to make sure your family and home is safe. Read the tips below to know what you should and shouldn’t do AFTER a home emergency. Water Damage DO 1. Turn the water off if a pipe broke or is leaking. Immediately call a plumber so they can repair the pipe. 2. Use caution.  If your home sustained extensive water damage and is flooded, turn off the electricity and watch out for loose electrical wires. Watch where you’re stepping and be careful not to slip and fall. 3. Remove water. If you can, remove as much water as possible from your home. If your furniture got wet, place it outside to dry in the sun or open up some windows to speed up the drying process. If it is safe to do so, turn on your A/C to cool to help dry. DO NOT 1. Do NOT use...

You have that nice job that brings in enough income for yourself (or for your family) to live comfortably. You can splurge on whatever you want because you can, and you can pay your bills without looking because you know you have enough money to cover them. Living like this means you’ve become  financially complacent . You don’t really know how much money you’re spending because you really don’t need to know. Unfortunately, this causes you to lose money that could be put into a savings, retirement, or vacation account. Here are some signs you’ve become financially complacent: 1. You Never Look At Your Bills As mentioned above, you don’t look at your bills anymore. Sure, bills are stressful and who really wants to look at the money leaving our bank account anyways? Well, you need to look at your bills to know exactly how much you’re spending. You can cut back on the power bill if it’s too high, or you could even catch a mistake on your cable or phone bill. Not looking at yo...

More than 93% of U.S. workers were paid via direct deposit in 2019, according to a “Getting Paid In America” survey. Direct Deposit is offered in virtually all workplaces since it’s a safe and easy way for employers to pay their employees. For those who have yet to enroll, here are the benefits of direct deposit and why you should sign up for this free service! What is Direct Deposit? A  direct deposit  is an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction, where your payment is electronically transferred to your chosen bank account. This payment could be your paycheck, pension, social security payment, or even travel reimbursement. Almost all employers now offer the ability to enroll in direct deposit in lieu of taking a paper check. There are several benefits to enrolling in direct deposit. 1. You don’t have to worry about losing a paper check before getting to the bank. Long gone are the days when your paycheck was misplaced or lost in a pile of paperwork....

You’ve just been turned down for a loan . You don’t know what to do, your emotions are everywhere, and you feel hopeless. Now what? Well, first, you’re going to want to know why you were turned down. Second, you’re going to want to do something so that it doesn’t happen again. Here’s what you should do if you’ve been denied a loan: Why were you turned down? There are many reasons why you might've been turned down. Either way, you need to know the " why"  so you can fix the problems and apply again. Here are a couple of reasons you may have been denied:  You're late paying bills You have too much debt Your credit score is too low or too new You don’t make enough money There was a mistake on your credit application.   No matter what the  "why"  is, you can take some steps to better your situation and have a better chance to get approved later on. 1. Pay Your Bills on Time If you're always late ...