Tips for Sticking to a Holiday Budget
With a desire for a much more normal holiday season this year, Americans are set to make it a landmark year for holiday spending.
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Improving Financial Literacy
Each year, the National Financial Educators Council releases a National Financial Literacy Test, which is taken by Americans of all ages, financial positions, and backgrounds. The test measures participants’ knowledge as it pertains to earning, saving, and growing their money. As of 2020, the average score of 15- to 18-year-olds who took the test stood at 68 percent, just shy of a passing score. In fact, of the 60,813 people who have taken the test since it began in 2015, only 59 percent received a passing score of 70 percent or higher. Additionally, the National Financial Educators Council also released results which found that poor financial literacy contributed to Americans losing an average of $1,634 each in 2020. That is a cost of about $415 billion to the country at large.
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Understanding Your Credit Score
Healthy credit is a key component of qualifying for mortgages, auto loans, and even new jobs. A FICO score is the three-digit number that summarizes your credit report. It’s only a small slice of the credit pie, but it’s an important one. Understanding what it all means will greatly improve your chances for obtaining the highest credit score possible.
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Savings: Budgeting for the Holidays
Christmas might feel like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Help ease the stress the holiday season brings by thinking about your holiday spending goals now. Without a plan you may be more tempted to use your credit card which means you could be paying for the holiday festivities well into the spring. Starting to save now will help alleviate the stress of overspending and accruing more debt.
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How to Stay Safe from Identity Theft
Identity theft is on the rise and wreaking havoc on the lives of many Americans. While everyone is at risk and there’s no foolproof way to safeguard against it, learning how to protect yourself from this type of fraud can go a long way in lowering your risk of identity theft.
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All About Ohio's Tax Free Weekend
It’s back-to-school time! Things may look different this year, but one thing is for certain, kids will need school supplies. Each year, various states hold a tax-free weekend to make back-to-school shopping more affordable for parents. Ohio’s is this weekend and starts Friday. Between Friday at 12:00 AM to Sunday at 11:59 PM clothing, school supplies and instructional materials (up to a certain value) will be exempt from sales and use tax. The stores are usually more crowded during tax-free weekend, so you may be asking is it worth it? We think it is.
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River Valley Provides $12,500 to Community Members Impacted by COVID-19
In partnership with the Ohio Credit Union Foundation, River Valley Credit Union has provided $12,500 to members of the Dayton area who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-five individuals were each awarded a $500 grant to help cover some of their financial needs.
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10 Easy Ways to Save More at the Grocery
Be a Grocery Guru and Supermarket Saver with these quick and easy budgeting tips.
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Elder Abuse: How You Can Protect Yourself & Those You Love
June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month – specifically June 15 is the day! There are so many areas where our elderly family and friends can be abused or mistreated. In the state of Ohio, your financial institution is one of many mandatory reporters. What that means is, we are to be looking out for your best interests. If we suspect someone may be mistreating you or taking advantage of you, we are obligated to report that.
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How to Protect Your Child's Identity
We all know how important it is to protect our identities, but have you ever thought to protect your child’s? Fraudsters can easily steal your child’s identity without you realizing it for years. Thieves use the information they same way they would yours, to open fake accounts, credit cards and loans. Children are an easy target for thieves, they have a clean slate so creating a fake identity is easy.
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