Safety and Security Features of Credit Union Debit Cards

Opening a checking account is usually the first introduction to your credit union. But credit union membership can do more than process transactions. It can help you plan, automate, and make decisions with fewer surprises. Below, you’ll see 4 areas where membership offers support beyond checking.

If your 2026 resolutions started strong and then fizzled, you’re not the only one. That doesn’t cancel your New Year money goals; it likely just means you need a simpler plan. Use this guide for a February-friendly financial reset that keeps you moving without guilt.

Kids don’t need complicated tools to learn about money. What’s more important is that they see how money is used in the world around them through experience and the development of good habits. To create effective money resolutions with your kids, you first need to develop a routine they can follow. When you set goals together, you’re also building trust and shared language around choices.

The holidays can be joyful and expensive at the same time. One more gift here, an extra dinner there, a quick trip you didn’t plan for, and then the new year arrives, and the statements feel louder than the celebrations did. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of increased holiday spending, you’re not alone. Here are 5 practical steps to help your holiday spending recovery. The point isn’t to feel guilty or to fix everything overnight. It’s about getting clear on your numbers and making a realistic plan for your post-holiday debt. Then, build a few guardrails so next year is easier.

A deposit at a credit union is a simple transaction. But behind the scenes, it has a domino effect on local communities. That same deposit can help a neighbor buy a car, a family move into a first home, or a small business add another job, creating significant community impact. Plus, your money stays closer to the people and places you care about. If you bank with a credit union, you’re part of a member-owned system built to serve members first. That difference shows up in real ways, from lending decisions to education programs and local giving.

Have you ever looked at your budget and wondered how you will cover all your bills? If you’re feeling constantly behind as you navigate your debt, there is a reason. Debt is math, but it also requires attention and introduces stress and mandatory routines. Each extra account adds another due date and another minimum payment. Even worse, it leaves you feeling like you are one mistake away from chaos. In debt consolidation psychology, the numbers matter, but so does the structure of your debt system. When the plan is easier to run, you follow through more often. That follow-through is what pays off debt.

If money felt harder to come by in 2025, you’re not alone. In the West Region, which includes Colorado, consumer prices were up 3% for the 12 months ending in November 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Mortgage rates also stayed elevated, with the average 30-year fixed rate ending 2025 at 6.15% (Freddie Mac, 2025). And in Colorado, housing remained a major pressure point. Rocket Homes estimated that the average monthly mortgage payment rose from $1,836 in 2024 to $1,900 in 2025 (Steinberg, 2025). While New Year's motivation is powerful, it fades fast, and the current financial landscape demands a lasting plan. Even if inflation has cooled from peak levels, prices and borrowing costs will shape your everyday decisions. That’s why the small choices you make in financial planning 2026 will have an outsized impact. Our simple financial planning guide sets the stage for repeatable, sustainable actions. You don’t need a perfect spreadsheet to start. You need a few repeatable decisions: set targets, build a workable budget, protect yourself with an emergency savings buffer, and schedule quick check-ins

A budget is simply a written plan for your money, yet only 42% of Americans keep one consistently (NFCC, 2024). When you chart where every dollar goes, three things happen: you gain clarity, you control spending before it occurs, and you feel more confident about emergencies. In short, a budget is a way to make sure you can cover your expenses from month to month — a calm antidote to paycheck panic. It creates financial stability and supports your financial goals; read on to learn how to create a budgeting plan.

Football, friends, and food are a winning trio, but without a game plan, the bill can tackle your wallet before the first snap. This guide turns tips for creating a budget-friendly game day party into an action-packed playbook so you can savor every touchdown without fumbling your finances.

Have you ever had an unexpected bill wipe out your good intentions, or caught yourself wondering, “What should I do with my money?” You’re not alone. Late-night searches for money advice can leave anyone confused. One blog tells you to skip the lattes, while another pushes a cryptocurrency side hustle. Instead of adding to the noise, this guide breaks down five of the most common money mistakes and, more importantly, how to sidestep them.

Every semester delivers the same double punch: a tuition bill larger than last term and a flood of incidental costs — textbooks, lab fees, late-night pizzas — that evaporate paychecks and loan disbursements at dizzying speed. The average college student spends $38,270 per year on tuition, books, supplies, and daily living expenses. In a private campus, that bill rises to $58,628 (Hanson, 2025). When numbers grow that large, hoping for the best is not a plan; a written budget is. This guide offers a practical roadmap for how to budget as a college student—from mapping cash flows, choosing tracking tools, and cutting expenses without trimming the joy out of campus life.