One Maine credit union member is heading into the warmer months with an extra $250 to spend, thanks to their winning entry in Maine Credit Unions’ Shared Branching Savings Tip Competition. Bangor FCU member Jessica Anderson of Orrington, ME is the competition’s April winner for sharing her tip, “I collect the change that my two teenage daughters leave laying around the house and when they need money I give it to them!”
The Competition is part of a recently launched Shared Branching Campaign. Marketing materials direct members to a microsite, ShareItAndSave.org, where they can share their own financial tip. Each month, the member who shares the most unique tip will be awarded $250! The site also features a Shared Branch Locator, with which users can enter an address or intersection to find the three closest Shared Branches.
There are currently nearly 140 Shared Branching locations in Maine, and over 4,300 locations across the country and internationally. To find a location near you, or to share your savings tip, visit ShareItAndSave.org. Or, for a listing of the thousands of nationwide locations, visit www.cuservicecenter.com.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Spring into Financial Literacy!
Did you know that April is Financial Literacy Month? Don’t worry if you didn’t plan a party! As this month comes to a close, here are some simple ways to celebrate and grow your own financial literacy level all year long!
Set Goals
Make clear financial goals, and break each one down into several short-term (less than 1 year), medium-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term (5 years or more) goals.
Get in Balance
Balance your checkbook each month to ensure you don’t overdraw your account when conducting debit card transactions.
Analyze your energy
An inexpensive energy cost analyzer can help you cut energy use and your bills!
Move your loan to a credit union
With lower rates, moving your auto loans or mortgage to a credit union can save you money. And, with conveniences such as automatic payments, you can be sure to avoid late payment fees.
Spend less than you earn
Pay yourself first. Your credit union can help you with this by automatically withdrawing money from your checking account and putting it into savings or an investment account.
Be Accountable
Take advantage of your credit union’s Holiday Club Account. Beyond saving for the holidays, this can help you save for major purchases, or ensure that you have money set aside it you need it.
Establish an emergency fund
Keep the money safe by putting it into a low-risk, accessible account such as a savings account or money market account.
Know your score
Review your credit reports to make sure all information is accurate, and get it corrected if it is not. This is particularly important as you prepare to make a large purchase such as a car or home.
Get connected
Sign up for remote access with your credit union. It’s the easiest way to keep an eye on your account, and gain a better understanding of how you are spending your money.
Start these good habits now, and by the time next April comes around, you will be ready to celebrate in (good financial) style!
- Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
Set Goals
Make clear financial goals, and break each one down into several short-term (less than 1 year), medium-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term (5 years or more) goals.
Get in Balance
Balance your checkbook each month to ensure you don’t overdraw your account when conducting debit card transactions.
Analyze your energy
An inexpensive energy cost analyzer can help you cut energy use and your bills!
Move your loan to a credit union
With lower rates, moving your auto loans or mortgage to a credit union can save you money. And, with conveniences such as automatic payments, you can be sure to avoid late payment fees.
Spend less than you earn
Pay yourself first. Your credit union can help you with this by automatically withdrawing money from your checking account and putting it into savings or an investment account.
Be Accountable
Take advantage of your credit union’s Holiday Club Account. Beyond saving for the holidays, this can help you save for major purchases, or ensure that you have money set aside it you need it.
Establish an emergency fund
Keep the money safe by putting it into a low-risk, accessible account such as a savings account or money market account.
Know your score
Review your credit reports to make sure all information is accurate, and get it corrected if it is not. This is particularly important as you prepare to make a large purchase such as a car or home.
Get connected
Sign up for remote access with your credit union. It’s the easiest way to keep an eye on your account, and gain a better understanding of how you are spending your money.
Start these good habits now, and by the time next April comes around, you will be ready to celebrate in (good financial) style!
- Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
Monday, April 11, 2011
ATV Trails - A Great Ride
Maine offers spectacular trails for ATV riders. Most trails open between mid-and-late May, giving you time, if you hurry, to get a loan from your credit union to buy a machine!
The Department of Conservation’s Parks and Lands Bureau offers a great trail map, obtained by calling 287-4958. BPL’s maps are also available on-line here.
More information can be obtained at www.atvmaine.org, the statewide organization that does a superb job representing and leading Maine’s ATV clubs and riders. You should also contact your local ATV club for a more detailed map of trails in your area.
Over 4,000 miles of designated ATV trails are now available throughout the state. Several state-owned or leased abandoned rail beds provide exceptional experiences including the Aroostook Valley Trail, Bangor and Aroostook Trail, and the Jay to Farmington Trail, all owned by the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Many of the roads on our Public Reserved Lands and Wildlife Management Areas are open to ATV use.
Wherever you ride, stick to the roads and trails that have ATV signs, and please be aware that you must have the permission of landowners to ride on private land.
The Down East Sunrise Trail, a scenic rail-trail that runs along the entire Downeast coastal area in Washington and Hancock Counties, would be a great choice for either a day-trip or multi-day trip. This trail connects several scenic conservation areas, intersects spectacular rivers (bring your fishing rod!), and runs close to two state scenic byways. There are plenty of great lodges and restaurants in the area, some accessible right from the trail,
The Bureau of Parks and Lands has an excellent map of this trail. And lots of photos and information about activities on this trail can be found at www.sunrisetrail.org.
The trail also connects to the Duck Lake trails that put you deep into the “Maine wilderness” of northern Washington County. Hit the trail!
- George Smith
Moderator for Wildfire*
*Maine’s Credit Unions partners with Wildfire, a program for outdoor enthusiasts.
The Department of Conservation’s Parks and Lands Bureau offers a great trail map, obtained by calling 287-4958. BPL’s maps are also available on-line here.
More information can be obtained at www.atvmaine.org, the statewide organization that does a superb job representing and leading Maine’s ATV clubs and riders. You should also contact your local ATV club for a more detailed map of trails in your area.
Over 4,000 miles of designated ATV trails are now available throughout the state. Several state-owned or leased abandoned rail beds provide exceptional experiences including the Aroostook Valley Trail, Bangor and Aroostook Trail, and the Jay to Farmington Trail, all owned by the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Many of the roads on our Public Reserved Lands and Wildlife Management Areas are open to ATV use.
Wherever you ride, stick to the roads and trails that have ATV signs, and please be aware that you must have the permission of landowners to ride on private land.
The Down East Sunrise Trail, a scenic rail-trail that runs along the entire Downeast coastal area in Washington and Hancock Counties, would be a great choice for either a day-trip or multi-day trip. This trail connects several scenic conservation areas, intersects spectacular rivers (bring your fishing rod!), and runs close to two state scenic byways. There are plenty of great lodges and restaurants in the area, some accessible right from the trail,
The Bureau of Parks and Lands has an excellent map of this trail. And lots of photos and information about activities on this trail can be found at www.sunrisetrail.org.
The trail also connects to the Duck Lake trails that put you deep into the “Maine wilderness” of northern Washington County. Hit the trail!
- George Smith
Moderator for Wildfire*
*Maine’s Credit Unions partners with Wildfire, a program for outdoor enthusiasts.
Monday, April 4, 2011
There's More Wilderness to Discover!
Are there mountain lions in Maine? Where’s the one place in the state that you are guaranteed to see a moose and a bear?
Mountain lions, moose, and bears are only some of the dozens of Maine critters at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. The park is right off the Gray exit of the Maine Turnpike.
The Wildlife Park opens on April 15 (weather permitting) and offers the best opportunity to see dozens of different members of the state’s animal kingdom in one place. All the information you need to plan your visit can be found here.
The park is managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife where Lisa Kane is blessed with many volunteers who staff key positions at the park. Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park provide both volunteers and funds for this very special place that excites young and old.
You can see many of the animals in the “winter views” section of the park website that offers lots of videos and other information including admission fees, a map, a list of and interesting information about the animals, and a schedule of special events. You ought to put Saturday, May 4 on your schedule for the park’s “Bear Bonanza,” scheduled from 11 am to 2 pm.
This amazing place offers close-up looks at all of Maine’s top predators including coyotes and fishers, bobcats and their bigger cousins Canadian lynx, eagles, owls (including my favorite the tiny Saw-Whet), and hawks, and more from turtles to trout. You’ll even see a new Maine critter, the opposum, and be able to visit a great museum of the Maine Warden Service.
I can’t wait to take my two grandsons on their first park visit this summer. This is a “must see in Maine” for tourists and Mainers alike. And there’s a lot to like here!
For more travel and outdoor news, go to www.georgesmithmaine.com.
-George Smith
Moderator for Wildfire*
*Maine’s Credit Unions partners with Wildfire, a program for outdoor enthusiasts.
Mountain lions, moose, and bears are only some of the dozens of Maine critters at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. The park is right off the Gray exit of the Maine Turnpike.
The Wildlife Park opens on April 15 (weather permitting) and offers the best opportunity to see dozens of different members of the state’s animal kingdom in one place. All the information you need to plan your visit can be found here.
The park is managed by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife where Lisa Kane is blessed with many volunteers who staff key positions at the park. Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park provide both volunteers and funds for this very special place that excites young and old.
You can see many of the animals in the “winter views” section of the park website that offers lots of videos and other information including admission fees, a map, a list of and interesting information about the animals, and a schedule of special events. You ought to put Saturday, May 4 on your schedule for the park’s “Bear Bonanza,” scheduled from 11 am to 2 pm.
This amazing place offers close-up looks at all of Maine’s top predators including coyotes and fishers, bobcats and their bigger cousins Canadian lynx, eagles, owls (including my favorite the tiny Saw-Whet), and hawks, and more from turtles to trout. You’ll even see a new Maine critter, the opposum, and be able to visit a great museum of the Maine Warden Service.
I can’t wait to take my two grandsons on their first park visit this summer. This is a “must see in Maine” for tourists and Mainers alike. And there’s a lot to like here!
For more travel and outdoor news, go to www.georgesmithmaine.com.
-George Smith
Moderator for Wildfire*
*Maine’s Credit Unions partners with Wildfire, a program for outdoor enthusiasts.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Sharing means saving!
Mainers are known for their ingenuity. When the weather can go from sunny to a snowstorm in seconds, and end of winter potholes make flat tires seem commonplace, thinking on your feet is a necessity. Mainers are also creative in how they make the most of their money, and are always finding new ways to save. Maine’s Credit Unions are giving their members a way to share their best saving tips, through the new website, ShareItAndSave.org. There, you can share a tip, and each month the member who submits the most creative tip will be awarded $250!
Here are some of the tips we’ve received so far:
“I get paid bi-weekly, so I pay my budgeted bills first, so that I'm less likely to over spend.”
“I use a CU ATM card only, that’s set up to access only my savings account so it limits the amount I can take out daily.”
“I save over $500.00 a year just by making my own coffee for my ride to work.”
“Changing my home heating source from oil to pellets has saved me over $2000/year!”
“Credit cards make it very easy to spend money, carrying cash helps me maintain financial discipline and stick to my budget.”
To view more tips or to submit your own, visit ShareItAndSave.org!
-Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
Here are some of the tips we’ve received so far:
“I get paid bi-weekly, so I pay my budgeted bills first, so that I'm less likely to over spend.”
“I use a CU ATM card only, that’s set up to access only my savings account so it limits the amount I can take out daily.”
“I save over $500.00 a year just by making my own coffee for my ride to work.”
“Changing my home heating source from oil to pellets has saved me over $2000/year!”
“Credit cards make it very easy to spend money, carrying cash helps me maintain financial discipline and stick to my budget.”
To view more tips or to submit your own, visit ShareItAndSave.org!
-Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Making a “Smarter Choice” is Now Even Easier!
If you are visiting this site, then you already know how to find Maine Credit Unions from Kittery to Madawaska. But have you ever wanted to find a credit union when traveling, or planning a move? Now you can! A new website, ‘ASmarterChoice.org’ offers the first consolidated and comprehensive “credit union locater” which directs users to every credit union across the country!
It is also a great place to find out why joining a credit union is such a good choice, making credit union members happy for being such a financial smarty-pants, and giving non-members more reasons to start using that credit union locator. Click here to check it out!
-Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
It is also a great place to find out why joining a credit union is such a good choice, making credit union members happy for being such a financial smarty-pants, and giving non-members more reasons to start using that credit union locator. Click here to check it out!
-Diana D., Maine Credit Union League
Friday, March 4, 2011
Are you the voice of Maine’s under 25 crowd?
Maine’s Credit Unions will be launching a search for a Young & Free Spokesperson this Spring! Coming soon we will begin our search for someone 18 to 25 who can help us understand what young people really need from their financial institution, and give money management advice for those under 25 years-old.
After an online “audition” one person will be selected to be the Young & Free Maine Spokesperson. Being the spokesperson involves:
•Posting daily blogs
•Creating and posting videos
•Tweeting
•Facebook
•And attending credit union events throughout Maine
We will give more information before the end of April. If you would like to see how the program works around the country, visit www.youngfreehq.com.
After an online “audition” one person will be selected to be the Young & Free Maine Spokesperson. Being the spokesperson involves:
•Posting daily blogs
•Creating and posting videos
•Tweeting
•And attending credit union events throughout Maine
We will give more information before the end of April. If you would like to see how the program works around the country, visit www.youngfreehq.com.
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