Service Upgrade: New & Improved Bill Payer

As a Member of St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, you have the opportunity to use our Bill Payer service, free of charge.  For those of you who don’t know, Bill Payer is a safe and secure way to pay your bills online through your checking account at SCFCU.  It’s a convenient alternative to writing out checks each month, or logging onto individual business websites.  An exciting upgrade is coming soon for Bill Payer service.

Effective August 14^th, we are converting to a new Bill Payer provider.  No worries, current users -  all of your Payees, Payment History, and Scheduled Payments will automatically convert to the new provider.  However, there are a few things we’d like to make you aware of.

• Payments that you set up prior to the upgrade, that had a process date after August 13^th, will now have a different ‘Send Date’.  The term ‘Process Date’ will now be used within Bill Payer instead of ‘Send Date’.  It is extremely important that you log in to your Bill Payer account after August 14^th and review your ‘Process Dates’ (The ‘Process Date’ is the date the funds are deducted from your checking account.) to assure things transferred over.
  
  

• All of your Payees will default to ‘Check Payment’ status at the time of the upgrade.  However, those Payees may convert to ‘Electronic Payment’ status when the first payment is processed with our new provider.
  
  

• The most exciting change is that Bill Payer will be available for your mobile device by the end of the first quarter in 2014.

If you have any questions or concerns about our Bill Payer upgrade, please feel free to contact Barb at (320)258-2150, or Karen at (320)258-2169.

To learn more about accessing Bill Payer, click here.  If you’d like help walking through setting up Bill Payer, check out this video.  Happy Bill Paying!

Our mission is to educate, support, and encourage our Members to become Financially Fit.

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Six Back-To-School Savings Tips

It’s that time of year… you know, right after they put the red, white, and blue  picnic décor away, but just before the Halloween candy comes out – yes, Back-to-School time!  Getting ready to send the kiddos back to school can be exciting, nostalgic, and a little stressful.  Don’t let the rising expense of supplies and list of needs bring you down, there are ways to save and keep you Financially Fit…

1. Sooner isn’t always Better

While it is exciting to see those shiny folders, vibrant crayons, and fresh bottles of glue line the shelf early on, it’s not always the best idea to buy your supplies right when they hit the floor.  According to an article from MSNMoney, holding off on the first ‘Back-to-School Sale’ and waiting for later sales will save you money.

2. Make a list of Needs, BEFORE going to the store

Before you embark on the trip to the store for Number 2 pencils, make a detailed list of what you need.  Take the list the school has given, add any other necessities, and stick to the list.  Remember that in some cases, different children in different grades will need different supplies – so it’s important to look at various necessities.  Remember to stick to the list! If it says 24 pack of crayons and 2 glue sticks, get the 24 pack (not 48) and 2 glue sticks (not 5).

3. Reduce, Reuse, Save Money

Once you've made your detailed list, shop around at home first.  Check the supplies the kids brought home from school at the end of the year and see which folders will hold up, which markers still work, and if there are notebooks with a decent amount of paper left in them.  Reusing school supplies that still have some life left in them will save you money, and create a whole lot less waste.

4. Keep an eye out for Give-Aways

Watch your local ads and flyers for any back to school giveaways!  You might find a deal for a free notebook with a purchase of folders, or a free ruler with a pack of pens, etc.  If you need the items, it never hurts to get a little something free along with it that you can also check off the list!

5. Buy in Bulk

After looking at the handy-dandy list you made, you know you’ll have to pick up a half dozen notebooks and fifteen folders, why not buy in bulk? Depending on the age of your child, a large pack of loose-leaf paper may be a less spendy alternative to notebooks, and splitting a large pack of colored pencils could be cheaper than buying two or three.  If you don’t have multiple kids to split the supplies between, consider going supply shopping with another parent or two and divvy up what you need.

6.  Keep it Basic

There are loads of supplies with sparkles, gems, sports teams, and TV stars on them, but are often more expensive than the generic supplies as well.  While it’s fun to splurge by letting the kiddos pick out 1 or 2 ‘fancy’ items, the ‘plain’ colored folders and yellow pencils will work just as well, and save you some money.

Don’t let the cost of back-to-school time take the excitement out of your school shopping, it doesn't have to break your budget.  Make a list, have some fun, and get the kids ready for a great school year ahead!

Our mission is to educate, support, and encourage our Members to become Financially Fit.

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Summer Fun - For Less {Part 2}

As you may have read, we have a compiled a list of 10 ways you can have fun this summer, without spending 'an arm and a leg' - and below is the second half of that list.  We always strive for Financial Fitness, so this Summer vacation, we encourage you to try some activities that will keep more money in your account and smiles on everyone’s face...

6. Keep Learning

Just because school is out doesn't mean learning needs to stop! Make a calendar with your youngsters and pick a different theme for what you want learn about that week.  Pick fun and interesting topics like stars and constellations, cloud formations, bugs and insects, the environment, animals, and more!

7. Go to the Library

Libraries are a jackpot for afternoons and days of fun, for free! Many local libraries not only offer an endless supply of summer reading, but you can also check out movies and audio tracks as well.  Ask at your local library for any summer activities for the kiddos or book clubs for adults.

8. Plan a game night

Gather a few neighborhood friends and families and host a game night!  Ask each family to bring a snack to share and a game of their choice and make an evening out of it!  You’ll get to know other families and maybe even learn a new game or two!

9. S’more fun

If it’s legal in your neighborhood, pick a night and have a bonfire and camp out!  Grab some hot dogs and s’more ingredients, maybe a game, and some music.  This can be a nice way to spend time with family and friends and enjoy the summer evenings. 

10. Volunteer

There are many places that would love to have extra help during the summer months.  You can volunteer at all kinds of places – an animal shelter, a food shelf, or a recycling center – even an afternoon of picking up littered trash can be a huge help.  You’ll feel better too!

There are hundreds of other ways you can have fun this Summer without spending heaps of money.  Be creative, try new things, and think outside the box!  Whatever you do, make the most of it and have fun – Financial Fitness doesn't have to mean sacrificing a good time!

Our mission is to educate, support, and encourage our Members to become Financially Fit.


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Credit Reports: Get Yours FOR FREE!

Part of working toward Financial Fitness is keeping your Credit Score on your radar.  When was the last time you've seen your Credit Report? ......Still thinking? Then it’s probably been too long.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act enables you to obtain a free copy of your Credit Report once a year from each of the three major Credit Bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).  Obtaining this free copy of your Credit Report is easy, and can help you work toward Financial Fitness!

You can access your free Credit Report by logging on to www.annualcreditreport.com, or by calling (877) 322-8228.  If you’d like assistance looking up your Credit Report, stop in – we’d be happy to help you out.

Remember, there is no single Credit Report.  Each of the three major Credit Bureaus (listed above) operate nationwide and have a report on you.  The information may be slightly different in each report, which is why we advise you to get your report from each Bureau.  Keep in mind, you can get one free copy from each Bureau every year… if you look up one report every four months you'll be able to track your Credit throughout the entire year!

If you ever have any questions or concerns about the items on your Credit Report, please feel free to give our Loan Department a call at 320-258-2190, or stop by! 

Our mission is to educate, support, and encourage our Members to become Financially Fit.



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