Introducing Our Mobile Banking App

Our number one goal at St. Cloud Federal Credit Union is to help our members stay be financially fit. Many of our members requested a mobile banking app to help keep track of their finances, and we listened. We are now offering a St. Cloud Federal Credit Union Mobile Banking app for both the iPhone and Android devices! The app is named “SCFCU Banking”.

The free app allows you to conveniently manage your accounts from your mobile device, with the following features:

• Check account balances
• See recent activity
• View transaction history
• Transfer money between accounts
• Locate and get directions to ATM and brand locations using GPS

In order to use our app, you must be an Online Banking user with St. Cloud Federal Credit Union (you will use the same username and password as your Online Banking account). We would be happy to help you set up your Online Banking account. If you are interested, please call member services at the credit union at 320.252.2634 or 1.888.252.2634.

To download our Mobile Banking app, go to your app store and search “SCFCU Banking”. We are always open to new ideas to help you handle your finances more efficiently, conveniently and strategically. At St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, we are people helping people and we listen to our members!

Data Breach with U.S. Retailer Target Corporation

The Target Corporation has announced the "unauthorized access to Target payment card data. The unauthorized access may impact guests who made credit or debit card purchases in our U.S. stores from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15, 2013. ... We have determined that the information involved in this incident included customer name, credit or debit card number, and the card's expiration date and CVV."

Cards include VISA debit cards and MasterCard credit cards, which are issued by St. Cloud Federal Credit Union. However, at this time we do not know if any cards issued by the credit union were included in the "unauthorized access". If there are any SCFCU cards included, we will receive a list of the affected cards, and we will notify those members to let them know how we are handling the situation. At the credit union, we are taking all necessary steps to mitigate any potential fraud losses.  In the meantime, we highly recommend that our members who have personal checking accounts at St. Cloud Federal Credit Union immediately sign up for our FREE credit monitoring service. All members with personal checking accounts ALREADY qualify for the service. All they have to do is contact the credit union to obtain a promotional code, and then they register for the service online. In addition to credit monitoring, members with personal checking accounts ALREADY having our I.D. Theft Recovery service installed on their checking account. For information about that service, go to  https://stcloudfcu.coop/checking-benefits/.

Last but not least, keep tabs on your accounts daily! Check to see if any transactions show up that you did not make. The best way to keep tabs on your account is through Online or Mobile Banking. From there your account can be automated by using Account Alerts in Online Banking. This way you will be notified automatically by text or email about all transactions. Using free Account Alerts is a great way to keep track of your accounts now and throughout the year. 

How To Stay Financially Fit During The Holidays

Hi everyone it’s Financially Fit Phoebe here! With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I am here give you the tools you need to be financially fit this holiday season, so you can celebrate the holidays with ease!

Allow Time

The holiday season always tends to fly by! Can you believe that there are only 14 more days until Christmas? I can’t! To avoid impulse holiday shopping, make a holiday calendar. This calendar will include what days you will buy gifts for each person, when you will cook & bake holiday treats, and when you want to have your holiday decorations up by. When making your holiday calendar compare it to your paydays and when bills are due.

Decide How Much You Can Spend

The first step to being financially fit during the holiday is creating a budget. The first thing I like to do is come up with a holiday budget (this will include everything). Next I take my holiday budget and divide it into four categories: gifts, food, decorations and other. Here is how you can make sure you follow your budget for each category:

Gifts: First, make a list of all the people you plan to give gifts to. Then, next to each person’s name write the amount of money you will spend on their gift. Lastly add up the numbers next to each person’s name to make sure it does not exceed your allotted gift budget.

Food: Many of us look forward to holiday treats and food; I know I do! To avoid getting a bad taste in your mouths (because you spent too much on holiday foods) I recommend you make a list of all the holiday treats and foods you plan to make. Next to each holiday treat or food write how much it will cost to make. Don’t forget to add ingredients up like sugar and sprinkles! Lastly, add up how much money it will cost to make everything and make sure it fits in your budget.

Decorations: One of the easiest ways to cut back on holiday spending is the decorations. Set up all of your old holiday decorations before you buy any new ones. To save some cash have your kids, nieces and nephews make holiday decorations with you. If after doing all this you feel like your home could use a little more holiday cheer, then go buy a few more decorations- but remember, stick to your budget!

Other: This list is one many people forget about. Under this list should be gas money to go to stores, shipping costs, gift-wrap, and any additional things you will need during the holiday season. They might not seem like they cost a lot, but added all together you’d be surprised!

DIY Gifts

I think the best gifts are handmade. Some DIY gifts that I love are mason jars filled with treats, crayon art, letter art, handmade soaps and upcycled art. If you need some more DIY gift ideas take a look at St. Cloud Federal Credit Union’s “DIY Gifts” Pinterest board. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed with all of your holiday expenses do not hesitate to call St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, we’d be happy to help!

xo,

~Phoebe