Financial Fundamentals Blog

It’s no secret that college is quite expensive, and figuring out how to pay for it can be overwhelming. Sure, you can get student loans, but those add up quickly, and paying them back plus interest for about 20-25 years is likely not the best scenario. It isn’t a loans-or-nothing situation — there are plenty of strategies you...

Are you a new homeowner or considering buying your first home? As the 2022 tax deadline – April 18 – approaches, it’s important to know what tax benefits you can take advantage of on your returns so you can maximize your savings.

Are you debating whether to cancel your summer vacation this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic? While there’s no way to completely eliminate the risks of contracting COVID-19 while traveling, there are precautions that you can take.

National Preparedness Month is four weeks designed to ready you for an emergency. And, it seems that both local and national weather is cooperating to remind you of what’s at stake if you don’t have a plan in place. Advanced planning can save you valuable time and money. From the financial to the practical, here are a few ways to make sure you are ready in an emergency.

Congratulations! Your hard work has paid off. Diploma in hand, you’re ready to tackle the next phrase of your life.

But the joy of graduating from college can quickly fade once graduates begin to grasp their new-found responsibilities, especially when it comes to their financial future. Navigating rent, a car payment, insurance, cable and groceries can be overwhelming. Throw student loan payments and other financial burdens into the mix, and it can be downright frightening.

The worst thing recent grads can do is to start using credit cards to help them maintain their lifestyle. The average college grad owes $4,100 on credit cards at the time of graduation. Not including student loans. Roughly 69% of graduates took out student loans and owe an average of $29,800 in federal and private debt.
 

COVID-19 has caused financial problems for millions of Americans, and while the local economy is starting to operate again, many people are still in a financial pinch. If you’ve started an emergency fund, you may have begun to dip into it. But before you drain that account, consider some alternatives. We’ve compiled a list to help you weigh your options before using/draining your emergency fund.

We’ve arrived at that magical time of year where parents scour sale ads and coupon apps for hot deals while children try to squeeze every last minute out of summer break. Yes, it’s back-to-school shopping season.

When we’re children, we depend on our parents to provide everything we need — from food and shelter to emotional support. Then, as we grow up and our parents age, the tables start to turn. The parents we used to depend on start to grow old and require new kinds of care to maintain their health and quality of life.

The rising cost of college is a perennial concern for high school grads and their families. For Ohio residents looking to attend The Ohio State University, tuition and other costs have risen to more than $27,000 per year — or well over $100,000 for a four-year degree. The costs at local private schools or many public and...

While the internet has become a staple in most people’s daily functions, it has provided another outlet for fraudsters. Over the last several years, wire transfer fraud has been on the rise, with billions of dollars lost. The internet makes wire transfer fraud easier to commit and harder to track.

Learn what you can do to protect yourself from money transfer schemes in the digital age.
 

Disclaimer: 7 17 Credit Union is providing this information for educational purposes only. 7 17 does not offer tax advice; please consult a qualified tax professional for matters related to your finances. With many people facing a wide array of financial challenges, more and more people are turning to nonprofits and charities...