SafeAmerica Credit Union

America Saves Week

• By Kevin Alvarez

Saving At Any Age — America Saves Week

Saving. Do you view it as an ongoing journey? Or do you consider saving as someplace you arrive at? At America Saves we are in the camp that saving is a habit, not a destination. And it’s a habit that can be formed at any age. Whether you are a parent trying to instill this habit in your children or you want to change your own saving behaviors, there are strategies that savers of all ages can develop.

Research tells us that children’s money habits are often formed by age seven so starting early to teach them about saving can have a huge impact. Many parents are accustomed to hearing frequent requests from their children about a toy, game, or piece of clothing that they “just have to have.” Sound familiar? Using these wants is a great way to help children learn to save.

Children can learn to set a saving goal and figure out how long it will take to save enough money for their goal. Create a fun system to track progress, provide regular encouragement, and use incentives such as matching funds. Talk about how it feels to see your money grow. And don’t forget to lead by example – show children how you are saving.

Saving at any age

You can also give children the opportunity to make some decisions about their money. Empowering children from a young age to make choices about money they earn or receive as gifts is a great way to build that confidence.

For young adults, as they begin to earn a regular and potentially higher income, a strong foundation begins with basic understanding of the difference between needs and wants. The America Saves Spending and Saving Tool is an easy-to-use resource that provides a clear view of your finances and can be insightful in identifying essential and discretionary spending. The system of automatic saving, especially through paychecks with split deposit, can set young adults on the path to a lifelong saving habit.

It can be hard to stay motivated when setting aside money for something in the future no matter what your age. It’s easy to focus on what you want in the moment — we don’t want to wait to purchase that expensive pair of sneakers. We want to take a trip in the next three months. Retirement is so far off that it feels OK to spend more of your current income right now and catch up later. In each of these scenarios, we aren’t thinking about our future selves, just who we are and what we want today.

Thinking of our future self – what we will want, what we will be doing, what we will believe – is one way we can develop a saving mindset. Asking questions about our future selves helps us create a vision for our future. For example, consider:

  • Where does your future self live?
  • What does a typical day look like for your future?
  • What hobbies does your future self enjoy?
  • How much money does your future self earn?

Later go back and read your answers to see how they compare to the present. Having the ability to look ahead, even if it’s a short time in the future, is a great way to reinforce saving today for tomorrow. This exercise can be done at any age, even with children.

Journeys can take us on many different paths and saving journeys are no different. So stay with America Saves as you and your family embark on a new journey or resume one that encountered a detour. It’s never too late to #ThinkLikeASaver.

SafeAmerica Credit Union is here to help you on your savings journey. Check out all the Savings opportunities we have to offer.

Savings accounts

• By Kevin Alvarez

Paying Down Debt Is Saving — America Saves Week 2023

Making the decision to pay down debt, particularly consumer debt, can be mixed with emotion. You feel good about choosing to take concrete steps to pay off balances on credit cards, auto loans, student loans or other installment loans. On the other hand, you feel less positive about the amount of money you are directing into a savings account. Well, we’re here to show you how reducing debt is a form of saving, to give you strategies for the best way to do so that align with your personal situation, and to boost your financial confidence to keep you working toward your goals.

As you pay off your debt you are freeing up money, allowing you to direct those funds toward saving for something else that’s important to you – perhaps an emergency/opportunity fund, a vacation, home purchase, or retirement. This money is freed up as you spend less on interest, and possibly late fees, and lowering the debt balances themselves.

If you have more than one debt you want to pay off, for example an auto loan and a credit card balance, there are two main strategies to help you decide which debt to pay off first.

  • The snowball method focuses on the balances of each loan. In this strategy, you make the minimum payment on all your loans except the one with the smallest balance. With this loan, you put as much money as you can toward it and when it is completely reduced you allocate that money to the next smallest balance. Your confidence gets a boost every time you see an account balance at zero.
  • The avalanche method focuses on the interest rates of each loan. In this strategy, you pay the minimum payment on all your loans except the one with the highest interest rate. You apply any remaining money you have for debt repayment to the highest interest rate loan. By paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first you reduce the overall amount of interest you must pay.

You choose which method is right for you and your situation.

Once you are on a path to reducing your debt, reflect on the type of relationship you have with credit. Credit is a tool. When used wisely and with purpose, credit can help you achieve your financial goals and build financial confidence. Having a clear view on when and for what purpose you use credit is the foundation for a positive relationship.

Sometimes we’re told that there are good types of debt (home mortgage) and bad debt (credit cards). This type of categorization is based only on the financial aspect and not the personal situation you are dealing with. It may feel better to ask yourself if the type of debt you are taking on is a good decision for you or not.

For example, when an emergency expense crops up and it is large enough that it will deplete all or nearly all of your emergency savings, you may feel like you’re on shaky ground if another expense crops up before you can replenish your savings. So, you may weigh this option against using a combination of savings and credit based on what feels best for you in the situation.

Making purposeful choices about credit, something that you plan for financially and mentally, can help you build more financial confidence.

You can use the America Saves Spending and Saving Tool to calculate how much you have available for debt repayment, take the America Saves Pledge to make a plan for this repayment, or listen to the ThinkLikeASaver Podcast for even more tips.

SafeAmerica Credit Union is here to help you on your saving journey. Check out all the Savings opportunities we have to offer.

Savings Accounts

• By Kevin Alvarez

Saving Automatically – America Saves Week 2023

Do You Ever Find Yourself Wondering If There Is A Magic Formula To Saving?

Does it seem that everyone around you knows the secret to saving successfully except you? It’s not unusual to feel unconfident about saving, no matter how much money you earn. Confidence doesn’t necessarily come with having a lot of money. Rather it comes from building healthy financial habits and using the resources you know are available to you – this is your financial confidence!

A great place to start building your financial confidence is to set up automatic savings. When you are saving a dedicated amount of money every week, every month, or on some other regular interval, you can begin to feel a sense of control over your saving habits. Whether you are saving just $5 or $10 a month or more, it’s the fact that you’re doing it automatically that is important.

Saving

Saving automatically is the formula for successful saving for anyone – including you. Getting started doesn’t have to be a hurdle either. Consider which one of the following two strategies would work best for you and follow the steps we’ve outlined.

  1. Instructing your employer to split your directly deposited paycheck into two or more accounts at your financial institution with one account being a dedicated savings account.
  2. Directing your financial institution to automatically transfer money into your savings account.

For option #1, contact your employer’s payroll department to set up split deposit, telling them how much you want to save per paycheck, and follow their instructions.

If you want to use option #2, contact your bank or credit union telling them when and how much money you want automatically transferred into your savings account. As a member of SafeAmerica Credit union, you can enable automatic transfers between accounts by logging into online banking and setting up a recurring transfer within the Transfer Money tab. Just set it and forget it!

By utilizing either of these automated saving methods you can feel confident about building a healthy habit of saving. Imagine how good it will feel to see money accumulating in your savings account on a consistent basis. Instead of that voice in your head telling you that saving is hard, you’ll be able to say with confidence, “I am saving regularly!”

America Saves has a number of resources that can help you get started saving automatically: 

  1. The Spending and Saving Tool to help you get a clear view of your finances and determine a realistic amount you can save regularly.
  2. ThinkLikeASaver podcast where you can learn about making saving easier, saving in spite of inflation and many other topics designed to support your saving habit.
  3. The America Saves Pledge, which can help you make a saving plan and receive ongoing support through emails and text messages

So, remember your unique financial situation calls for you to make the choices that will work best for you and your family, which will ultimately increase your financial confidence and help you continue making informed choices throughout your saving journey!

SafeAmerica Credit Union is here to help you on your saving journey. Check out all the Savings opportunities we have to offer.

Savings Accounts

• By Kevin Alvarez

America Saves Week – Save As A Family

We start kids young with almost everything— sports, school, so why not saving? We are always looking for new ways to #ThinkLikeASaver in the America Saves community. The earlier that you have a positive mindset around saving, the easier it is to save successfully as an adult.

The idea of saving doesn’t always have to be tangible. There are definitely ways to save around your home that aren’t as black and white as putting money in a piggy bank or opening up a youth savings account.

Those small things that we expect our children to do around the home are contributing to saving as a family. This is important to communicate with them for several reasons, mainly as it can be a great motivator for them if your family is saving for a vacation or some other fun family gift or experience.

Here are some ideas of ways your children can save around the home

1. Teach Them To Turn Off The Water

Did you know using a (newer) dishwasher saves more water than hand washing dishes? Small adjustments like turning off the water while brushing your teeth, and ensuring a ‘full’ load of laundry during washing can save you big on your water bill.

2. Teach Them To Conserve Energy.

This may seem like a no brainer, but turning off the lights and TV are one of the easiest things to forget when headed into another room or rushing out the door. Kids thrive when they feel like they’re the leader. Assign them the role of ‘Energy Saver’ and make it their responsibility to turn off all the lights, keep the refrigerator door closed, or checking to make sure the television is off if not being watched. Explain to them that they are helping the family save by keeping a lower electricity bill. You could even sweeten the deal by having an enticing Family Savings Goal, like visiting a local play place or even a more significant vacation. Equating saving with something they love will make it easier for them to understand the importance.

3. Teach Them To Enjoy Cooking At Home.

Eating out may be convenient, but cooking at home can be just as satisfying, especially when you get your kids involved. Try making their favorite pizza from scratch. They may enjoy the process and the taste way more than your usual take out order.

4. Teach Them To Grow Their Food.

Like cooking at home, when children have ownership of something, they’re more likely to enjoy it. Can you imagine how much more eager they’ll be to eat their broccoli and carrots if they grow it themselves? Not to mention, you will save quite a bit by growing your own fruits and veggies.

5. Have At-Home Family Nights.

Get creative by having low-cost family fun activities such as family game nights, card games, (indoor or outdoor) movie nights, backyard campouts, and more. You’ll find it very easy to have fun and bond as a family, from the comfort of your home. A one-time investment for these activities can save you so much and keep the fun going for years to come.

By making these tips a habit, you’ll save on utility bills and entertainment. More importantly, you’ll be setting the foundation of positive saving habits with your children, which will last a lifetime and is priceless

If you have a goal of saving successfully, be sure to take the America Saves Pledge, choose your savings goal, and get support and great tips!

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• By Kevin Alvarez

America Saves Week – Save By Reducing Debt

One of the greatest contributors to financial stress is debt. If you're having a tough time financially, it can feel isolating, but the truth is 80 percent of Americans have consumer debt. The only way to relieve financial stress is to make a plan and work your way through it. But to make that plan, you'll need to understand the type of debt you have, your best-case scenario to pay down your debt, and how to leverage your knowledge so that you can maintain or increase your credit score. When you reduce your debt, you save in the long run — on late fees, interest, and a higher credit score, which will lower interest rates.

Get A Clear View Of Your Finances

You thought we'd say budget first, didn't you? While creating a spending and savings plan (our preferred term over "budget") is essential, the true value in having a plan is clarity. When you know your exact income and expenses, you can better steward the discretionary income left over after your bills are paid. It will become easier for you to decide how much to spend, if you can put more toward debt, what goes into savings, and whether to begin making investments. Your spending and savings plan will also highlight areas that need attention.

For example, is your grocery allocation adequate? Are all of your subscriptions and recurring monthly expenses still necessary, or can any be canceled? Knowing where all of your money is coming from and going to helps you build financial confidence and shows you where you can afford to reduce your debt and begin building wealth.

If you need support with making a spending and savings plan, we've created a straightforward tool that will help!

Work With What You Have

When you're paying down your debt, one conscious decision to adopt is to stop adding to your debt. This step may seem intuitive, but there are circumstances where the urge to just "charge it" may arise.

Many "Buy Now, Pay Later" options are becoming increasingly popular. Though it may feel like it is not, options like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm are debt and should be treated as such.

As you work to pay off your credit cards, here's a word of advice: do not close your credit cards!

Closing your credit card accounts may reduce your credit score, as the "age" of your credit factors into your FICO score. By keeping your card open with a $0 balance, you'll have a longer credit history and a larger amount of available credit. The only time you may want to consider canceling a card is if it has pricey annual fees.

Increase Your Income

If you can, consider increasing your income temporarily, allowing you to put more money towards your debt. This will allow you to pay down your debt faster! There are so many options to get a quick cash injection or additional income in today's economy. Some ideas include selling items around your home you no longer use, purging your closet on sites like thredUp, leveraging a talent or skill you have, like tutoring or singing, to offer as a service, or taking advantage of the booming gig economy.

Paying It Off For Good Starts With A Decision

There are many strategies to use when working toward paying off your debt. The most popular strategies include the snowball method or the avalanche method. By deciding which method you want to use beforehand, you will reap the benefits of paying it off faster.

Snowball Method

"Snowballing" your debt is a type of accelerated debt repayment plan. First, list all of your debts from the smallest balance to the largest balance. Next, make the minimum payment on all your debt except the smallest one. With your smallest debt, you will put as much money as you can toward the balance. Once the smallest debt is paid, take the amount you were putting towards that debt and apply it to the next smallest. With this method, interest rates are not the focus.

Avalanche Method

With the "avalanche" method, you will still make the minimum payments on every source of debt, but you apply the remaining funds toward the debt with the highest interest rate. By paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first, you reduce the overall amount of interest you pay.

Making extra payments allows you to pay off your loan(s) more quickly when paying toward installment loans, like your car payment. Just be sure to specify that any additional funds outside of your monthly payment go toward the principal. Before you begin making extra payments to installment loans, check the terms of your loan to determine whether additional fees or prepayment penalties may apply.

Regardless of how you decide to reduce your debt, let America Saves be your savings accountability partner! Take the America Saves Pledge and choose “reduce debt” as your savings goal. We'll support you by sending email and text reminders, resources, and tips to keep you on track towards paying down your debt.

Make the Pledge

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• By Kevin Alvarez

America Saves Week – Save to Retire

Retirement is one of those endeavors that fall into the “someday” category. When living your day-to-day life as a person in their 20s, 30s, and even your 40s and those everyday expenses pop up, it’s more difficult to save for something that is seemingly so far away. But as we all know — life comes at you fast. A 2020 survey by Charles Schwab of currently employed 401(k) plan participants found that saving enough for retirement continues to be a leading source of significant financial stress for all generations.

While studies show that 71 percent of Americans are adequately prepared for retirement, much of that includes receiving Social Security benefits under the current law. With Social Security payouts only scheduled to be paid at the full benefit amount through 2035, Millennials and Gen Z have to approach retirement from a different perspective — one that is diverse and doesn’t rely on Social Security benefits, if you can help it. The good news is that starting early allows you to reach your retirement goals more easily.

In today’s economy, we can’t overlook the fact that there are some people who are not making a fair living wage, making it difficult to save. But for those of us with the ability to save it’s important to understand that it’s never too late to start saving for retirement. Your future self will thank you!

1. Get In The "Retirement Ready" Mindset

The first step is getting in the right mindset, meaning-making your new savings goal a priority. We encourage you to “Start Small, Think Big” and take advantage of retirement solutions available to you like your employer's 401K or 403 B plan or IRA options you can open on your own.

If you’re starting your retirement savings journey early, you have time on your side! However, if you’re closer to retirement age, then prepare to be a bit more aggressive in order to achieve your retirement goal. Research how to make catch-up contributions to your retirement savings, ultimately jump-starting a stalled plan.

The good news is this: it’s never too late! It is important to remember that saving anything is better than saving nothing. Even increasing your retirement savings by one percent can make a huge difference in the long run.

IRA OPtions with Safeamerica Credit Union

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2. Define What Retirement Will Look Like For You

Your retirement years will be as individual as you are! Have you visualized how you’d like your retirement to look and feel? Think about where you want to settle down. Will you stay put and have sweet tea and lemonade on the front porch most days or do you intend to travel far and wide? Most importantly, how much “annual income” will you need to achieve this envisioned lifestyle? Asking yourself these questions will help determine a rough estimate of how much to start saving now.

Someone who plans to travel and or have an active lifestyle when they retire may need to save more than someone who has a home that is paid off with no grand plans of world travel.

You will also need to consider exactly when you want to retire. This will help determine how much you should be saving annually. In the modern age, people pre-retire, half-retire or even never leave the workforce at all.

3. Calculate How Much You'll need To Save

Once you have an idea of what type of retirement you want to have, estimate the annual retirement income needed. You want to ensure you are saving for the future you want. Most Americans are not putting enough money into their retirement fund every year in order to afford the life they want for themselves in the future.

What each person needs will vary widely based on a number of factors, including your current age, the age at which you plan to retire, if your partner or spouse has an income, your spending habits, and different sources of retirement income. There are also circumstances beyond your control, like how long you can expect to live based on family history.

While there is no hard and fast rule to determine how much to save by a specific age, many personal finance experts recommend having saved an amount equal to your annual salary by age 30, three times by age 40, and five times by age 50. While this can be overwhelming if you haven’t hit those milestones in your retirement savings yet, one small step you can take is to increase your contribution rate with each pay raise. Remember, building a savings habit and taking control of your finances, like you’re doing now, is worth celebrating.

4. Take The America Saves Pledge

Now that you have a better idea of what exactly you’re saving for and how much, it’s time to consider how you’ll achieve your dream retirement. The America Saves Pledge is a tool that helps you make a simple plan to meet your savings goal while offering you long-term accountability and support along the way. Take the America Saves Pledge and visit AmericaSaves.org for tips, resources, and support on your journey towards retirement. Remember: savers who make a plan are twice as likely to save successfully!

5. Do Your Homework

Consider what type of accounts to deposit your retirement savings into. Your employer may offer a retirement plan such as a 401K, 403B, or SEP-IRA and match your contributions up to a certain percentage. The most important consideration here is to take advantage of any employer benefits such as matching your contributions up to a certain percentage. Find out if your employer offers a match and contribute at least enough to maximize that benefit.

Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) are also an option, and you can open one anytime through financial institutions or financial services providers. There are several different IRAs including the most common: Roth and Traditional. Roth IRAs can be withdrawn at anytime without penalty and are tax-free. Traditional IRAs may be tax-deductible and your earnings grow tax-deferred until you start making withdrawals. You’ll need to determine which is best for you — or maybe a combination of both. The IRS has put together a great comparison tool to understand the differences between the two accounts and decide which may be better for you.

6. Prioritize Making Your Contributions Automatically

Now that you can visualize the type of retirement you want, have determined approximately how much you’re saving for, and have a plan and support in place, the best thing you can do is to set it and forget it! Set up automatic payments and contributions either through your employer or from a financial institution to stay on track.

The point of retirement savings is to keep it invested for the long term. This means avoiding dipping into your retirement fund for emergencies. Instead, create an emergency savings fund that you are also contributing to consistently.

Research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that it typically takes 13 years or more of contributions to an account before you begin to reach a level of savings that is enough to fund a number of years of retirement as a supplement to Social Security. So don’t become discouraged if you feel you do not have enough savings in your retirement fund just yet.

Whatever path you choose to take toward retirement, the biggest step to take is being consistent. Retirement savings is a long-term commitment, but today’s work will pay off in the long run, literally. Take the America Saves Pledge and let us help you reach your goals, no matter what they are. Your future self will thank you!

 

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• By Kevin Alvarez

America Saves Week – Save for the Unexpected

The Coronavirus pandemic has made saving a priority for most Americans, especially those most vulnerable with low to moderate earnings. In fact, a recent study by Edelman Financial Engines, in conjunction with America Saves and the Bipartisan Policy Center, found that:

  • 40% of working Americans report they had difficulty paying for a personal expense in 2020.
  • 1 in 3 working Americans say they would run out of savings on hand in 1 month or less if their income suddenly stopped.
  • Nearly 1 in 2 working Americans (45%) would have difficulty paying for a $400 emergency expense, meaning they say they would not cover it with savings or put it on their credit card and pay it off at the next statement; 11% say they would be unable to come up with the money.

While saving provides us with a much-needed financial cushion, it also helps ease the emotional burden of worrying about what’s around the corner.

Save for Opportunities

Day Two of America Saves Week encourages us to save for the unexpected. While saving for emergencies is always a much discussed topic in personal finances, here’s something that’s not as widely discussed: saving for opportunities.

If you are in the position to save, you’re not only saving for an unexpected car repair, medical bill, or appliance breaking down — you’re also saving for the last minute dinner invite with friends and family, the concert for your favorite artist, or the ability to grab a birthday gift for your child’s classmate.

Today we want you to consider reframing saving for the “dreaded emergency,” and recognize that you’re also saving for fun and positive opportunities! Doesn’t it feel better to contribute to an OPPORTUNITY FUND vs. an EMERGENCY FUND?

If you haven’t, we encourage you to take the America Saves Pledge. After making your new savings plan, you’ll receive support, reminders, and tips from America Saves that will help keep you on track towards achieving your goal.

Make the Pledge

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Although SafeAmerica has approved this as a reliable partner site, please be advised that you will no longer be subject to, or under the protection of, the privacy and security policies of the bank's website. The other party is solely responsible for the content of its website.

We encourage you to read and evaluate the privacy and security policies on the site you are entering, which may be different than those of the bank.

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