St. Luke Parish Federal Credit Union will be closed for Good Friday, April 22, 2011.  This includes all branches (Beavercreek, St. Anthony & Corpus Christi)

The Beavercreek branch will reopen at 9:30 am on Monday, April 25th.

The Corpus Christi branch will reopen at 12:00 Noon on Monday, April 25th.

The St. Anthony branch will reopen at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, April 27th.

Note:  The St. Anthony Branch will also be closed on Thursday, April 21st.

SPRING CLEAN YOUR MONTHLY BUDGET…

Spring has officially sprung and who isn’t looking forward to warm weather and the traditions that go along with it, such as golf, family vacations, day trips and just getting outside?  Unfortunately, the economy is taking it’s toll on everyone and you need to make sure your finances are in order to be able to enjoy the sunny outdoors with friends and family.

Take a look at your personal finances before going on a Spring spending spree.  Examine your budget, evaluate your debts, and give yourself some financial limits so you don’t overspend.

Here are some common questions about finances and some tips on how to perform a “spring cleaning” on your budget.

1. My credit card debt doesn’t seem to decrease, even though I have been making regular payments.  What can I do to pay these down?  The ability to pay down your credit card debt is directly attributed to the interest rate. If you aren’t paying the balance down, find out what rate you are paying.  Contact the card issuer and ask if the interest rate can be lowered.  If not, look for another issuer offering a lower rate and see if the terms and fees make it more attractive.  Also, pay more than the minimum amount to really lessen your balance.  St. Luke Parish Federal Credit Union is currently offering MasterCard at 8.9% fixed!
2. I make enough money to cover my expenses, but I don’t know where my money is going.  How can I track my spending better?  Keeping track of your income and monthly bills is only the first step.  To really get the whole picture, keep track of all of your transactions.  Keep your receipts for two months and categorize them with labels such as mortgage/rent, car repair/gasoline, groceries/eating out, entertainment and misc.  You will see where your money goes rather quickly and where you can cut back.
3. Which type of debt is the highest priority for me to pay off:  car, mortgage, or credit card?  Typically your mortgage and car loans should have a significantly lower interest rate than your credit cards, so you should always pay your credit card debt down first.  Pick the card with the lowest balance and pay it off first.  Then work on the next lowest balance account until you have your credit card debt paid off.
4. I want to take a vacation, but can’t afford it unless I put it on a credit card.  Is this a good idea?  Credit cards are not the best way to finance a vacation unless you can pay it off quickly.  If not, that $2,000 trip to the beach may cost you thousands more in interest.  Stick with your gut and forgo the vacation this year.  Set up a vacation account at St. Luke Parish Federal Credit Union and put some money from each paycheck in it so you can enjoy a stress-free vacation next year.

Ignore those flurries this morning!

Summer is right around the corner…time to start planning that family get-away!

Start considering a vacation budget & come see us at St. Luke Parish Federal Credit Union to open up a vacation account to help save for your dream trip!

Use your smart phone and online apps to help budget and manage your money! Some great ideas here!

http://bit.ly/fDwXIv

America Saves…
Save your loose change. Putting aside fifty cents a day over the course of a year will allow you to save nearly 40% of a $500 emergency fund.

Looking for more tips to save a little money in your day-to-day activities?  Check out America Saves

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Here are 8 money lessons that Dr. Seuss taught us through his amazing stories.  Share these with your own kids!

http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/smart-spending/8-money-lessons-dr-seuss

Beginning MARCH 14TH, 2011 - we will be tweaking our lobby hours in an effort to best serve our members.

The new hours are posted here on http://stlukefcu.tumblr.com

Register for online account access to monitor your account 24/7!  Contact us at our Beavercreek branch to get set-up.

Our Beavercreek branch has a STAR network ATM available after hours.

Price of gas starting to get you down?

Wouldn’t it be nice to bring down the cost of your daily commute? 

Check out our Great Rates on Auto Loans at St. Luke FCU!  As low as 1% APR!

Give us a call, email or come down at see us at our Beavercreek Branch for more information.