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You would never run a marathon without building up the strength, endurance and mental stamina needed to cross the finish line. Reaching fitness goals requires training and dedication. The same is true for financial fitness. If you have financial goals, you’re much more likely to reach them if you acquire and practice the fundamentals of financial fitness.

Set a training plan with a sound budget. Creating a budget is an important step because it helps you to understand where your money comes from and how you spend it. Once you understand your finances you can make choices that help you reach your goals.

• Fitness tip: Tackle one adjustment at a time. If you’re trying to save money, begin by looking for ways to cut spending that you won’t notice like canceling unused subscriptions. Once you gain a little momentum, try setting up direct deposit from your paycheck to a savings account at Advancial.

Build strength by improving your credit score. A strong credit score is important to your overall financial health. Your credit score is a number based on your credit history. The score, tabulated by three major credit bureaus – Equifax,^® Experian^® and TransUnion^® – is based on aspects of your financial history like paying bills on time, how much money you owe and how many credit cards you have. A good credit score gives you more power to finance major purchases such as a car or home.

• Fitness tip: You can view your credit score free of charge every year from each of the three credit bureaus. Check your credit report for discrepancies and look for ways to improve your score.

Increase endurance by paying down your debt. Sometimes borrowing money is necessary but debt, especially if it’s held on a high interest credit card, can keep you from going the distance.

• Fitness tip: One strategy to pay down debt is to transfer high-rate credit card balances to a new credit card with a lower rate and 0% interest period. With VRP from Advancial, there’s no balance transfer fee and you’ll get 0% interest for the first 12 months. After that, you’ll enjoy a low rate of 8.90% - 14.90% APR based on credit worthiness.

Improve your flexibility with an emergency savings account. An emergency account gives you the flexibility to clear unexpected financial hurdles. Experts recommend you save enough money to cover your basic living expenses for three months.

• Fitness tips: Consider this recommended amount as a guideline, but any amount of savings is better than nothing. Start building slowly and work toward a goal that you are comfortable with.

When working on your financial fitness goals, remember you have many resources to help you at Advancial. Visit advancial.org to learn more.

Tips for online shopping

This year, skip the malls and enjoy the benefits of holiday shopping from home. Shopping online for holiday gifts can save you time and money – and help you earn rewards. Here are some tips to shopping safely, saving money and getting rewarded for your efforts.

Security first

Before you start loading up your virtual shopping cart, here are a few tips to help ensure your online security.

• Update your software, apps and browsers. Security fixes are often part of updates, so sign up for automatic updates to stay secure.

• Shop on known and trusted retail sites. If you’re clicking through to an online store from an email or social media ad, check the URL. Legitimate sites typically include a lock icon and start with https://, which means they’re encrypted.  

• Only shop over a secure and private Wi-Fi connection.

• Pay with a credit card and check your statements carefully during the holidays for any fraudulent charges.

Save while you shop

Doing your holiday shopping online has some natural cost controls built in: you save on gas, avoid the food court and bypass the temptation of impulse buys waiting in line. Here are some other ways you can save money while you shop online.

Research and compare prices. One of the benefits of online shopping is that comparison shopping doesn’t mean running around town – answers are just a few clicks away. You can even use a browser plug-in like PriceBlink, an extension that pulls pricing from many online retailers to show you price comparisons on items while you shop. The larger the ticket item, the more time you should spend researching.

Sign up for emails or other promotions to save. Many retailers offer a discount on your first order after signing up for email promotions. You’re likely to score additional savings through follow-up emails.

There’s an app for that. Look for money-saving apps like Honey, which applies online coupons to your purchase, or Rakuten, which offers cash back on purchases. There are even apps to help you shop on specific sites like Amazon, such as CamelCamelCamel which will provide you with price tracking and low price alerts.

Earn rewards

With rewards, your gifts keep on giving. Use your Ultimate Checking debit card and earn one reward point for every $5 spent on all non-PIN transactions. Shop with your Visa^® Rewards Plus credit card to purchase gifts online and earn one point for every dollar spent. Plus earn up to 1.5% on every purchase when you make more than 25 purchases or spend more than $2,500 during that billing cycle. Points can be used on cash back, merchandise, dining and travel from national retailers through the Advancial Rewards program.

Amplify Your Rewards

Earn bonus points at participating retailers by using your Advancial debit card or Visa^® Rewards Plus credit card!

With Ampre card-linked offers, thousands of online and in-store bonus point offers are already linked directly to your card. Simply use your Advancial debit card or Visa Rewards Plus credit card at participating retailers and you’ll automatically earn points.

Learn more about Advancial rewards at www.advancial.org/rewards.

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, there is good reason to hold out for the end of the year. Car dealers are highly motivated to sell the current model year cars before the coming year models take their place on the showroom floor. And they may also be keen to make year-end sales goals. Armed with this knowledge, here are some tips to buying a car in December and getting the best deal possible.

1. Look for year-end incentives. Historically, December is one of the biggest months for dealer incentives. Typical incentives include low- or no-interest offers as well as cash back “rebates” on certain makes and models, but be sure to look at the fine print. Interest rate offers are usually still dependent on credit rating, and if you qualify for the lowest rate, you’re unlikely to negotiate other savings. Cash back is usually applied to your down payment – so don’t expect to walk away with a new car and a wallet full of cash. However, if the incentive applies to the car you want, and the financing works for you – these year-end deals can save you thousands on a new car.

2. Shop the last week in December. If you’ve already waited until the end of the year, saving your shopping until the last week could be another money-saving tactic. One reason is low competition with other buyers – many folks will have spent heavily on holiday shopping and be reluctant to make a large purchase. The pressure on the dealer, to meet sales goals and move cars off the lot, will be at its highest.

3. Make sure the dealer has your car. If you’re planning to swoop in and negotiate a killer deal, make sure the dealer has the car you want on their lot. Start by checking online, then follow up with a call to the dealer to verify their online inventory. You don’t want to waste time visiting a dealer unless the car you want is ready to drive home in. Year-end shopping is all about timing, so make sure time is one your side.

4. Do your homework. It’s always a good idea to research before heading to the dealer, but even more so if you’re hoping to get the best deal possible. Check websites like Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds to find out the sticker price, what equipment comes as a standard package and what’s included at each trim level, what financing and rebate offers are available and more. Based on all the information you gather, decide on the amount you are willing to pay before you head to the dealer.

5. Get pre-approved for an auto loan. Once you’ve found the car you want, secure a great rate and financing through Advancial Credit Union before you head to the dealer. Pre-approved financing allows you to shop as if you have cash in hand, and you can let the dealer know you’ve been pre-approved for the amount you want to pay.

Use these tips to capitalize on a prime buying time and find a great deal on the wheels of your dreams. Remember, good things come to those who wait … until December to buy a new car!

Get pre-approved, shop, finance and buy – all online!

Pre-approval is fast and easy and can be done online. Advancial has partnered with AutoSMART to give members a head start when car shopping online. Both sites have incredible inventories of cars listed – and both have special partnerships with Advancial that makes shopping, financing and purchasing a seamless experience.

Visit www.advancial.org/loans/auto-loans/ and start the process now.

In order to take control of your finances, you need easy account access to monitor and manage your money. Now more than ever, it’s important to know your options and leverage them to meet your unique financial goals. Get to know what Advancial offers and how you can use these options to improve your finances.
 

Online banking

This robust set of banking tools provides you with a wide range of account operations anywhere you have an internet connection.





Advantages:

• Available anywhere you have internet, no need for special software or download
• Use on any device, but ideal for desktop or laptop use
• Utilize your existing accounts or open new accounts with a few clicks
• Broad toolset for all of your remote banking needs

Get started: Enroll in online banking at our website.
 

Advancial app

Banking on the go has never been easier. The Advancial mobile banking app is an easy and fast way to perform many critical banking functions from your smartphone or other mobile device.

Advantages

• Robust SSL security to protect your data
• Quick and easy remote check deposit
• View accounts, manage and pay bills and transfer money between Advancial accounts with ease
• Locate branches and ATMs near you

Get started: Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
 

Telephone banking

Easily access your account from your home, office or cellphone any time, day or night. Check account balances and perform simple banking transactions with ease.

Advantages

• Remote account access only requires a phone connection
• Check status of deposits, transfers and checks in real time
• Connect with our Member Service department during business hours for questions and other account services

Get started: Call 800.322.2709, option 3 or 214.880.9585.
 

Shared branches

Advancial belongs to the CO-OP Shared Branch network, which means you can perform the same transactions you would at one of our Advancial locations. Check individual locations for drive-thru and lobby hours as they may change.

Advantages

• Dependable access to funds and account services  
• Over 5,000 locations mean you are never far from a convenient branch
• It’s super easy to find a shared branch while you’re on the go with the CO-OP ATM Shared Branch Locator app

Get started: Visit the CO-OP website to see the shared branches near you.
 

Allpoint ATM network

Look for the Allpoint logo on ATMs to access enhanced account functions and withdraw your funds for free. Plus with Ultimate Checking, Advancial automatically reimburses any ATM fees charged by any ATM nationwide.

Advantages

• Over 55,000 locations offering free access to accounts
• Easily get the cash you need at locations nationwide.  

Text concierge service

Got a question? Get an answer. Just text us at any branch number and a Member Services Representative will text you back as soon as possible. You can inquire about the current rates on auto loans, updated branch hours or the status of a loan application. We can’t share sensitive information over text — for your safety — but there’s a lot we CAN tell you to help make banking at Advancial even better.  
 
 
 
 

	Text concierge	Online banking	Advancial app	Telephone banking	Shared branches	ATMs
Get answers to common questions	x
Check account balances	x	x	x	x	x	x
Transfer money between accounts		x	x	x	x	x
Print account information for your records		x
Withdraw funds					x	x
Pay your friends, family or colleagues		x
Set up custom alerts		x	x
Check status of deposits, transfers and checks				x
Send or receive wire transfers		x
Make payments		X (Bill pay & Advancial loans)	X (Bill pay & Advancial loans)	X (On Advancial loans)	X (On Advancial loans)
Access your eStatement (electronic monthly statement)		X
Enroll in electronic notices		x
Deposit checks remotely		x	x
Export account information to your money management software		x
Check rates				X
Reorder checks		x		x

The average adult has used the same checking account for over 14 years. That’s good news if people are happy with their accounts. But the fact is that many people are losing money thanks to fees and other charges. In fact, the average checking account holder pays $7.69 in fees per month.¹ If you’re also paying fees on your checking account, know that there are other options out there, including at Advancial.

Fewer Fees

Virtually all of the fees you’ll find at big banks are nowhere to be found with Advancial’s Ultimate Checking account. At Advancial, we don’t believe in charging members for the services they use every day. That’s why Ultimate Checking accounts have no monthly service fees, no fees for using a non-Advancial ATM and no foreign transaction fee. Even if a bank or credit union charges you for using their ATM, we’ll reimburse you automatically. We also don’t charge any fees for instant-issued debit cards, overdraft transfers from your savings account or for using our Bill Payer service.

Even More Features to Appreciate

Finding a checking account that earns dividends and rewards can be difficult if you don’t want to pay any fees. But that’s another way our Ultimate Checking account is made to satisfy the needs of our members. Ultimate Checking  earns dividends with any balance. Plus, for every $5 spent with a debit card, you’ll earn one point to use for a variety of exciting rewards. These points can even be combined with any points earned from Advancial’s Visa^® Rewards Plus credit card.

Advancial checking account holders also have access to the CO-OP Shared Branching Network. That means if you’re traveling to a location with no Advancial locations, you can visit one of the 5,000+ branches in the network. These network branches let you make deposits, withdrawals, payments and transfers with your Advancial accounts with no fees.

Start Enjoying a Different Approach to Checking

Don’t lose a single dollar more to checking accounts loaded with fees. Become a member of Advancial and you can sign up for an Ultimate Checking account. All it takes to join is a $5 deposit in an Advancial savings account. To learn more about eligibility or to apply for membership, visit joinadvancial.org.

¹ Source: Bankrate