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Financial Blog

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Rainy Day Fund: What It Is & Why You Need One

Have you ever wondered what a rainy day fund is and whether or not you should have one? Keep reading to find out everything you should know before opening one.

How to Teach Your Child Financial Responsibility

Every parent has been there. You’re halfway through your shopping trip and your child spots a “must-have” playset or action figure in the toy aisle.

Green Homes Sell Faster: Unlock Hidden Value With Upgrades

Ready to save money on utilities, reduce your carbon footprint, and potentially sell your home at a higher price? Then it’s time to go green! Click for more.

How to Use Personal Loans to Build Credit: 4 Smart Strategies

If you’re just starting out on your financial journey or are recovering from a financial setback, here's a good blog to read.

Unlocking Your Dreams: 6 Creative Uses for Personal Loans

A personal loan provides an easy, affordable, and predictable way to borrow and pay back the money you need to make it happen.

How Do Share Certificates Work? Are They Worth It?

Share certificates are having a moment. Long overlooked, this rock-solid investment choice has been attracting attention as higher interest rates have boosted returns.

Understanding Your Credit Health: How to Read a Credit Report

Your credit report is not just a key guide to your credit health, it’s a critical tool in determining how easy it will be for you to access any type of credit.

10 Money Management Tips for Teens: Teach, Save, Thrive

At Foothill Credit Union, we're all about empowering our young members to achieve financial success.

From Swipes to Savings: How to Use Your Debit Card Rewards

Your Foothill Credit Union Debit Rewards Mastercard has the power to transform everyday spending into amazing benefits.

Small Change, Big Impact: Boost Your Savings With Round It Up

Growing your money can be tough, especially when every dollar counts.

Should I Consolidate My Debt? Understanding the Benefits

Debt consolidation offers a pathway out of excessive borrowing and long-term indebtedness.

How to Use a HELOC for Home Improvements That Add Value

Smart upgrades and improvements to your home not only make it a more comfortable place to live, they also increase the overall market value of your property.

How to Finance an ADU Using Home Equity

Many homeowners have a significant amount of untapped home equity, which is the difference between the current value of their home and what they owe on it.

New Year, New Money Habits

Small changes for improving your financial health in the new year!

Understanding Cash Out Refinance on Auto Loans

Never Heard of it? It can provide significant benefits if used wisely. In this blog post, we'll explore what cash-out refinance on an auto loan is and look into its potential advantages.

How Do Auto Loans Work From Credit Unions?

Buying a car can be pretty stressful. So if there’s any opportunity to make it a smoother, more pleasant experience you should take it, right?

How to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate in 5 Steps

Many people struggle to keep up with their credit card payments, primarily due to high-interest rates that make it difficult to chip away at the principal.

IRS De-Stress

If you’re in the company of 25% of Americans who wait until the last minute? Don’t panic. Here are five suggestions for filing in the final hour.

Are Credit Unions Better than Banks?

Ever wonder how credit unions are different from banks? Both offer similar services but are very distinct kinds of organizations.

Common Cents For Couples

Money talk can be a bit awkward, so read on and learn some tips from our partners at GreenPath Financial, on how to manage your finances as a couple!

How to Get Your Finances in Order in 2023

As the year comes to an end, you might start making resolutions about how you can make next year better, easier—and more financially secure.

Holiday Budgeting Tips to Control Your Spending

The holiday season has begun and you're wondering how you're going to cover all the costs to make sure everyone in your family has an amazing time. Gifts, meals, decor, and travel expenses all quickly add up – and maybe you can't find any room in your budget.

How to Start Saving for Retirement in 7 Easy Steps

It can be hard to think about retirement, especially if you're still in the early stages of your career. But the sooner you start to save, the better prepared you will be. Like most financial decisions, planning for retirement involves identifying what you want to achieve, taking stock of your assets, and thinking ahead.

Reasons Why You Need a Budget

If you’ve ever wondered why you need a budget, the simple answer is: to protect your finances. Creating a budget might seem time-consuming, but it’s time well spent since—in the end— it will benefit you financially. Read on to see our top reasons why you need a budget now!

The [Realistic] Guide to Setting a Budget

There is always something to do in Los Angeles! From fine dining to local bars and restaurants to top-class shopping, there’s no shortage of activities on the streets of LA!

Checking vs. Savings Accounts: Which Do You Really Need?

Checking and savings accounts are essential types of banking accounts, but maybe you're wondering, do I really need both? And if I only want to have one account, which is more important to have?

How to Thrive (or At Least Survive) During a Recession

$5 a gallon gas, unaffordable rent, and 40-year record-high inflation suggest that if we’re not currently in a recession—it’s only a matter of time.

How to Save Money Living in LA [Without Being Totally Bored]

If you live in Los Angeles and you're feeling the pinch, this guide can give you a bunch of great ideas on how to save money in L.A.

7 Essential Money Management Lessons for Kids

If you're wondering how to teach your kids good money habits, the first thing to remember is that kids learn by example.

5 Potential Teacher Tax Deductions to Consider

Too often, teachers work behind the scenes, spending their free time and their own money to help their students get the best classroom experience possible.

7 Ways to Expand Your Classroom Supply Budget

If you asked most teachers to share something about their job that they wished more parents and students knew, there’s one thing they would almost all say.

Career Advancement Scholarship for Educators and Hospital Employees

Teachers and doctors provide vital services to our community – and yet they're just two of the important positions you might hold if you work at a school or hospital.

Foothill CU Financial Literacy Curriculum Resources for Educators

Foothill Credit Union is proud to offer educators some tools to help them develop money smarts for young folks. These money management resources will help your students learn how to make smart financial decisions.

Technology Loans for School and Hospital Employees

Foothill Credit Union is proud to offer technology loans to school and hospital employees.

Benefits of Online Banking for Busy Professionals

Busy people know that time is money. Online and mobile banking offer numerous ways to save you both, providing security and exceptional convenience.

Unique Foothill Credit Union Benefits for Healthcare Workers

Healthcare and hospital workers go above and beyond every day. And in today’s environment, they have been challenged in unimaginable ways. Nationwide, all of the work, dedication, and risk these heroes take on – day in and day out – has not gone unnoticed.

Not-Your-Grandma's First-Time Car Buying Guide

If you’re purchasing a car for the first time, you may have noticed that there’s a lot of information available, and a lot of opinions to go with it. It’s hard to know what information is useful, unhelpful, or just plain outdated.

Engaging Part-Time Summer Jobs for Teachers

During the summer months, many teachers are looking for different ways to keep their skill sets sharp and earn some extra money. To make your search a bit easier, we’ve compiled this list of part-time summer jobs for teachers.

Super Smart Ways To Buy A Car

Buying your first car is an exciting time in anyone’s life. It’s hard to compare the feeling of being handed the keys to your new car and then driving down the road for the first time as the owner.

Best Cars for First-Time Buyers

Buying a car is a major life decision. And if you’re a first-time buyer, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting one that fits your needs — but also one that is a wise financial choice.

Saving in Your 20's

Twentysomethings are known to live an expensive lifestyle, let me tell you something, we will not let FOMO – the “Fear of Missing Out” - get in the way of our finances!

4 Things You Should Know About Credit

Let’s be real, talking about your credit score can be a huge headache at times – “do this,” “don’t do that,” “that is going to hurt your score.”

Make Money Moves

I decided to make my resolution about how I handle money! I mean that’s a resolution everyone should make every year, and boy am I glad I did! Here are simple tips on what I did.

Beware of Payday Loans

A payday loan is a short-term loan, generally for $500 or less, that is typically due on your next payday. Payday loans generally have three features.

7 Banking Tips for Young Millennials

Once you start receiving your first paychecks after graduation, knowing how to spend or save your money wisely can be tough. While you may be able to do your banking with just a few taps on your phone, managing money well is much more complicated. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

0% Auto Loan Might Not Be the Best Deal

In seeking the best deal on your next car, you might've stumbled upon advertisements or offers to get a 0% interest auto loan. As great as this sounds, you may not save as much as you expect with this type of incentive.

The Best Way to Finance a New Car

So you've found your dream car, and now comes the hard part: paying for it. Most people don't have the means to pay cash for a new car. That's why there are alternatives for financing. Here's a primer.

10 Terms Every Homebuyer Should Know

Buying a home is a common undertaking for many Americans, but it's also one of the most complicated — not to mention costly — purchases adults will ever make. It's important to understand these 10 essential terms so you're ready to make smart decisions with your money.

First Job? Set Your Finances Up for Life

Landing that first job means having a regular influx of cash, but steady work alone doesn’t guarantee financial health. Here’s how to build the foundation for lifetime financial security.

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Foothill Credit Union is a full-service credit union with California branches in Arcadia, Covina and Glendora.