Category Archives: Financial Advice

Financial Quick Fixes Can Come at a High Cost

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Prohibited in 18 states, payday loan companies still manage to offer more than 20,000 locations across the United States, making them more common than McDonald’s restaurants. Banking on consumer desperation, these programs market their services to financially vulnerable customers. When potential borrowers encounter an unexpected money crunch, the appeal of getting instant cash with minimal qualifications seems too good to pass up. If the borrower is employed and receiving regular paychecks, that’s usually all it takes to get a loan. However, these loans traditionally charge rates of 300% annual interest (APR) or higher, saddling the already-struggling borrower with an even heavier financial burden.

Even though a payday loan is designed to be paid off when the customer receives their next paycheck, the outrageous interest charges often make it incredibly difficult to pay off the full amount. Since the average payday loan payment consumes 25-50% of a borrower’s income, the threat of default is extremely high. To avoid defaulting on the loan, many customers elect to pay only the interest charges and roll over the loan for another pay period. According to recent CFPB research, almost 4 out of 5 payday loan customers re-borrow within a month. What started as a temporary fix becomes an ongoing cycle of debt.

High-interest consumer loans: overspending over time

While payday lending companies are traditionally limited to loans of $1,000 or less, there is no shortage of consumer lending companies willing to offer similarly unfavorable terms on higher loan amounts. Like payday lenders, these lenders commonly target individuals with less-than-perfect credit or little to no collateral. But rather than charging outrageous interest rates for short periods, they make their money by charging slightly-less-outrageous rates (59% instead of 300%) over longer periods of time, often 2-3 years.

Consider this example: borrowing $2,100 at an interest rate of 59.39% for 36 months would result in a total payment of $4,644, more than double the original amount borrowed. You don’t need a financial advisor to explain why that’s a bad deal. Fortunately, these lenders aren’t the only game in town.

Credit unions offer a convenient, cost-effective alternative

Because they’re structured as not-for-profit, member-owned financial collectives, credit unions (like First Financial!) are able to reinvest their earnings into programs that benefit their members—instead of paying dividends to shareholders like traditional banks. This distinction allows credit unions to approve personal loans with lower interest rates and higher flexibility than programs offered by payday lenders or banks.

For more details about First Financial’s Fast Cash Payday Alternative Loans*, and how we can help you find smart solutions for your financial needs, stop by one of our local branches or call us at 732-312-1500, Option 4.

*Loans of $200 to $1,000 available for terms of one to six months. An application fee of up to $20 will be charged; other fees and charges may apply. At least one month of First Financial Federal Credit Union membership is required to obtain a Payday Alternative Loan, and is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Monmouth or Ocean Counties. A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account/loan. Not all applicants qualify, subject to credit approval. Rates vary based on creditworthiness, but will not exceed 28%. Terms and conditions of this offer may be subject to change at any time.

The 50/20/30 Budgeting Rule and Downloadable Worksheet

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There are dozens of choices when it comes to budget plans. If you’re still looking, or are completely new to the concept of budgeting, let’s introduce you to an age-old budgeting guideline: the 50/20/30 rule. Even though it’s a classic, it bears a fresh look, especially through the lens of the modern American’s financial viewpoint.

Three Categories and What They Contain

The 50/20/30 rule splits up take-home pay into three large spending categories — fixed costs, financial goals, and flexible spending. Here’s a list of what each contains.

  • Fixed Costs (50%) – These are the expenses most vital to your survival, which don’t vary from month to month: mortgage or rent, vehicle payments, and utilities.
  • Financial Goals (20%) – This category includes any monthly payments and contributions toward improved financial health: 401K and other retirement accounts (from post-taxed income), extra payments on credit card debt or student loans, building an emergency fund, and savings goals such as a down payment for a home or funding an education.
  • Flexible Spending (30%) – This category includes expenses that vary from month to month: groceries, gas, eating out, shopping, hobbies, and entertainment.

One of the best traits of the 50/20/30 guideline is its simplicity. There aren’t dozens of categories to micromanage, but it will still get the job done. This is a great starting point for everyone, especially if you’ve never stopped to look at the bigger picture of your spending balance.

Reduce Your Fixed Costs.

Financial experts recommend your fixed living costs not exceed 50% of your income, but — thanks to huge mortgages, multiple vehicles, and skyrocketing rent — many Americans will find themselves over this amount. Know what percentage of your income is consumed by fixed expenses, then identify ways to reduce them: refinance your home, negotiate lower interest rates, or choose not to buy new vehicles every few years.

Look for Ways to Spend More on Your Financial Goals.

Reducing your fixed costs will allow you to designate more income toward your savings and other financial goals. Maybe you’re barely saving 5% right now, but even small changes can make a difference. In our debt-burdened society, it can also be difficult to choose between paying off debt and saving for retirement, especially when you’re young and retirement is still far away. Remember that the more you contribute to retirement accounts when you’re young (both pre and post-tax), the more it will compound (that also goes for high-yield savings accounts). Even if your current focus is debt, continue to contribute as much as you can to retirement and savings. When you eliminate bad debt, use former payment funds to increase your retirement and savings contributions.

Be More Controlling with Flexible Spending.

You may never be able to completely predict all the categories under flex spending, but the more you can control, the closer you’ll get to flip-flopping that 30% with 20% and save more for future goals by spending less on immediate wants. Try limiting how much you eat out or go to the movies, and take advantage of rewards cards, fuel points, coupons, and rebates to reduce your grocery and gas bill on a regular basis.

It may be basic, but if you follow these tips, the 50/20/30 rule might just be the tool that helps you get out of debt and improve your financial outlook for good!

If you need a good starting point for setting your budget, check out our budgeting guide and fillable PDF worksheet.

Article Source: Jessica Sommerfield for Moneyning.com

4 Power Tips for Achieving Your Financial Goals

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Power Tip #1: Harness the Power of Loss Aversion.

Loss aversion is the principle that we humans are often motivated (or discouraged) by the threat of negative outcomes. If positive motivation isn’t working, try negative motivation. Poor financial choices don’t always have an immediate negative impact, but you can create one. For example, you could bet on your ability to follow through with the necessary steps to reach a financial goal. Losing money — especially to something you dislike or someone you rival, can be powerfully motivating.

Power Tip #2: Bring in the Power of Accountability.

Accountability to ourselves isn’t as motivating as accountability to others — whether it’s a friend, sibling or member of a group you belong to. If you don’t have a personal network, use fitness and financial apps to draw on a more public social network. It’s amazing how much motivation can spring from “competing” with strangers trying to achieve the same goals!

Power Tip #3: Take Willpower Out of the Equation.

We often think willpower (or motivation) is integral to achieving financial goals. If we fail, we must not have enough of it. Some willpower is necessary for taking the first step and gaining momentum toward our goals, but its tendency to fluctuate (much like our emotions), means we can’t count on it to drive us to completion.

With other disciplines, such as healthy eating or exercising, willpower is more of a constant battle until new habits are formed. With finances, it’s easier to eliminate willpower because you can draw on the help of technology — through automation.

Automatic savings and payments aren’t exactly set-it-and-forget-it categories, because you should still check in on your finances – but they only require one dose of willpower to get them going. Try it. You’ll be surprised how much more you can achieve by just having an automated schedule.

Power Tip #4: Focus on the Power of One Goal.

Another reason we often fail to achieve our financial goals is that they’re goals (plural), versus a goal (singular). Pick the biggest area of opportunity, the easiest one to achieve, or the one you feel most excited about — whichever strategy works best for you. Having a singular focus for the year is less stressful and daunting while allowing you to dedicate more of your resources and attention to perfecting it, rather than just barely hitting the mark.

There are different kinds of power, and they play into the success or failure of our financial goals in surprising ways.

Need help setting your financial goals? Make an appointment at your nearest branch location, email marketingbd@firstffcu.com, or call 732-312-1500.

Article Source: Jessica Sommerfield for Moneyning.com

 

More Bad Money Habits You Need to Let Go Of

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Habits happen. When it comes to money, it’s a good idea to recognize the bad ones and kick them to the curb as soon as possible. Here are a few less-than-stellar money habits that you need to let go of right away.

Not setting goals: If you don’t have savings goals, you’ll never have the savings you need. You should be packing away money for retirement and at least have an emergency fund for those unexpected bills. If you don’t know how much you need to retire, checkout a retirement calculator like this one.

Picking up every check: It’s great to buy dinner sometimes, especially when you’re out with friends and family, but don’t feel you have to pay the check every time. Even if the bill is only $40-50 bucks, if it’s a regular thing, it can really add up. Having separate checks is the best plan, and feel free to pick up the check every now and again.

I’ll have what he or she is having: If you see your friend pick up a new 60” flat screen, it can make you very envious. Remember just because your friend has some new, cool toys doesn’t mean they haven’t put themselves in debt to get it.

Paying ATM fees: When you are going somewhere and you need cash, make sure you plan ahead. You may feel like stopping at a random ATM is no big deal, but those little service fees will rob you blind over time. If you’re going somewhere that doesn’t take plastic, plan to stop at your local branch and use the free ATM that’s provided for you.

4 Ways You’re Wasting Your Hard-Earned Money

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There are lots of tips and tricks to save money. A lot of times we even know we’re wasting money, but we don’t do anything to change it. Sometimes we enjoy what we get in return for that money, sometimes it’s easier when we spend the money, and sometimes we’re in denial that we’re throwing money away. Whatever the case may be, here are a few ways you may be tossing your money away.

Paying for a gym membership:  A lot of people with gym memberships make good use of their membership cards. Some signed up as a new year’s resolution and have made good progress since that time. Then there’s those of us who haven’t been in the last month or two (or more), and are basically flushing money down the drain. If you truly aren’t using your gym membership, see if you can freeze it – or cancel it altogether.

Eating fast food: Yes, it’s delicious. You probably think it’s quick and easy, and while that may be true, you’re forgetting one thing. It also used to be cheap. That’s not the case these days. You’re much better off going to the grocery store. A meal that costs $12 at the drive-thru can probably be made by you at home for $4.

Grabbing a quick snack: You probably look at a quick stop at your local Wawa (or wherever your favorite snack spot is) as no big deal. It doesn’t even crack your budget. Spending 2-3 dollars isn’t a huge thing, but when you start doing it every day it can be a problem. Before you know it, you’re spending each week what you would spend on a couple of fast food trips without budgeting for it. Be careful your snacks don’t get out of control and break your budget.

Buying items on your smartphone: Making purchases on your smartphone is a super-easy process these days. You can search on your phone and buy something on Amazon in less than 20 seconds. You can buy cool apps and songs with the touch of your finger. Be mindful of these purchases however, because if you’re not careful, they’ll really add up.

Need help budgeting your money? Check out our budgeting guide!

Article Source: John Pettit for CUInsight.com

The New Year’s Here: Make Better Resolutions This Year

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From starting a workout plan to saving for retirement, roughly 80% of New Year’s resolution fail within the first month. Of the people who keep their commitments through February and beyond, only 8% ultimately reach their goal. Why is that? If you ask 100 people, you’re likely to get 100 different excuses reasons. Making a resolution is easy. Sticking to it? That’s a different story.

But instead of focusing on the failure, let’s look at some ways to increase your chances of success in the new year. Compiling an exhaustive list of what it takes to accomplish your goals would be…well, exhausting. So, to keep you from getting overwhelmed, we’ve narrowed it down to 5 simple suggestions that should help you start the new year strong.

Ways to Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick

Be real.

If you want to get in better shape but haven’t exercised in years, walking for 20 minutes a day makes far more sense than running a marathon in March. If you want to have 3-6 months of living expenses in an emergency fund but haven’t saved a penny over the last year, start with setting aside $20 per paycheck. Realistic goals pave the way for quick wins and consistent progress.

Be specific.

When it comes to setting goals, it’s tempting to speak in generalizations. “I want to feel better.” “I want to be smarter with my money.” The danger of statements like these is that they can’t be measured. Being smart with money is tough to quantify. Paying an extra $50 toward credit card debt is much easier to track. Instead of playing it safe with general statements, dig into the details.

Be consistent.

If you’ve ever run a 5K or 10K, you’ve seen THAT person—you know the one. They’re toeing the starting line, psyching themselves up, trembling with anticipation. As soon as the starting gun fires, they launch from the gate at top speed. You probably passed them after a mile or two, right? As you make your resolutions for the new year, don’t be THAT person. Understand that lasting success isn’t a sprint. Identify your goal, break it down into smaller action steps, and take clear, consistent action toward accomplishing those steps every single day.

Be accountable.

If nobody else knows about them, our best intentions can be our worst enemy. It’s easy to say you want to save $100 each month. It’s also easy to rationalize why you missed a month or two. To keep from fooling yourself, ask a trusted friend, family member, or co-worker to check in and keep you accountable. If there’s one thing worse than missing a goal, it’s having to admit it to someone else.

Be cool.

While January 1st seems like a logical time to make a fresh start, let’s not forget that technically it’s just another day. In reality, every day offers the chance to correct mistakes and build on successes. When making your resolutions, allow for some flexibility. Overly restrictive deadlines and constraints can lead to crippling discouragement. The end goal is improvement, not perfection. So yes, set your goals. But don’t forget to leave yourself some room to enjoy the process of achieving them.

Happy New Year!