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Although access to debit cards, credit cards, and online shopping platforms make life a little simpler, accurate money management has become much more complicated. Multiple accounts and payment dates can be confusing.
Finding time in your busy schedule to get to CCCU’s branches will likely not get any easier. Rather than allow your money management strategy to falter, embrace our modern-day solutions to stay on the road to financial success.
Money Management Tools For Every Lifestyle
It’s important to understand that people at different stages of their lives have unique money management needs. On-campus college students and career-minded people may not have access to their credit union lobby on a weekly basis. And busy families are too often juggling other priorities than sitting down to balance checkbooks or wait in line to make deposits. If you want to streamline your money management strategy, consider the following.
1. Online/Mobile Banking
You could end up paying overdraft charges and late fees if you lose track of spending. Writing a check while out shopping and forgetting to enter it into a ledger can create a domino effect. One unaccounted-for check can lead to utility and loan payments bouncing.
But online banking and mobile banking allow busy family members to stay on top of their finances. With easy access to account balances, check images, tax forms, customizable alerts, and the ability to transfer funds and pay bills, your busy lifestyle doesn’t have to change. Whether you are at home on your laptop or using your smartphone in the palm of your hand, managing your money is easy.
2. Mobile Wallet
The number of people who use smartphones in America is expected to exceed 311 million by the end of 2023. Young adults and their comfort with technology remain a driving reason for the increase. With smartphone usage increasing and the use of actual cash decreasing, it makes sense to simplify your life by adding your debit card and credit cards to your smartphone’s mobile wallet. Utilizing CCCU’s mobile wallet can reduce the clutter you have to bring into the store and save you time.
If safety is your concern, rest assured that your card information isn’t stored on your device. The store never sees your card number, so hackers don’t either! With additional layers of security in place, have confidence that using CCCU’s mobile wallet is fast, easy, and secure.
3. Mobile Check Deposit
Not every company offers direct deposit, and busy families often find adhering to the drive-thru and lobby hours inconvenient. And college students with off-campus jobs may face a significant commute. CCCU is taking the driving and wait times out of life by offering Mobile Check Deposit. Simply download our “CCCU Mobile” app and take a photo of the front and endorsed back of the check.
4. Shared Branching Network
College students living on campus away from home experience money management challenges. Unable to visit their local branch, some transactions are put on hold until semester breaks. In an effort to simplify money management for community members away from home, shared branching network credit unions extend their hospitality. If you are at school, working abroad, or traveling, you can make transactions at one of the 5,000 credit unions in the network. To explore which branches our CCCU members can access, review our convenient branch locations.
5. Overdraft Protection
The last thing anyone needs is a hefty overdraft charge adding to the high cost of groceries, gasoline, and other costly essentials. Yet, most people will make a money management misstep that results in unwelcome fees. By selecting overdraft protection, money will be automatically shifted from your savings account to your checking account to cover the difference, preventing you from bouncing a check.
6. Direct Deposit
Setting up a direct deposit for your recurring paycheck or social security check saves you time and money. Although we will miss saying hello, it’s no longer necessary to drive to our branches. Busy families must prioritize their time around work, making dinner, doing children’s homework, and getting them to extracurricular activities. Depositing your check should be the last thing on your mind.
7. eStatements
Receiving a monthly statement was once an opportunity to reconcile accounts. These days, it exposes people to identity theft. The information contained in snail mail statements are pieces to a larger puzzle that identity theft criminals use to steal money and leverage credit cards.
By contrast, digitally secure eStatements can only be accessed by the person who knows the login credentials, passwords and passes all security measures. Opting out of paper statements reduces the impact on the environment, protects your privacy, and allows you to review your statements faster.
8. Bill Pay
Losing track of monthly bill due dates ranks among the primary reasons people make late payments and damage their credit scores. With credit cards, utilities, taxes, and other bills the average American receives, it’s not hard to miss a deadline, get a late fee, and see your credit score take a hit.
Online bill pay simplifies money management because it organizes payment dates and allows you to set up recurring payments and reminders. This convenient service is a must when you are trying to simplify your money management strategy.
CCCU’s Money Management Tools Can Help
Working families, college students, and people focused on their careers deserve money management tools to simplify their life. At CCCU, we want to see our members succeed! Whether you prefer our online tools such as online banking or mobile banking, or our other convenient money management tools, CCCU has you covered. Still have questions? Visit any of our branch locations where our teams are ready to help!
