In celebration of College Savings Month, here are five helpful tips parents, along with their children in many cases, can use to help make college more affordable and less of a financial burden on your family and your child.   Start saving early for your child’s education to maximize savings and potential growth over time. Options for saving include tax-advantaged accounts ...

Seven tips for using payment cards when you travel to avoid hassles, minimize fees and reduce your risk.

Piedmont Advantage Credit Union (PACU) cautions businesses that process debit card payments as credit card transactions to not surcharge their customers as federal law prohibits this practice. PACU President & CEO Dion Williams said, he learned from a credit union member that several of his receipts had surcharges when his debit card payments had been processed as credit card transactions.

Digital wallets, secure applications software that enable consumers to transform their smart phones, watches and laptops into mobile funds-transfer devices, are moving deeper into the electronic payments mainstream.

Carrying consumer debt can weigh heavily on our minds, reduce our freedom of choice, and cost us a ton of money in interest. Assuming you’ve got more than one debt to pay off, which method of debt repayment should you use?

When you are standing at the cash register at a chain store, it is almost inevitable that the salesperson will make a pitch for you to sign up for a store card. It is easy to be tempted by the discount, but a store card is not a coupon.

An emergency fund is a specific amount of money that you set aside for periods of uncertainty or suffering. One example is your HVAC breaking in the middle of the summer. Many people don’t even know about the significance of emergency funds until something breaks. Then, once people realize how often disasters, damage, or other inconveniences can strike at any time, preparedness becomes a crucial part of their lifestyle.

Check out our latest blog concerning fraud and what scammers are doing to try and swindle you out of your hard-earned money.  At Piedmont Advantage Credit Union we monitor and help fight against fraudsters.  We hope this information helps you defend yourself from falling victim to fraud. 

Using the equity in your home to pay off unsecured debt and/or make home improvements can be a hard financial decision. Low annual percentage rates, tax-deductible interest, and streamlining your monthly payment makes second mortgages extremely attractive. Meanwhile, using your home for collateral is a decision that should be weighed carefully.

Get a fresh start by paying old debt!  Learn some simple things you can do to help make that fresh start possible and get one step closer to financial freedom!