Coming Soon: MyE-Rewards Cash Back Program

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Gas prices…up. Food prices…up. Utility prices…up. The only thing going down these days is our discretionary spending. Budgets are taking a real beating. Who isn’t looking for ways to earn and/or save money? Well, Vantage is here to help with our new MyE-Rewards program, where the saving is easy, automatic and FREE!

The program
MyE-Rewards is available to all Vantage members who use a Vantage check card and manage their Vantage checking account using MyVantage online banking. You’ll receive targeted offers for cash back or percentage discounts based on purchases you make at places you already shop. There’s NO LIMIT to the amount you can earn; simply, the more you use your Vantage check card, the more offers you’ll receive and more opportunities you’ll have to earn money. It’s Click, Shop, Earn!

Post-Holiday Budget Backers

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Back in November, we shared with you some products that were known to offer pretty good deals for consumers right around the holidays. Well, wouldn’t you know it, the post-holiday retail lull offers some nice deals, too, as merchants try to shake the retail hangover left over from all the holiday spending sprees. So because we’re all about saving, let’s once again take a look at some items that could help ease your budget.

Warm Clothing, Hot Deals 
Hey, it’s January in the Midwest…we still have a few months of cold weather to muddle through, right? And you need warm clothes, right? You’re in luck! By January, most people have competed their winter wardrobes. That means retailers are looking to shrink their inventory, which means deals on all those hats, coats, gloves, even flannel pajamas. Experts say you could see price cuts of 40%-70%. Bingo!

There’s a Hole in Your Budget

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10:00 a.m. Here come the stomach growls, time for a mid-morning snack.

Today it’s a bag of chips and a diet soda. Total cost: $1.75. That won’t break the bank … but how about your budget? Have you ever thought about how all those easily forgettable little expenses can add up? Let’s take a look at just a few you may view as trivial at the time of purchase. You’ll soon see they add up to very real amounts over the course of a year.

Football’s Financial Follies

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Are you ready for some football?!

It's crunch time for the professional football season. The play-off picture is shaping up, although our hometown Rams have had better seasons (understatement of the year!).

What does football have to do with your credit union? Personal finances, of course! While most of us can’t begin to imagine life with the salary of professional athletes, we can see that they have many of the same financial problems we do, just on a much grander financial scale. It’s true. Just take a look at a few NFL players and former players who’ve had a tough time with finances for various reasons.

Home Economics for the Holidays

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Ah yes, there’s no place like home for the holidays, especially when you’re a college student. The food is free, the bed linens are fresh, and alarm clocks are simply clocks with no alarms. But after all the gift exchanges and jello-mold binges, school will call again. After all, there are classes to take and social functions to attend! So when you’re back in the Ramen noodles groove, taking notes on Steinbeck and creating imaginary business plans, here are some tips on saving money. Because as well all know, money seems to be in short supply in college after all the bills are paid.

Cash to Carry On with the Holidays

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Stuffing the holiday stockings comes with the reality that you likely need to stuff your pockets as well, with holiday cash. Who couldn’t use some extra money around the holidays? With that in mind, thewisdomjournal.com has some part-time ideas that may allow you to add to your household income.

Vigilante Holiday Vigils

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Remember last year when you were looking for the perfect holiday gift for your niece, the one who loves astronomy? You saw an ad that allowed you to name a star after her.  Far out … literally. The problem was, only the International Astronomical Union can officially name stars. The company you paid just chose a random star, named it Kourtney, and sent you a bogus certificate of registry. YOU could have done that yourself … for free.

The point is, you should always be on the lookout for scams, but it’s especially important around the holidays. With our giving mindsets, we are more prone to falling for less-than-truthful claims or deals. And it’s even more difficult to pick up on a “scam” when the set-up is perfectly legal. Ugh. We know, right?

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few areas that are perfectly legal, but may prey just a bit on our trusting natures.

Free Puppies!

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“Please mom, oh please, please, puuuuuhlease!”

Who hasn’t heard the desperate plea for pet ownership? A free puppy, a displaced kitten … a cute addition to the family? Pretty hard to resist, we know. While we’re not advocating a no-pet policy here, we do want you to consider the costs associated with pet ownership before caving to the cuteness factor. What costs? Here’s what Americans spent on their pets in 2010 …

A Time to Buy

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As a financial institution, we usually preach the practical side of money, which often manifests itself as save, save, save! BUT, there are times when spending makes sense. With the holidays approaching, we’ll all be out there spending, trying to make this holiday season the best ever … on a budget. So finding good deals on what we buy is a smart idea. With that in mind, the peeps at MSN Money have highlighted a few items that are often priced best in November. Let’s take a look …

Breaking Up (With Your Bank) Isn’t So Hard To Do

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So your checking account is at a bank—like the U.S. MegaBank of Wealthy Stockholders… That’s okay, we won’t hold it against you. But your bank keeps adding more drama (and cost) to your relationship with more fees. Again? Well, keeping their stockholders happy is job one. Unfortunately, keeping YOU happy is job two … maybe even three or four. Don’t keep playing second fiddle to those huge entities out there in financial space. Break up with your bank! That’s right, cut the ties. Ditch the deviance. Move on to someone who will appreciate you and treat you with respect. And hey, we know just the credit union!

Vantage and You, A Union of Financial Souls

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So maybe we’re a little impartial when it comes to places that offer financial services. O.K., we’re intensely impartial. We’re down with credit unions, all credit unions. We’re a pretty unique bunch of financial institutions, we are. But when people talk about credit unions as alternatives to banks, many times there are questions, which is good; you want to be as informed as possible when it comes to something as important as your money. So to put minds at ease, let’s take a look at some of the concerns involving credit unions.

All the Home-Buying World is a Stage

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While the present economy has created a great time to buy a home, selling a home is another matter, times are a bit tougher. The market is overflowing with For Sale signs, so when selling your home, the object is to make it memorable. You can do this by staging your home so that potential buyers can see them living there as soon as they walk through the door. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to give your home that inviting appeal, just make note of what the professionals do using furniture, décor and other accessories. Here are a few ideas:

The Grateful Art of Gratuities

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So you’re in a little café outside Bangkok enjoying a local dish. Your waiter has been very good, providing you with just the right amount of attention and information. You figure he deserves a reward for his outstanding service, so you leave him a nice, fat tip. Suddenly your friendly waiter is smashing a glass at your feet. Was your tip too small? Well, no, the thing is, tipping in many Asian countries is seen as a vulgar display of wealth. You were seriously flaunting your thick wallet at the poor, lowly waiter. Can you say culture shock?

When it comes to tipping, many places outside the U.S. are much less entrenched in the practice, but here at home, tipping is pretty much mandatory. Some say the acronym TIPS has a meaning, from “To Inspire Promptness” to “To Improve Performance.” Whatever the meaning, there’s a whole army of service-industry people out there expecting a bit of financial reward from you “To Inspire Promptness.” But when and how much?

The Plight of the Pickers

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Are you a Picker? It’s not really the latest thing, but it does seem to be one of the hottest things going. Picking is basically the old art of antiquing brought to the forefront by television shows like American Pickers and Antiques Roadshow. Do you frequent garage sales? Chances are you’re a Picker!

Some people drive by a yard sale and think, “Junk.” Others slow down and think, “Treasure hunt!” On more than one occasion a smart shopper with a keen eye has turned a $5 figurine purchase into a $500 sale to a collector. There are treasures to be found out there in the yards and garages of America, but what’s the best plan of attack to maximize your chances of success? Here are a few hints:

The Whys of Savings Accounts

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Did you hear about the woman in Tel Aviv who didn’t trust financial institutions? Her savings account was the inside of her mattress; she stuffed $1 million inside. Yep, one million dollars inside a mattress. Not only did she never earn a penny of interest, but also her daughter surprised her with a new mattress and threw the old one in the dump. Surprise! No word on if the dump diving was successful.

True story? Sounds plausible. But even if it’s nothing more than an urban legend, it still points to the importance of keeping your money safe, and that’s one of the main advantages of having a savings account. What are some other advantages?

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VantageCU Twitter Feed

  • Some of these may seem like common sense but it's surprising how many folks do fall victim to these types of scams. http://t.co/6hobSSbm — 12 hours 40 min ago
  • @lauraheying Awesome, and, welcome! — 3 days 11 hours ago
  • New report: 5.6 mil bank customers switched in the last 90 days, with 610,000 citing Bank Transfer Day as their reason. http://t.co/po3SfUs8 — 4 days 12 hours ago
  • View the 2012 Olympic games in person! Every swipe of your Vantage Visa debit or credit card through 4/30 is an entry! http://t.co/ID0Sw3Wk — 4 days 16 hours ago
  • Super Bowl snacks...will you choose healthier options or stick with the buffalo dip and tortilla scoops? http://t.co/pfRd3DTe — 5 days 17 hours ago
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