Memorial Day is right around the corner and so are some great deals on a new car! If you’re in the market for a new automobile, maybe you think the easiest way to get your dream car financed is to obtain dealer financing at the time you buy the car. In a sense, that’s true – as long as you don’t mind spending more time and money than necessary just to make things “easy.”

Shopping for a new car has never been easier. 

There’s never been greater access to information on everything from make, model, fuel efficiency, past accidents and more to help you make the right decision.

Yet, consumers continue to make the same buying mistakes. 

Are you guilty of these? 

Trying to improve your credit score? Those three little numbers can be crucial if you want to rent an apartment, buy a car, or open low rate, high benefit credit cards. Here are five ways you can boost your credit score and own your future!

1) Leave accounts open

Before you make the decision to close an account, make sure you check if closing the account will negatively affect your credit score. One of the biggest factors in calculating your credit score is the length of time your account has been established, so keeping cards, even when you don’t use them, can help your score.

Every year, we make tons of resolutions. We sign up for a gym membership and vow to get healthy, we swear to ourselves we’ll start going to bed on time, and we make promises to become healthier, happier people.  But this year, the best resolutions you can make are the ones that affect your finances. Help nurse your credit score back to health, make your checking account happier, or invest in your future and start down the path of a healthier, happy financial year.

College is the start of your adult life, and you'll start to see some changes in your day to day routine. From paying rent, to grocery shopping, to managing your free time and homework schedule, college comes with a lot of responsibilities you've never had to consider. One of these considerations is your personal finances. You might be wondering, "Where do I even start?". We hear you. Here's 5 helpful tips from our friends at Money Under 30 to follow as a college student getting started in your financial journey. 

As summer comes to a close, and fall is upon us, most of us are probably realizing the same thing; we spent way too much money this summer. From vacations, to home improvement, to the perfect beach bag, summer spending can get to even the best of us. But not to worry! As fall rolls around, here are some certified tips to get back on track with your savings account just in time for the holidays!

Share Certificates: You might have seen this term before but didn’t know what it meant. Share Certificates are a secure, long term investment that give you the returns you deserve, while giving you the flexibility to choose how much you invest and the length of term.

If you’ve been following this blog, you may have suddenly realized that you want everyone in your family to become member-owners of the USC Credit Union. However, they might also be hesitant to make the switch. The process of closing one account and opening another appears daunting, but it is actually very easy! If you want to share the joy of lower fees, greater accessibility, and better resources with a loved one, just send this blog their way to clarify the process.