There’s a new spending trend in town, and many are calling it “revenge spend.” As the COVID-19 vaccine gains momentum and restrictions ease, people are opening their wallets to make up for lost time during the lockdown. Many people are going big, bolstered by their stimulus checks. But be careful not to go too overboard…. Read more »
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On April 28, 2021, the White House released a fact sheet for President Biden’s American Families Plan (AFP), which proposes about $1 trillion in investments and $800 billion in tax cuts. There would also be tax increases for those making more than $400,000 per year. Major provisions proposed in the plan are summarized here, including… Read more »
For the fourteenth year in a row, readers of the New Times voted for SESLOC as their pick for Best Bank or Credit Union. Thank you to everyone who voted. We are humbled! Check out all of the winners »
ASK A FINANCIAL PLANNER In March 2021, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6%, the largest one-month increase since August 2012. Over the previous 12 months, the increase was 2.6%, the highest year-over-year inflation rate since August 2018. (By contrast, inflation in 2020 was just 1.4%.)1 The annual increase in CPI-U… Read more »
Shopping for Mother’s Day gifts? SESLOC Rewards now offers more gift cards to popular retailers! You can redeem your SESLOC HomeFREE Checking™ debit card and Visa Signature® Rewards card points for a gift card to give, or to use towards that perfect gift! Check out the top 10 SESLOC Rewards for Mother’s Day. Not registered?… Read more »
If you have qualifying children under the age of 18, you may be able to claim a child tax credit. (You may also be able to claim a partial credit for certain other dependents who are not qualifying children.) The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 makes substantial, temporary improvements to the child tax credit… Read more »
Purchasing a home is a big decision. For most people, it’s the biggest purchase they will make in their lifetime. Plus, a home is so much more than an asset. It’s where we live, raise our children, entertain friends, and feel the most secure and at peace. It’s easy to understand why people would want… Read more »
Lifestyle creep, or lifestyle inflation, happens to the best of us. As your standard of living improves, your non-essential discretionary purchases gradually increase. You might even start to think your “wants” are “needs.” Some creep is natural and to be expected, but excessive creep can derail your finances. In extreme cases, lifestyle creep forces you… Read more »
Do you use others for the barometer of what you should have or deserve to have? Constant exposure to your friends’ vacations, experiences, dining out, luxury purchases, new cars, and house upgrades on social media amplifies “FOMO (fear of missing out)” and the desire to “keep up with the Jones’s.” Overtime, the idea of what’s… Read more »
Download I’m a Credit Union Saver, a fun activity book filled with coloring pages, puzzles, and more! I’m a Credit Union Saver is an introduction to credit unions and saving money. Check out more fun online tools to teach kids about money.
ASK A FINANCIAL PLANNER Since the pandemic began, disruptions in business activity have varied greatly from region to region, and often from one week to the next, according to the severity of local COVID-19 outbreaks. Unfortunately, many of the official government statistics used to gauge the health of the U.S. economy are backward looking and… Read more »
