Travel is finally back in full swing, something we can all be thankful for this year. While staycations and remote-working vacations have been all the rage since 2020, pre-pandemic vacationing is making a comeback in 2022.
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With a desire for a much more normal holiday season this year, Americans are set to make it a landmark year for holiday spending.
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Each year, the National Financial Educators Council releases a National Financial Literacy Test, which is taken by Americans of all ages, financial positions, and backgrounds. The test measures participants’ knowledge as it pertains to earning, saving, and growing their money. As of 2020, the average score of 15- to 18-year-olds who took the test stood at 68 percent, just shy of a passing score. In fact, of the 60,813 people who have taken the test since it began in 2015, only 59 percent received a passing score of 70 percent or higher. Additionally, the National Financial Educators Council also released results which found that poor financial literacy contributed to Americans losing an average of $1,634 each in 2020. That is a cost of about $415 billion to the country at large.
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Ohioans are spending a significant chunk of change on household energy costs, yet most have not evaluated potential savings opportunities.
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It has been awhile since we have given an update on our sponsored dogs from 4 Paws for Ability. For those of you that don’t know, 4 Paws is a local organization that provides service dogs to children and veterans in need. We are so proud to be able to partner with charities, like 4 Paws, to help our community.
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Healthy credit is a key component of qualifying for mortgages, auto loans, and even new jobs. A FICO score is the three-digit number that summarizes your credit report. It’s only a small slice of the credit pie, but it’s an important one. Understanding what it all means will greatly improve your chances for obtaining the highest credit score possible.
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Christmas might feel like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Help ease the stress the holiday season brings by thinking about your holiday spending goals now. Without a plan you may be more tempted to use your credit card which means you could be paying for the holiday festivities well into the spring. Starting to save now will help alleviate the stress of overspending and accruing more debt.
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Identity theft is on the rise and wreaking havoc on the lives of many Americans. While everyone is at risk and there’s no foolproof way to safeguard against it, learning how to protect yourself from this type of fraud can go a long way in lowering your risk of identity theft.
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It’s back-to-school time! Things may look different this year, but one thing is for certain, kids will need school supplies. Each year, various states hold a tax-free weekend to make back-to-school shopping more affordable for parents. Ohio’s is this weekend and starts Friday. Between Friday at 12:00 AM to Sunday at 11:59 PM clothing, school supplies and instructional materials (up to a certain value) will be exempt from sales and use tax. The stores are usually more crowded during tax-free weekend, so you may be asking is it worth it? We think it is.
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In partnership with the Ohio Credit Union Foundation, River Valley Credit Union has provided $12,500 to members of the Dayton area who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-five individuals were each awarded a $500 grant to help cover some of their financial needs.
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