First Alliance Blog

Credit cards can be very convenient and useful if you know how to use them properly. Being responsible with credit cards can help you avoid  a lot of financial heartache. Before charging everything on your credit card, it is helpful to learn how to manage the card. Many people get a credit card for easy access to spending money without realizing the negative effects it can have.

If you’ve heard of a trust fund but have no idea what it is, you’re not alone. Most people only know one thing about trust funds—they’re set up by the very rich in order to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities, family members or friends.

In a financial emergency a Pay Day loan may seem like a lifesaver, especially if you have poor credit, have no savings, or think a traditional loan is somehow out of your reach. Pay Day loans also seem more accessible, since you can find a Pay Day lender in a storefront or pawn shop. You can even find them online.

One of the most common mantras among financial advisors is “make your money work for you.” While that’s good advice, the problem is that since most of your paycheck gets eaten up by the necessities of living, there’s very little left over to invest.

Do a quick search online about buying a car and you’ll find hundreds of articles talking about every aspect of buying a car from pre-shopping research to getting the best rate on an auto loan. However, there’s one major aspect of buying a new car that is relatively ignored—transferring the car’s title.

Even if you didn’t owe money this past tax season it’s more important than ever to plan for next tax season now. The idea of tax planning isn’t anything new, but with so many changes under the new tax reform law, we want to go over five major changes you’ll need to take into account when doing your 2018 taxes.

A savings account is a place for you to store money, that isn’t being used, in a secure place where it can earn interest, which grows your overall savings. Savings accounts help you distinguish between everyday spending money and the cash that’s meant for a later date, so that you can avoid overspending, over drafting, and fees.

First Alliance Credit Union donated $8,500 to the Rochester Public School’s Student Nutrition Services. The funding will be used to pay down delinquent lunch accounts across the district, providing needed financial relief for many local families.

Everyone knows that January 1 is a time for making New Year’s Resolutions. Everyone also knows most people give up on their Resolutions by January 2, although some strong-willed individuals may actually last until January 3.

Banking is a necessary evil right? Most of us don't really think about switching financial institutions, and if we do, we most likely think of it as a huge hassle. Actually, switching financial institutions isn't as bad as it seems. Check out our tips to make the switch relatively painless: