Come one, come all to the 4th Annual Mountain View Street Fair!  Join us at Clark Middle School on Saturday, June 23 from 12-4 p.m. for a free day of food, fun and community bonding.  There will be ice cream, cotton candy, popcorn, fruit, hot dogs for $.50, bouncy castles, rock walls, fire truck tours, entertainment on two stages, social services and much more!

Hope to see you there!

Hi! I’m Ashley, Financial Education Coordinator for Credit Union 1! Check out my blog every Friday for fun tips and tricks to help you manage your finances.  Uffda, higher education costs seem to be rising by the minute! One of my younger brothers is currently in college and my little sister will be a college freshman in the fall and boy do they have some doozies when it comes to college costs! Neither of them have a college savings account and they are paying for it through loans so let’s take a second to look at different ways to pay, save or plan for higher education.

Whether you’re planning to pay for your own college education or your child’s, it is important to have a plan and start early. Most of us here in Alaska get the PFD so this is a good place to find extra cash to save. There are programs like the UA College Savings Plan for PFDs that will guide you step by step to put away some or all of your (or your child’s) PFD for higher education. Since my siblings and I haven’t lived in Alaska all our lives – PFD’s weren’t around for us to save but it’s definitely something I’ll look into for my future children!

Maybe saving the PFD just isn’t in the cards for you – that’s ok! There are a few other ways you can save like doing a Coverdell Education Savings Account (CU1 offers this) or a 529 college savings plan. Both of these may have tax benefits so check with your tax advisor to see which one will work best for you!

Hi! I’m Ashley, Financial Education Coordinator for Credit Union 1! Check out my blog every Friday for fun tips and tricks to help you manage your finances. When everything gets out of control, sometimes it seems easier to ignore it rather than face it. I’ve been there, you’ve been there – everyone at some point or another feels like their challenging money situation just sprinted into the “can’t get any worse” position. Take a deep breath and try some of these tricks!

Stop living outside of your means.  This means cut up your credit cards and stop using them as overdraft protection on your checking account. Having protection is great, but if you’ve reached the point of being out of control, you’re not using it as protection – you’re living outside of your means. You might get slapped with a few fees, but it will make you keep your account in the black by making better spending choices. If you cut up your cards that’s great – no more overspending! However, don’t close your credit accounts when the credit cards are maxed because it can have a negative effect on your credit score.

Weather (pun intended) it's rain or shine, you'll see Credit Union 1 employees from Ketchikan to Nome volunteering their time and talents to make their communities a better place. So far in 2012, CU1 employees have donated 1,287 hours to various causes and projects, all working toward the common goal of living "One for All!"

Check out some pictures from recent CU1 volunteer adventures!

Mountain View Road Clean Up

Every springtime, as a part of the citywide clean up project, CU1 employees roll up their sleeves and spend an evening cleaning Mountain View Drive.  This year it was a sunny, warm spring evening and nearly 30 CU1ers could be seen picking up trash on May 16th!

Walk and Roll for Hope Community Resources

Kendall Cares in Alaska is awarding $20,000 to Anchorage area non-profits.  Congratulations to the following charities that were chosen as finalists for the $20,000 giveaway (4 non-profits will be awarded $5,000 each):
 
AK SPCA
Alaska Autism Resource Center
Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska
American Heart Association
American Lung Association of Alaska
American Red Cross
Anchorage Library Foundation
Anchorage Park Foundation
Bean's Cafe
Challenge Alaska
The Children’s Hospital at Providence
Covenant House Alaska
Dare to Care
Denali Family Services
Eva Foundation
Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation
Hope Community Resources, Inc.
Mat-Su Special Santa Program
Safe Harbor Inn
YWCA Alaska
 
For more information on how you can help your favorite non-profit win $5,000 between June 1-22nd, click here.