How Being Organized Can Save You Money

We tend to think of cost cutting measures as things like clipping coupons or making sacrifices. What if we told you that you could save money simply by being better organized? Here are some traits of organized people and the takeaways that might help you.

Organized people pay their bills on time.

They tend to know how much money they have, what they owe and when it’s due so they are prepared to pay their bills on time. That means they have a budget, keep track of their bills and often use things like Online Bill Pay at VCNB to guarantee they don’t miss anything.   

Organized people know what they own.

Do you ever buy something only to get home and realize you didn’t need it after all? How many bottles of cinnamon do you own? Clean out your closet and take stock of how many black t-shirts you own or how many pairs of jeans are languishing on the shelf because you simply don’t wear them or even know if they fit.

Organized people waste less money on food.

They tend to rotate their stock so that the oldest canned goods are easy to reach in the cupboard. They can see at a glance what’s in the freezer so they don’t forget about the leftover soup they froze and need to use soon because they marked the container and made it easy to find.

Organized people know how to work in batches.

They tend to organize their life so they can run all their errands in one neighborhood at the same time. If they have to drop off their kids for tutoring, they will grab groceries on that side of town and fill up the gas tank while their kids are learning. They avoid driving just to do one thing.

Organized people buy less stuff.

An organized person can tell you that life is easier when you are organizing less. That means they tend not to bring home a lot of extra stuff whether it be planned or on impulse. They remember to pack lunch the night before so they don’t have to eat out or to carry a refillable water bottle so they don’t have to hit the vending machine.

Organized people have more time.

Ok, so this is less about money than quality of life but we believe that’s important too. Batching errands and having less stuff to care for frees up a lot of time to do things you might enjoy more. Besides, what’s that old saying? Time is money.

Simplify Your Finances With Online Bill Pay

Here at VCNB we are taking time this fall to be thankful for all the great ways technology has made banking easier for our customers. Here’s a peek at just one of several. Want to know about other popular technology products that we offer our customers? Click here! 

Paying bills is a task that no one enjoys. That’s why Online Bill Pay is so handy. Whether you wish to automate your payments or log in and pay them individually, it’s a quick and useful tool for making sure your bills are paid on time, every time and without the cost of stamps and checks.

Whether you are paying a national cell phone provider or your family doctor, setting up a biller is simple. Some payments will be sent to the payee electronically while others will require that a check be mailed but there’s no worry – we’ll take care of that part.

Once you have set up a biller, it’s easy to pay them as needed or to set up a recurring payment. Some bills that are the same amount every month such as a car payment or mortgage can be scheduled to pay the same day each month. This streamlines your budget and bill paying activities and gives you the peace of mind that your bill is paid when you schedule it.

If your biller offers e-bills you can sign up to receive your bill electronically. Also, sign up for reminders so you don’t forget to log in and pay those commitments on time.

This is a free service to VCNB customers as long as you use the service at least once a month. It’s straightforward and easy to use and manage. It’s just another way that VCNB is putting technology to work for you! Log in to your Online Banking or VCNB Mobile to get started today!

Four Ways VCNB Makes Money Easy

Give yourself a break this summer and learn how easy money management can be with VCNB.

The kids may be getting a break from school, but you still have to work and the bills need to be paid. Luckily, VCNB has some tools you can use to ease the burden of managing your money and even give you a break from worry.

Online Bill Pay

Simplify your financial life by paying your bills online – either by scheduling them on demand or by scheduling recurring payments. This way you’re sure not to miss a payment and can save your bill paying time for a little R&R!

Mobile App                                                                                                                     

VCNB Mobile enables you to check on your accounts and to bank from almost anywhere. From the beach, from the top of a Ferris wheel or from your couch on a much needed staycation, VCNB Mobile allows customers to transfer funds, pay bills, open accounts and more. The security of this app is top notch to allow for banking without worry.

Cash On The Go

VCNB belongs to the MoneyPass® network of ATMs. With 32,000 ATMS nationwide, VCNB customers can usually find an ATM not far from wherever they are in the country. Traveling for leisure or for work? Just tooling around town? Check out www.moneypass.com to find an ATM near you!

Earning Rewards

Summer can be an expensive time as you may be traveling, buying back to school clothes or entertaining more than normal. Earn points for your purchases every time you use your VCNB Rewards Checking account or your Visa® Platinum card. These UChoose® Rewards can be used to pay for travel, event tickets, gift cards, merchandise and more! Customers with VCNB Rewards Checking can even earn cash back for their regular spending when they register their debit card with UChoose!

Have questions about these and other bank products? Talk to your banker or find more details at https://www.VCNBfamily.com!

Three Ways Online Bill Pay Can Help You

VCNB Online Bill Pay can save you time, money and hassle!

VCNB Online Bill Pay was designed to save you time and make your life better. If you haven’t tried it, we have three good reasons why you should!

  1. Stay organized by scheduling all your bills to pay from one place! Set up email reminders when a bill is due so you never miss a payment. If you receive eBills through our Online Bill Pay, you can even receive notification when the bill arrives. Need to know if a bill has paid or how much you paid last month? Search your bill history by company name, status or date to get your answers.
  2. Feel good knowing it’s the cheapest and the safest way to pay. There’s no need to buy checks or stamps when you can send money electronically. This means there’s no worry that your money will get lost in the mail or land in the wrong hands.
  3. Automate your bills or take control of your scheduling – whatever way works best for you! Automatic payments are great for bills that stay the same each month like a car payment or insurance. You can also log in and schedule each payment individually.

Please remember that accounts registered for Bill Pay that do not make at least one payment during the calendar month will be assessed a $3 fee. Want to learn more? Click here for details or log into your account through Online Banking or VCNB Mobile to get started.

Take Control Of Your Bills With Online Bill Pay

If you’re trying to bank and manage your money from home, one key tool provided by VCNB is Online Bill Pay. There are many advantages to using this service now and during regular times too.

Here for You BadgeWith Online Bill Pay, customers can maintain control over their payment activity without the expense of sending paper checks or the uncertainty over when the check will arrive. In fact, you can specify the exact date you want the bill paid and are able to set up payments to businesses of any size. Whether it’s the dentist down the street, the local electric company, or a Fortune 500 business, we’ve got you covered with Online Bill Pay.

 

Here are a few things you need to know:

  • Recurring payments can be set up on autopay. You choose the day you want the bill paid and we take care of the rest.
  • You can also pay bills on demand.
  • Easily sign up for e-bills from businesses that offer this service. This allows you to keep all your bills and payment activity stored in one place.
  • Your bill history is searchable so it’s easy to find past activity.
  • Setting up reminders helps you know when a payment is due.
  • You can even send money to a friend using just their email address. Do they owe you money? Send them a reminder! You can even split a bill with a roommate or someone else!

Access Online Bill Pay through your Online Banking at VCNBfamily.com and on VCNB Mobile, our mobile app. There is a quick three step process to get started and this service is free to customers as long as you use it once every month. Inactivity will result in a $3 monthly fee. Visit our Learning Center to view a tutorial on this service as well as videos about many other VCNB products. Click here to read more about banking outside the branch!

 

VCNB Tools That Save You Time

Do you ever look at the clock and wonder where the time went? Do you ever look at your bills and wish you didn’t have to spend so much time paying them? Do you ever wish you could cut a couple of errands out of your week? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to keep reading.

Since it feels like time is moving faster every day, here at VCNB we work hard to give you tools that will help minimize your banking chores and free up time for things you really want to do. Here are a few ways you can manage your time better through easy banking with VCNB Mobile and VCNBfamily.com.

Direct Deposit
With direct deposit, your paycheck is automatically deposited into the account of your choice. No need to pick up your check at work and make a trip to the bank.  Need cash? Grab cash back at the register or at an ATM. Not near a VCNB ATM? No problem! Now VCNB customers can use MoneyPass, an ATM network that gives customers access to over 32,000 surcharge free ATMs across the country. Click here to visit MoneyPass and find an ATM near you! 

Mobile Deposit
Deposit a check using the bank’s app, VCNB Mobile, and the camera on your mobile device! Intrigued?  Learn more here! 

Online Bill Pay
Online Bill Pay is a hassle free way to manage your monthly bills. You can use it to pay a single bill or you can set up auto pay for a number of bills. You choose the date the bill is paid and the amount you pay and let us take over from there! It also allows you to receive your bills electronically and set up payment reminders to ensure your bills are paid on time.  No stamps or checks required! This is a free service as long as you use it at least once every month but there is a $3 monthly charge for months that you do not use the service.

Auto transfers
Trying to save money for your child’s education or a family vacation? If you have a hard time remembering to save, set up automatic transfers! You choose the amount you save, the account the funds come from, where it goes and when the transfer takes place. Best of all, you can change any of this at any time.

Mobile app
With VCNB Mobile, you’re essentially carrying a banker in your pocket 24 hours a day. Use the app to set up those automatic transfers, to pay bills, view balances, review transactions, deposit checks and more!  Search for VCNB Mobile in the app store on your device. Now you can change your password in the app and can even set it up to log in using Touch ID.

Mobile Payment Options
VCNB offers Google Pay, Apple Pay® and Samsung Pay, allowing customers a secure, easy way to pay on the go with their VCNB debit or credit card. Learn more here! 

VCNB Introduces Improvements To Mobile App

We are pretty excited to tell our customers about some new updates to our mobile app, VCNB Mobile! We’re always on the lookout for things that will improve the app experience for our customers and we think you’ll be pleased. Here’s a summary:

Add a bill payee – You asked and we answered! Now you can add a new payee to Online Bill Pay from the app and not just from the website!  Just go to the Payments tab and select Manage Contacts to get started.

Digitize paper bills – Use the camera on your device to take a picture of your paper bill. The app will read the bill’s details from the image so you don’t need to type a word. You can pay the bill now or add it to your To Do list so you can pay it later!

Request money using Popmoney® personal payment service – If someone owes you money, all you need is their email address or mobile phone number to request the amount owed. You can even include a message reminding them what it’s for! The funds they send will be deposited into your VCNB account.

As always, you can use VCNB Mobile to open an account, change your password, transfer funds between VCNB accounts, deposit checks and more! You can even view your balances via Instant Balance without actually logging in to the app.

In case you missed it, you can also use the app to control how, when and where your debit card is used. Click the More tab and then Cards to set spending limits including by type of merchant, geographic location and how much your card can be used for in a single transaction. You can even turn your card on and off at will, ensuring that only you can use your card when you are ready to use it!

What are you waiting for? Log into to VCNB Mobile today to try out all these changes!

 

 

A Quick Look: Simplify Your Banking

Most of us lead busy lives. In the spirit of Simplify Your Life Week, we wanted to do a quick summary of some ways you can simplify your banking and {hopefully} free up time for things that are important to you.

Online and Mobile
Gone are the days you have to wait for the mailman to bring your monthly statement. You can still do this but you can also just log in to your online account and see your current balance, past statements, current statement and even pay bills, open an account or prequalify for a loan. It’s free and easy to use our website, plus it gives you greater control over your own money. With VCNB Mobile, you’ll find a one stop shop for your quick banking needs. This is free app gives you access to your deposits and loans from your mobile device. Here you can also pay bills, transfer funds and even deposit a check. It’s like carrying around the bank on your phone.

Want to know more? Here are some specifics!

Online Bill Pay
Many customers seem to think Online Bill Pay is the greatest thing since sliced bread and we are inclined to agree. Set up recurring bills to automatically pay at your convenience or log in and pay a single bill. Either way, it saves using checks and stamps. It also guarantees your payment will be taken from your account when you say. It’s free as long as you use it at least once a month. The great thing about Bill Pay is that it requires so little effort and time to keep paying bills within your complete control.

Popmoney® personal payment service
While Bill Pay helps you pay bills, Popmoney allows you to send funds electronically to individuals. All you need is the person’s email address or mobile phone number. They will receive a text or email notification that your money is waiting for them. They can deposit the money into the checking or savings account of their choice.

Mobile Deposit
Have a check but no time to hit the bank? Deposit it using VCNB Mobile and the camera on your mobile device. You can deposit funds in to the VCNB checking or savings account of your choice for free!

Account Alerts
You don’t even have to log in to keep up with activity related to your checking account, savings account, certificate of deposit or loan. There are nineteen notifications to choose from, allowing you to receive an email or text for activity that interests you. Want to know when your debit card is used or when your checking balance dips below a certain amount? Request reminders for when your loan payment is due or late and even get an alert when your CD is about to mature. Sign up for this free service online.

A Few More Things
Our website and mobile app provide a host of other ways to simplify your banking and save you money. For example, if you’re in the market for a new home, use our online pre-qualification to learn how much you can afford. Open accounts online, track the UChoose Rewards® you earn with Rewards Checking, request a credit increase for your credit card and even chat online with someone in customer service!

Life is too short to waste time on banking. Streamline your banking and your money management with these and other great products at VCNB!

VCNB Tips and Tricks To Keep Your Vacation Running Smoothly

School is letting out across our region and summer vacations are underway. You’ve packed the sunscreen, boarded the dogs and loaded the car but you might not have considered things you should do for your vacation finances. Whether you’re flying to Florida or headed to the mountains, there are some basic things you can do to keep your finances running smoothly and to insure you aren’t stranded somewhere with no access to your money.

Here’s a checklist of some things you can do:

  • Update Your Phone Number With VCNB – In recent years we have seen a spike in fraudulent activity. That’s why we have a talented team to detect and prevent this kind of crime. If we notice activity that’s outside of your normal spending pattern, our fraud department may turn off your card and call you to verify the attempted purchases. If you’re at a gas pump far from home and the only number we have on file is your home number, you won’t understand why your card isn’t working and we will have no way to contact you. PLEASE, take a moment to contact your local branch or our Customer Service Department and give us your mobile phone number.
  • Give Us a Heads Up – If you know you’re traveling, let Customer Service know where you’re headed. It takes just a minute and we appreciate hearing from you.
  • Plan A Second Form Of Payment – Always carry a second form of payment. We actually advise this even when you’re just tooling around town close to home but it’s especially important when you’re far from home. If you plan to use your debit card for primary spending, take a credit card, some cash and/or a prepaid card. VCNB offers credit and debit cards as well as prepaid and gift cards that can be used anywhere Mastercard© is accepted.
  • Download CardValet® – Knowledge is power, especially where your money is concerned. If you haven’t tried it, Card Valet is a fantastic way to keep up with activity on your VCNB cards and even to control how, when and where your cards can be used. With the Card Valet app, you can turn your cards on when you need them and turn them off when you don’t. You can also receive alerts whenever your card is used and place limits so that it can only be used at merchants you choose. You can even place spending limits on your card. This is free and easy to use! Look for CardValet in the app store on your mobile device.
  • Use Account Alerts– Another way to keep up with your money is to sign in to your online banking account and register for account alerts. You can receive a text or email whenever there is activity on your account, when your balance dips below an amount you decide and for a host of other reasons. Knowing how much money is in your account will help keep your spending under control and seeing activity on your account will help you spot unauthorized purchases. This is a free perk of online banking with VCNB.
  • Don’t Forget To Pay Your Bills – Being away on vacation doesn’t give you respite from paying bills. If you have bills due while you’re away, use Online Bill Pay to schedule payments while you’re gone. This is a free service of VCNB online banking, as long as you use it at least one time each month.

Vacation is supposed to be fun! Don’t let money, bills or card problems ruin your relaxing time away. Remember, VCNB Mobile and our http://www.vcnbfamily.com/ are here whenever you need them! You can also call our Customer Service Department at 1.800.542.5004 during business hours.