Tag Archives: VCNB Financial Family

On the Go? We Can Help!

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On the go? We can save you time! With just a few simple steps, Online Banking at VCNB can save you time during this busy holiday season. You ask how? Here are just a few things you can do online that will help!

Schedule Bill Payment
Who has time to write checks, search for a parking space at the post office and then stand in line for stamps? By using Online Bill Pay, you Couple on computercan pay all your bills without checks or stamps. Just enter some basic information about your account with the business you are paying and we take care of the rest. You can schedule payments either for one time or for automatic payment. While you’re at it, get a jump on 2015 by scheduling bills for payment in January. Done and done.

 
Be a Payback Hero
If you have Online Bill Pay, you also have Popmoney ®. This personal payment service allows you to send and receive money with the same ease as sending an email or text message. All you need is the recipient’s email address or mobile phone number to send them funds from your VCNB Online Account. The cost is .50 per transaction, making Popmoney cheaper than writing and mailing a check to someone. With Popmoney you can payback a friend or relative or even send monetary gifts to loved ones far from home this season.

Transfer Funds
We welcome you to visit the bank as often as you like but we understand that folks are busy. If you just need to transfer funds from one account to another, you can take care of that through Online Banking. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. When you log in to Online Banking, just look for the Transfers tab.

Check Balances
While you’re logged in, check your balances and activity. Contact Customer Service immediately if you believe there are fraudulent charges on your account. And of course, make sure you really have the money you think you should have. After all, being one of Santa’s elves can be expensive and it’s easy to lose track of what you are spending.

If you are not internet savvy or are on the go, remember that our Telebanc telephone service is available 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-317-5990 to check your balances, review account activity, transfer funds and make payments. It’s easy to use and free!

This is a busy time of year. Trim the trouble of banking from your list and just enjoy the season!

10,000 Reward Points and Your New Favorite Card

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Looking for a new “front of the wallet” card?
You know what we mean.
That card you use so much that it is always in front of everything else in your wallet, easy to find and more used than all the others combined.

We are so confident that our Visa ® Platinum Credit Card will be your new favorite credit card, we will give you 10,000 free reward points just for trying the card.

Why are we so confident you will like this card? In addition to the great local service that comes from VCNB credit cards, you will also receive reward points for every dollar you spend with your Visa Platinum Credit Card.

Now through February 28, 2015, every new credit card customer who opens a new Visa Platinum Credit Card will receive a 10,000 reward point bonus. Reward points can be redeemed for a number of great items including gift cards, travel and thousands of neat products.

Your bonus will be added to the account within the first few days of the month after the credit card is opened.

Contact your local office today to get started. To learn more about the Platinum Card and this promotion, click here.

UChoose Rewards® points have no cash value. Credit restrictions apply. VCNB is Member FDIC.

 

 

 

Budget, Plan For Holiday Fun

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What’s your style when it comes to holiday shopping? Do you wait until Christmas Eve to start buying or do you have everything purchased and wrapped before December? What’s your spending style? If you’re like millions of Americans, you may not worry about the money until the credit card bill hits your mailbox.

What if we told you that with a little bit of planning Christmas spending can be less stressful and more fun? The key to alleviating the strain comes from two sources: Budget and Planning.

First you need to review your finances and determine how much you are able to spend on holiday related expenses. Once you have that amount, it’s time to start making a list.

A great place to start with planning this year’s holiday is to consider how much you spent last year. If you don’t remember or have notes from last year, that’s ok. Just start by making a list of every person you give to and every holiday expense.

Budgeting and planning are the best ways to stay on track during the holidays. Even Santa makes a list and checks it twice!

Budgeting and planning are the best ways to stay on track during the holidays. Even Santa makes a list and checks it twice!

Be sure to include the name of every person you shop for including your child’s teacher, your pastor or hair stylist. Add to that list other things you buy such as stocking stuffers, holiday meals, baking supplies, gift wrap, postage and shipping, Christmas cards, home décor and Christmas tree, travel expenses, charitable donations and anything else you buy or do that is extra (including post-holiday sales).

Next to each category, set a spending limit. Once you have set a spending limit on each category, add it up to make sure you are within your holiday budget. If not, check that list again to determine whether there are places to save.

Once you have a balanced budget, take a deep breath. You are halfway there!

The next step is to track spending throughout the season. Keep a running total of your purchases. If you go over budget in one category, don’t panic – just look for ways to save someplace else.

What are some practical ways to stay on track and under budget?

  • Shop with a list. When it comes to gift giving for your family, it’s a good idea to ask everyone for a wish list. This will give you a place to start and hopefully insure that everyone gets something they really want. At the very least, spend a little time brainstorming gift ideas for each person before you go shopping.
  • Be a smart consumer. If your husband requests new Blu-ray player, don’t wait until you’re in the store to think about what to get. Research online, read product descriptions and customer reviews before you say “I’ll take it.”
  • Think outside the box, the box store, that is. Consider gifts that don’t come from the mall. That cute little shop downtown may sell handmade scarves or jewelry that would make a unique gift for your mother-in-law. The candle store next door makes relaxation candles that your child’s teacher would love. Small businesses in your community often sell items you can’t find at a large retailer and the small business owner will truly appreciate every dollar you spend with them.
  • Start now. Don’t wait until the last minute to start buying. You can take your time researching the right product, cost compare and have a more pleasant buying experience when you’re not pressured to buy.
  • Use credit wisely. Many financial experts recommend shopping with cash or debit card to curb any urges to overspend. If you want the rewards points from your credit card or need to delay paying for Christmas until the first of the year, be mindful of every dollar.
  • Talk to your family about holiday priorities. Encourage them to focus more on the joy of the holidays – on spending time together decorating the tree, baking cookies and watching holiday movies – rather than on a ton of expensive gifts under the tree.

Finally, be sure to keep a record of your holiday expenses so you have a starting point for next year’s budget.

One other quick tip that could help you for next year is a Christmas Club savings account. At VCNB, you can set the amount you would like to save and we divide that amount into 26 bi-weekly deductions from your checking or savings account. In mid-October, you will receive a check or direct deposit for the amount you saved so you will have cash in hand for next year’s holiday budget.

Visit any of our 13 locations or our website to open a Christmas Club today!

Setting a Realistic Budget

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Do you have a household budget? If you’re like most Americans, chances are you don’t. A Gallup poll  last year revealed that just one in three Americans prepare a household budget.

However, a budget plan is one of the most important things you can give yourself. It helps you to know where your money is going, helps with savings or other financial goals and it simply keeps you on track so that you don’t spend money you don’t have.

Unfortunately, people who do have budgets often don’t stick to the plan but instead simply have a wish list of how they want their finances to work while they continue spending unrealistically.

So how do you create a realistic budget that you can live with?

The first step is to track your spending. You already know how much you spend on utilities, mortgage and insurance but what about smaller expenses? For a month write down every penny you spend. Five dollars for lunch and thirty for gas add up pretty quick so it is necessary to be realistic about all of your daily expenses. At the end of the month, add up how much you spent.

Now sit down and make a list of all your expenses. It can be a handwritten list or some kind of worksheet on the computer.

Simply fill in the amounts and add up your month’s expenses. Are they more or less than your income? If they are less than your income that’s great! That means you have extra money to save, to dedicate toward debt payoff or to spend.

If your expenses are greater than your income, it is time to look at cutting expenses. Think about extras that you don’t really need like premium cable or a land line that no one in the house uses. Also look at major expenses like car insurance. Can you get a cheaper rate? How much money are you spending in restaurants or on recreational shopping? Are you wasting a lot of food at home? Maybe you are overbuying for your family?

Here are a few other things to keep in mind.

One of the most powerful ways to free up money in your budget is to pay off debt. Credit card bills, student loans and other types of debt may seem impossible to move past but making debt pay off a priority in your budget will help you stay on track and see how it is possible to dig yourself out of debt.

Give yourself a little wiggle room in your monthly budget. For those categories that fluctuate, like your water or electric bills, build a little extra into each month so you are not caught off guard. Also try to anticipate irregular expenses. You know your child’s school takes portraits every November so budget for that expense in November. Instead of trying to pay for all Christmas expenses at one time, tuck away a little into savings each month. A VCNB Christmas Club is a great way to do that!

And of course, build a safety net by saving something every month. Most experts recommend saving at least ten percent of your earnings. If this isn’t possible, just save whatever you can – even if it’s just five dollars a week.

Having and sticking to a budget will help you know where your money goes and will help you live within your means. These acts will eventually help you create a nest egg and pay off debt. Want more information on budgeting? Visit Consumer.gov.

 

 

Back to School Tips for You

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Back to school time is upon us and that means another nine months of rushing and stressing to make sure homework is done and everyone is at their respective school and work on time. At VCNB, we love easy tips to improve our quality of life and to keep things running smoothly.

It seems the key to starting the school year off on the right foot may lie in organization.

You’ve invested in a lot of supplies and clothes and shoes for your kids so you don’t want them to be lost. We recommend that you label your child’s possessions. Put their name in or on their lunchbox, book bag, binders, band instrument cases – even their jackets and gym clothes. There’s nothing worse than replacing a lost lunchbox or trying to track down a new book bag.

Before you ever send them out the door, think about how you can streamline your morning routine and what you can accomplish at night instead. One way to get prepared the night before is by packing lunches and laying out clothes. Also make sure all the homework is complete and forms from school are signed and ready to return. You can even set the table for breakfast and put out any non-perishable food items you will need in the morning.

Speaking of the night before, go to bed earlier than normal during the school year. It’s easier for kiddos to learn and to behave well when they are rested.

Organization also helps at the end of the day when everyone is tired from a long day and ready for some down time. Remember how hungry you were after school? Have a snack ready for them in the car, at home or at the sitter’s house to hold them over till dinner. A simple snack will improve their mood and prevent you from swinging into a drive thru just to keep them happy. Also work with your kids to finish homework and complete other tasks to make the morning run smoothly.

One last thing. Teach your child a password that only you and they know. That way, if your child is approached by a stranger claiming that mom or dad sent them, they will know it’s a trick if the stranger doesn’t have the password.

Comment if you have tips for making the school year run smoothly!