News

Sharpen your fraud-fighting skills during this year’s National Consumer Protection Week

March has come, which also brings National Consumer Protection Week—beginning on March 3. As scammers are always evolving, staying informed on the latest trends can help you reduce your risk of becoming the next victim. With resources for college students, seniors, veterans, immigrants, and general consumers, the Federal Trade Commission and consumer protection experts are hosting a number of free educational sessions.

Understanding the Difference Between Brokerage Accounts and IRAs

When investing for the future, there are two types of investment accounts you may come across—a brokerage account or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). While both can serve as long-term investment vehicles, there are some key differences to understand before deciding which one is best for you.

How Do Tax Brackets Work?

Tax brackets may be one of those things that you’ve heard about but don’t exactly understand how they affect your tax bill. Have no fear—in this article, we’ll discuss what tax brackets are, why they exist, and how you can use them to better understand your tax bill.

Loud Budgeting: Understanding Social Media’s Latest Financial Trend

Money has historically been a taboo topic, shrouded in shame and secrecy. However, the latest financial trend going viral on social media is all about freeing yourself from this cultural norm and seeking financial transparency.

Avoiding Financial Pitfalls: The Threat of Predatory Lending

In pursuing large financial goals, it's common to seek out loans and credit offers to help achieve them. However, hidden amidst some financial offers is a dangerous trap known as predatory lending. Predatory lending refers to the unethical practices of lenders who impose unfair, deceptive, or unaffordable terms on borrowers. These practices can result in long-term debt cycles, often disproportionately affecting vulnerable consumers.

HACU Annual Board Meeting - 2/28/2024

Annual Board Meeting Notice All HACU members are invited to join our Annual Board Meeting! Location: IHA Conference Rooms C, D, & E Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Time: 9:00am

What Are the Different Types of Brokerage Accounts?

A brokerage account is a versatile financial tool that allows individuals to manage and invest their money. However, various types of brokerage accounts exist, each serving a different purpose and catering to varying investment goals. Because of this, it's important to understand the different types of brokerage accounts available. In doing so, you can better ensure that you’re choosing an account that aligns best with your financial objectives. But before diving into the different types​

The New FAFSA Landscape: A Guide to Recent Changes

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has undergone notable changes in 2023 that could potentially reshape the financial aid landscape for millions of students. The FAFSA was originally designed to help students access federal and institutional aid for their higher education pursuits. However, the process of completing the FAFSA has been confusing for some and not as accessible as it was intended to be for others.

Meal Planning Magic: Strategies for Smart Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task—especially when you’re on a tight budget. But with a strategic weekly meal plan, you can say goodbye to overspending and hello to smart and cost-efficient grocery shopping. Ready to reign the pantry and your bank account? With these clever steps and thoughtful tips, you’re about to make those savings sizzle.

What Is Business Succession Planning?

As a business owner, deciding what happens to your business after you’re gone is one of the most important parts of preserving your legacy. This decision can not only affect the future of the company you've worked hard to build but also impact the livelihoods of your employees and the well-being of your family.

Phone Number Spoofing Scam

Phone spoofing is a technique used by scam artists to falsify or “spoof” their caller ID information. Phone number spoofing causes the Caller ID to display a phone number or other information to make it look like calls are from a different person or business. While the caller’s information may appear local, very often the calls are placed by scam artists located outside of the state or country.

5-Ways to Stay Safe from Scams

Discover five crucial strategies to protect yourself from scams in this informative article. Learn the importance of maintaining secure passwords, trusting your instincts when faced with unusual payment requests, and exercising caution with suspicious emails. Take your time in financial transactions, ask clarifying questions, and be wary of high-pressure tactics.

Start the New Year Off Right: Achieving Financial Freedom

The new year is a perfect time to reflect on your spending and money habits. Just a few small tweaks can make the difference between an early retirement, your ability to switch careers, travel the world, or otherwise achieve the financial freedom you desire.

Watch Out for Seasonal Scams

The holidays are supposed to be fun—they usually involve spending time with your loved ones, enjoying good food, and great company. Unfortunately, though, criminals never rest, even on holidays. To save yourself the grief of dealing with these fraudsters, we'll look at the top eight scams that crawl out of the woodwork during the holidays, so you can learn how to protect yourself.

Securing Your Future: Working With a Retirement Plan Advisor

Retirement planning is an important aspect of financial security. It involves saving money for retirement, investing for the long term, and reaching a point where you're financially independent. For many individuals, saving for retirement is done through an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan.

NIL and Beyond: Long-Term Financial Planning for Student Athletes

Student athletes today have more opportunities than ever to leverage their personal brand. This includes using their name, image, and likeness (NIL) to secure sponsorships and explore career prospects. But while pursuing a professional sports career may be the dream, having a long-term financial plan that extends beyond the playing field is essential.

Bridging the Gap: College Funding Alternatives

When it comes to pursuing a college degree, utilizing financial aid is a reality and a necessity for many. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the first steps in the process of receiving financial aid. This application helps determine how much financial assistance is available through federal student loans. However, some students may find themselves in a position where the financial aid offered doesn't cover the full cost of attending school.

SEP IRAs vs. SIMPLE IRAs: Key Differences and Considerations

When it comes to saving for retirement, there are several options for self-employed individuals and business owners to choose from. However, among these are two popular choices—the SEP IRA and SIMPLE IRA— each with its own set of advantages and considerations.

6 Options to Pay Down Medical Debt Not Covered by Insurance

Suppose you find yourself in a position where an unfortunate and unexpected illness has brought about hundreds or even thousands of dollars of debt that insurance isn’t going to cover. In that case, you’re likely looking into ways that you can pay off your medical debt. The good news is that you have a variety of options available to you, which we’ve compiled in this article. Depending on the amount of debt and your needs, one of these ways may fit the bill!

Refinancing Options

If you're a homeowner who could use some extra financial help, you may decide to refinance your home. Simply put, refinancing is when you replace your current home loan with another one.

From the Couch to the Caribbean: How to Save for That Much-Needed Vacation

Who doesn’t like going on vacation? If you’re like me and love to travel, you probably have a few destinations in mind of places you’d love to go; however, how often do you actually think about saving for these vacations? Unless you’re like my dad, who has a savings account specifically for vacations, you probably don’t think too much about saving for a vacation or how much money you need for one until it’s right before your trip.

How to Master Your Budget Based on Your Pay Cycle

Budgeting is a critical component of managing your finances. However, an often overlooked factor in budgeting is the impact of pay cycles. Whether you receive a monthly, biweekly, or weekly paycheck, it's important to understand how your pay cycle affects your overall financial plan.

Revamping Your Debt Management Plan for Federal Student Loan Repayment

If you have federal student loans, you're likely aware of the payment and interest freeze that has been in place since March 2020. With payments set to resume in October of 2023, you might be looking ahead and wondering how best to prepare.

Beware of Student Loan Debt Relief Companies

If you’ve borrowed federal student loans, you may have had third-party debt relief companies reach out to you with the promise of forgiving your loans. However, it’s important to understand the potential dangers of interacting with these companies.

What Everyone Should Know About The Different Types of College Savings Plans

Although students can find some form of grant, tax break, or scholarship to help defray the cost of higher education, most will still have to pay out of their own pockets. If you are planning on completely paying for your child's college education when he/she graduates, think again. This is one of the biggest mistakes parents make when saving for their child's education.

Exploring the New SAVE Student Loan Repayment Plan

With the federal student loan forbearance period ending in August 2023, borrowers are gearing up to resume their loan payments this fall. After a 3-year hiatus, many individuals may be concerned about managing their student loan obligations. To address this issue, the federal government has introduced the SAVE Repayment plan.

Did You Just Charge $3,178 on Your Credit Card? Reply Yes or No" SCAM

As text scams become more sophisticated, it is getting increasingly difficult to identify the “real” from the “fake”.

How to Maximize Your Savings While Planning Your Next Trip

If you have an upcoming break or some extra time off from work, it can be the perfect time to relax and recharge. Or, plan a big trip and spend some time somewhere new! No matter which direction you decide to take when planning a holiday or vacation, trips can quickly get expensive. So, we have gathered some tips to help you save on your adventure, no matter where (or when) you are going.

How to Find the Right Home for Your Emergency Fund

Whether your phone breaks, your car needs repair, or your washing machine springs a leak, it's important to be prepared for the unexpected. And one of the best ways to do this is by setting up an emergency fund dedicated to these unforeseen expenses.

Do You Know Your Financial Personality? What Your Money Habits Say About You

These tests are designed to help you understand yourself, your actions, and your attitude towards the world in general.

Critical Fraud Trends to Watch

As fraudsters develop increasingly sophisticated ways to con consumers out of their hard-earned money, we, in turn, must elevate our awareness and advance our fraud prevention tactics. At Alloya, our compliance and fraud prevention experts are continuously monitoring evolving fraud trends to keep our members informed.

Lifestyle Inflation: How to Recognize and Avoid it

Lifestyle inflation is best described as a vicious but often unrecognized cycle of financial or spending increases. When income increases (even by a small amount), spending—not saving—increases at a similar rate. Each time a promotion, raise, or job change occurs, many people fall victim to the same cycle of lifestyle inflation.

5 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make With Your Retirement Savings

If you’re starting to save for retirement, you’ve got the right idea. Millions of Americans have little or no retirement savings at all, and the simple act of working toward a nest egg can put you on the right track.

How to check medical bills for accuracy.

How often do you check your medical bills? If you're like most people, then not often. It’s common for us to assume the bill is accurate, make payment arrangements, and go on with our lives. Unfortunately, medical billing errors are common in the United States. Over time, they can cost customers thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. The good news is that most mistakes are easy to spot by taking the time to review your bill for accuracy before paying it. So let's take a look.

Your funds are safe with HealthCare Associates Credit Union

While recent banking-related news may cause people to be concerned about the health and security of their financial institution, please rest assured that your funds at HACU are safely insured as they have been for over 40 years. Deposits are insured for at least $500,000-$250,000 through the federally insured NCUA National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund and an additional $250,000 via Excess Share Insurance. Click to see our disclosures.

6 Ways to Cope With Financial Burnout

As the Federal Reserve raises rates to combat inflation, more of us are feeling a drain on our finances. Add mounting debt, the loss of a job, or any other source of financial strain, and the stress can become downright overwhelming. Now, in addition to worrying about reaching our goals in life, we may begin to wonder if we can even meet our basic survival needs. Eventually, this worry can turn into burnout.

Watch out for these Holiday Scams

While most individuals think of the holiday season as a time to gather with loved ones and get some rest, scammers use it as another opportunity to defraud consumers. Especially as we all look to save money amidst rising costs, it is important to remain vigilant against suspicious deals and offers. ​

Back To School Scams

Helpful Tips to Protect Members

Don't let your guard down this holiday season

With the holiday season upon us, many Americans will be anxious to travel and visit loved ones, possibly for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, with scams linked to the pandemic continuing to affect millions of Americans, the holidays are no time to let your guard down. Here are scams that holiday travelers and shoppers should be on the lookout for.

Cash App scams on the rise

During the pandemic, more consumers than ever have turned to peer-to-peer payment apps to send money to friends and family, with usage expected to increase by 37 percent in 2021.

COVID-19 and Scammers

Beware of scammers trying to take advantage of consumer fears surrounding COVID-19.

Paying scammers

Gift cards are a popular and convenient way to give someone a gift. They’re also a popular way for scammers to steal money from you.

Capital One Hack

Capital One hack There's a huge data breach to tell you about this morning, and it might be one of the biggest.

Watch out for these scams targeting the elderly

A sobering truth is that older adults are oftentimes the target of costly scams, because they tend to have a more robust nest egg and may be hesitant to report the crime.

4 mistakes to watch out for when paying off debt

4 mistakes to watch out for when paying off debt

Cell phone scam

Fraudsters are using stolen info to trick cell phone carriers into transferring legitimate phone numbers to new devices, leaving consumers with dead cell phones and vulnerable to further attacks.

Top 10 Scams of 2017

Every year, Fraud.org collects thousands of consumer complaints about scams, and today we're releasing our current list of the Top Ten Scams in order to warn consumers what to watch out for. For the fifth year in a row, scams involving bogus Internet merchandise were the #1 complaint!

Creating a Strong Password

Feb 01, 2018 05:30 AM

Check out the “Creating a Password” tip card for helpful steps on reevaluating and strengthening your passwords from Homeland Security.

It's Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week

January 29th - February 2nd the FTC has multiple webinars and tools to help educate consumers about tax-related identity theft, their impact, how to protect yourself, and how to recover if you become a victim.

Tips to avoid email scams

5 Tips for Avoiding Email Scams.

It's Data Privacy Day!

Learn how to keep your information safe.

'Tis the Season for Scams

It’s the time of year when fraudsters roll out a cornucopia of time-tested scams to prey on consumers’ holiday habits.

Fake MoneyPak websites

Many of America’s 33.5 million unbanked and underbanked households rely on prepaid debit cards to pay bills and make purchases. These consumers use cash reload packs--like Green Dot’s MoneyPaks--to load money on their prepaid debit cards. While cash reload packs offer people without bank accounts critical access to the financial system, they are also a frequent target of scammers.

Scammers targeting victims in and out of disaster zones after recent hurricanes, earthquakes

Be on the lookout for scammers who want to take advantage of you when donating to disaster relief charities​

Equifax Security Breach

A news release today reports that Credit Reporting Firm Equifax has had a data breach. While Equifax will be working to notify any consumers that may be at risk, we have found a more immediate resource for those that do not want to wait for their mail or e-mail communication. Equifax has established a dedicated website to help consumers to determine if they were affected and is providing complimentary identity theft protection.

51 Proven Ways to Prevent College Identity Theft

51 Proven Ways to Prevent College Identity Theft

Four Tips for a Cyber-Safe Summer

Summer is upon us – a time for family, fun and travel. Whether you’re going around the block or around the world, odds are you’re taking your work laptop (just in case). And of course, you’re taking your smartphone. Maybe you’ll want to check email on your phone using the hotel’s public WiFi. Maybe the kids want to play an online game on that laptop.

Tips To Stay Safe Online

Need some tips to stay safe online?

Inside Cyber Scams

Inside Cyber Sams - If you're using public Wi-Fi, you might be oversharing.

Summer Travel?

Cyber Do’s and Don’ts for Summer Travel

6 Summer Scams and How to Avoid Them

Some scams never seem to get old, as evidenced by the huge number of people that continue to fall for them no matter how many warnings we issue. There are always new variations that snare even the wariest consumers.

Top 10 financial scams targeting seniors

The National Council on Aging’s webpage for “Top 10 Financial Scams Targeting Seniors”:

New email phishing chip and PIN scam

Remember the credit cards you recently had to get replaced for chip-and-PIN-enabled ones? While the new cards you got in the mail are still safer than the old ones you (hopefully) shredded, some thieves have caught up. Here’s how to keep your information safe.

3 Precautions to Take When You Pay at the Pump

Card skimmers are notorious for gas-station scams. Here are 3 tips to help you protect yourself when you’re filling up.

Frauds and Scams

Be on alert. Stay informed. Protect yourself.

Credit Card Fraud - What to Do if You are a Victim

Every year, millions of Americans fall victim to fraud that costs the national economy billions of dollars. If you’re a victim, it can wreak havoc on your personal finances. Luckily, many financial institutions have measures in place to help protect you from credit fraud. Experian also offers tools you can use to protect yourself from identity theft.

Top Three Spring Scams to Avoid

As bright springtime flowers bloom, so do new dark, weed-like scams.

Moving this spring? Watch out for rental scams!

Each year, May through September are the most popular months of the year to make a move. Planning a move? Fraudsters know how to take advantage of the excitement swirling around prospective movers. If you are not careful, you may fall for a rental scam.

Daily Tax Tips video from fraud.org

The National Consumers League has created a series of Daily Tax Tip videos to help consumers file their taxes painlessly. Click on the video above to get our tips for avoiding tax fraud.

Be wary of fraudsters trying to steal your money and identity this tax season

With less than seven weeks left before April 18, we have entered the height of tax season—the time of year when more than 70 percent of taxpayers turn to software or tax preparers to help prepare their returns. Unfortunately it’s also the time when, if you are not careful, you can fall for one of the most common tax scams: tax preparer fraud...

A Guide to Protecting Your Kids Online

Parents today are confronted with an entirely new set of safety concerns for their children – online threats.

The #1 scam!

Last year, Fraud.org collected more than 7,000 consumer complaints about scams, and today we're releasing our annual list of the Top Ten Scams in order to warn consumers what to watch out for. For the fourth year in a row, scams involving bogus Internet merchandise were the #1 complaint!

Save money filing taxes this new year

Save money filing taxes this new year—and protect yourself from identity fraud

Online Safety

Online Safety - Internet Fraud, Types of Internet Fraud, Tips to Avoid Internet Fraud, Reporting Internet Fraud, and Phishing and Vishing.

Scam Alerts

Scam Alert: don't be duped by fraudsters. Here are some popular scams you should be aware of.

Defend your data: 5 online security don'ts

Defend your data: 5 online security don'ts

5 rules to help protect your online bank account

Evading banking cyber thugs is more challenging than ever. They're now targeting consumers rather than banks and scouting out security holes in your computer. The reason: About 80 percent of U.S. households bank on the Internet, according to banking consultancy Novantas LLC in New York.

Protect Your Identity

Good to know: basic information about Identity Theft.

Chip Cards

If your credit card doesn’t have a microchip in it now, it likely will very soon. Also called EMV cards, these chip-embedded cards developed by companies such as Europay, Mastercard and Visa contain security measures that were impossible with the old magnetic stripe cards.