Vacation travel changed for years to come?

My family loves to travel and each summer we look forward to a big trip. We make travel a priority each year and set up savings goals to make sure we can pay for our trips. We usually begin planning early in the year and try to have all the details squared away by the end of March. That was the routine each year until this year. Obviously, travel and especially international travel, have come to a grinding halt this summer. Travel is all about making memories. As our kids get older, the chances to make those memories become more precious so we are changing how and where we get away to.

Vacation home rentals

With all that’s going on with the pandemic, we decided that renting a home and social distancing from others still allows us to get away and enjoy a change of scenery. This summer we decided to stay close to home and only go to destinations in the great state of Texas. We’ve enjoyed a stay at the beach and a visit to a small Texas town known for ice cream.

Vacation home ownership

Depending on how long this pandemic lasts, I’ve genuinely considered purchasing a vacation home. If we have to work from home or go to school from home, a vacation home would help make that a different experience and offer the chance to mix business/school with pleasure. I suspect that properties will become increasingly more difficult to find as this pandemic drags on, but it would be nice to have a place to go on weekends to break up the monotony of pandemic life. With historic low mortgage rates, the timing has never been better to take on a mortgage.

RV or travel trailer

Another option I’ve considered is a travel trailer or RV. Many of my coworkers have them and they all enjoy weekend getaways to camp grounds within a short drive from the Houston area. There seems to be a comradery they share with other campers that gives it a sense of community. Camping seems to be another one of those activities that lends itself well to social distancing. RVs can be pricey but travel trailers can be very affordable both on price and financing.

Deals on hotels and airfare

For those brave enough, the travel industry is enticing travelers with some of the lowest prices and flexible cancellations seen in years. There are many places around the world like Orlando, Las Vegas and cities in Europe where the entire economy is based on visitors traveling and staying there. I would suspect that there will be a quick push to find ways to make travel safe to those destinations and put potential visitors at ease.

No matter which option I go with, it’s all about making memories with loved ones. Things that are out of the norm are the easiest to remember and I think that is what appeals to me about travel. Hopefully, things will get back to normal sooner rather than later but in the meantime, I wish you safe and happy travels.

 

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Planning for college is a 17 year journey

Eighteen years ago, my wife and I found out we were going to have a baby. We immediately began thinking about college and paying for it. Both of us had received the gift of college from our parents and agreed that we would provide the same for our children. We knew that saving for college was going to take using all the tools available to us.

State Prepaid Tuition Plans

We were lucky enough to have the Texas Tomorrow Fund available to us just before they closed it to new enrollments. Basically, the plan allowed us to purchase years of college at the current price knowing that in 18 years, the cost would be much higher. The state has since replaced this program with other opportunities to save for college including a qualified 529 Plan.

529 Plans

A 529 Plan is a tax-advantaged way to save for future education expenses including college. In most cases, the money you put into one of the plans is invested so that it can grow over time. Each state offers a 529 Plan which have different features which may appeal to people for different reasons. For example, we chose the Nevada plan based on the ability to invest in certain mutual funds.

If you don’t feel comfortable enough with investment matters, most of the plans have an age based option that adjusts automatically based on the age of the beneficiary of the 529 Plan. Which brings up an important point about 529s which is the ownership of the fund and what happens if the beneficiary doesn’t end up going to college. You can either name a new beneficiary who is a family member or take the cash out with penalty.

Choosing a College

I had no idea that the search for colleges to attend took place so early in high school. Thankfully, my wife is a teacher and is in the know. She began taking my oldest on college visits as a sophomore. Once she had decided where she wanted to go, my wife sent her to summer camps there and made contacts with the admissions team.

The sooner you start on this journey, the more tools are available to you. I encourage parents or soon to be parents to have a serious discussion about planning for college.

For even more tools available to you, I recommend a very comprehensive article on paying for college by one of my teammates. It is worth a look, and since you’ve made it this far in this post I’m assuming you have some interest in the topic.

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Do you know where your money goes?

Some people are really good about tracking their expenses and using software or spreadsheets to account for where their money goes right down to the penny. I am not one of those people. Don’t get me wrong, my Scottish upbringing does mean I care about my money and has instilled in me a frugality that some may confuse for cheap.

I log into my accounts every day to check balances and see what transactions have cleared but never really had a true sense of where my money was going. Until now. Recently the credit union added a feature to the digital banking system that cleans transaction data and enables it to auto classify transactions. In the past, a debit card transaction at Kroger would have looked like this:

POS 0624 1607 890416 KROGER #144 1920 W LEAGUE CITY LEAGUE CITY TX

And now, the system simply shows:

Kroger and automatically classifies it as Groceries.

Now if I select the Analytics tab in my account, I get a spending break down and see how much my family has spent on Groceries in the last month.

spending breakdown

I can also access the information for all of my accounts at once using the financial wellness widget. Afterall, the first step to financial wellness is knowing where your money goes. Using the financial wellness widget, I can track my family’s spending trends. For example, since the start of the pandemic, our gas purchases are way down and our grocery bill is way up.

Knowing this information is the best way to start a conversation about our family spending. We’ve already identified areas where we need to make adjustments.

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Take care of minor repairs before they turn into major expenses

One of the lessons I’ve learned over the years is that problems don’t normally go away without addressing them. And if the problem involves having to spend money, not only does the problem not go away, it usually ends up costing me more money.

I had originally started this post several months ago and thought I would get around to finishing it before now. What brought me back to it was the constant hum of the air conditioner in my office which one of my coworkers heard and said we should get that looked at before it turns into a much more expensive problem. He said it as though he’d learned the lesson much like I had, the hard way.

This lesson applies to all problems, but I think I’ve experienced it most often through automobile and home ownership. Everyone of us has had that squeal or sound our car makes and we just hope it goes away. Sometimes they do but most often the squeal or sound just gets louder and more expensive. If only we had addressed it sooner. For example, when I was younger, my brakes started squealing and I kept putting off a minor repair that would have cost me about $100. Don’t get me wrong, that was a lot of money at the time. I put it off however, and it turned from a squeal to a grinding sound which ended up costing me over $500.

When it comes to home ownership, routine maintenance can help avoid those expensive repairs on items such as air conditioners and appliances. Having someone come out and do routine maintenance on your air conditioning could potentially save you several thousands in costly repairs. Once it goes out, you don’t have much of a choice as to the type of repair, especially here in the Texas Summers.

Anyway, I can’t hear myself think with this loud noise coming from the air conditioning in my office so I need to wrap this up so I can report the noise. Hopefully we can get someone out while the issue is minor and before it turns into one of those expensive repairs we’ve all experienced at some time in our adult lives.

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

 

 

Let the math help you decide on 0% financing

Zero percent financing deals are being advertised on almost every new car ad you’ll see these days. Sounds like a great deal, right? I mean, no interest, how can that be a bad deal? Well, one of my coworkers helped someone buy a vehicle recently and all it took was a simple math lesson to show why the 0% deal was not in their best interest.

Real life example:

The offer was simple. For a vehicle price of $50,000, the member had two options:

Option A: Finance the vehicle at 0% with no rebate

Option B: Finance the vehicle at 3% with a $9,000 rebate

 

Now let’s do the math:

Option A:

Interest Rate: 0% APR*
Loan Term: 60 months
Rebate: $0
Vehicle Price: $50,000

Full amount paid over the life of the loan: $50,000

Option B:

Interest Rate: 3% APR*
Loan Term: 60 months
Rebate: $9,000
Vehicle Price: $41,000

Full amount paid over the life of the loan: $44,203

The Result:

By taking the rebate option, the member saves over $5,700!

Decision driven by feelings and not math

So why is the 0% interest offer so compelling? My theory is that interest is treated subconsciously like taxes. No one wants to pay taxes, and the same goes for interest. The decision is based on feeling rather than simple math. By taking the time to do the math and taking the emotion out of the decision, the choice is clear in this case.

Don’t take my word for it

Use math to verify for yourself. If you find yourself at the dealership and are offered the 0% APR* interest rate or a rebate, use a financial calculator to do the math and make a decision that works for you.

 

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Always be prepared on the Gulf Coast

If you’ve lived along the Gulf Coast long enough you know that you should always be prepared. In addition to hurricane season, we’ve got year-round severe weather with flooding chances, damaging winds and more. Just in the last few years we’ve had several events that have led to school and business closures such as floods, fires and a pandemic. The key to getting through it has always been preparation.

So far in 2020, the credit union has already had to activate two plans that outline how we as an organization prepare for different circumstances. Our pandemic plan was activated early this year and the preparation from that plan helped the credit adjust during the pandemic to continue providing service to our member-owners. June 1st marks the start of hurricane season and our hurricane preparedness plan was activated as a named storm entered the Gulf.

Prepared at home

My wife is much better at preparing our household for contingencies such as floods, hurricanes and as I found out more recently, pandemics. A big part of preparing is paying attention and since it is hurricane season, a visit to the National Hurricane Center is a must. She quickly identifies potential concerns and prepares the house for at least a minimum of a week without being able to access outside services such as grocery stores.

The list usually includes the following:

  • Bottled water
  • Nonperishable foods
  • Batteries
  • Bags of ice

Prepared to leave

A part of being prepared on the coast is an evacuation plan. For hurricanes, mandatory evacuation orders may come to those who live closest to the coast and bays. Know where you will be going ahead of time. For example, we have family on the west side of Houston where we can go. You no doubt have seen the digital signs on area roads that read storm in Gulf, keep tank filled. Sound advice that I know some people always follow and never let their tanks go below halfway.

Prepared for the aftermath

This part of planning is the most difficult. Take the pandemic and stay at home orders for example. It was very difficult to plan for the volume of job loss and business closings that came with it. People had to use their emergency savings to sustain them as they instantly were out of work. With hurricanes, the aftermath can include being without power for weeks to having to demo your house due to flood damage. Preparing for the aftermath includes having all your important documents and insurance contacts readily available.

Being prepared should be the motto of everyone who lives along the Gulf Coast.

Additional resources:

 

 

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Is now a good time to buy a house?

As you’ve undoubtedly heard, mortgage loan rates have been at historic lows. That reason alone shouldn’t be the only reason you decide to buy a house though. Judging by how busy our mortgage team has been these past few weeks, many of our members have indeed decided that this is the right time to buy. Those members have probably gone through a laundry list of considerations, beyond simply the rate being low.

Buying a house is an enormous investment. If you are considering making a home purchase, we recommend you ask yourself these three questions:

1. Do I plan on staying in the house for a long period of time?
If you move around frequently, buying a house may not be your best option. Yes, you can build up equity through home ownership, but that takes time and/or extra payments. When you purchase a home, there are closing costs and fees charged that can eat away your equity, so frequent sales and purchases erode the equity that you build up.

2. Am I ready to take on the additional costs of home ownership not included in the mortgage payment?
This one hit me like a ton of bricks when the air conditioner went out in our first home. No simple call to the apartment maintenance department was going to take care of this issue. No, it required my own money to fix the problem. Furthermore, there are a number of other expenses and time required that come along with maintaining a home, such as the yard and minor repairs.

3. How much house can I afford?
A common rule of thumb is the 28/36 rule. According to this rule, your mortgage payment (including escrow) shouldn’t be more than 28% of your before tax income. In addition, your total debt, including mortgage, auto loans, personal loans, credit cards, and student loans, shouldn’t be more than 36% of your before tax income. So to answer the question, you can do simple math or use an online mortgage calculator such as the one on our website.

A big part of buying a house is getting a mortgage.
Your rate will be based in part on your credit score, so you’ll need to know what your score is so that there aren’t any surprises. In addition to your score, take a look at your credit report for any potential roadblocks. The credit union makes this information available to you at no charge via our partnership with SavvyMoney.. Once you are armed with that information, you can start the mortgage process. At the credit union, you can work with a member of our mortgage team online or in person and they will help guide you through the process.

So depending on how you answer those questions, now may be a very good time to buy a house. If you are actively searching, we wish you happy house hunting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

The Resiliency of the Class of 2020

Congratulations to the class of 2020, you’ll always have a story to tell. The one word that I will forever associate with the Class of 2020 and those who helped them get there is: Resilient.

Class of 2020

Definition of resilient from Merriam-Webster
: characterized or marked by resilience: such as
a: capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture
b: tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

All involved as a part of the Class of 2020 have exhibited resiliency in spades. Everyone from the students, parents, teachers, and administrators have shown resiliency during the events of this pandemic. The normal end of year ceremonies and traditions have been adjusted and changed.  There has been a lot of lemonade made lately through creative events such as: parades to honor the graduates, alternative graduations, online proms, etc.

The majority of what I observe from the Class of 2020 has focused on the journey to get here and not what they’ve lost. This mindset will serve them well as they embark on the journey to adulthood. Most would agree that change is happening at a faster rate now than ever before, and maybe that constant change has created this resilient characteristic in the Class of 2020.

My hope is that this resiliency will help them navigate their financial lives as they enter college and the work force. The Class of 2020 has shown they can use different tools to succeed and as they enter adulthood, the tools at their disposal to succeed financially is growing rapidly. Congratulations again to the Class of 2020. I look forward to witnessing your future successes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.

Buying local always matters

Several years ago, as Chairman of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, one of my top priorities was a buy local initiative. Buy into Bay Area was our vehicle for letting area residents and businesses understand the importance of buying local. We expanded this beyond just buying local, we wanted people to think local. We expanded it to every facet of life including getting your education locally, volunteering locally, and playing locally.

Why buying local mattersshop local

Study after study can be found about the benefits to the community of buying local. Three of the biggest benefits are:

  1. Strengthening your community’s economy. Buying local means keeping money in your community. Buying from local small business has an even bigger impact and more of that money stays in the local area. A strong local economy attracts more services and businesses that benefit community members.
  2. Taxes. Local sales taxes help municipalities provide services and infrastructure to keep communities safe and functioning.
  3. Jobs. Local businesses provide jobs for friends and neighbors and cut down on the need to look for jobs outside of your community. Working in the community you live in can add to your quality of life and work-life balance.

Matters now more than ever

Given the struggles our local businesses face due to the pandemic and stay at home orders, buying locally means more now than ever. As a credit union, we are a local business and appreciate the loyalty of our member-owners during the good times and the bad. We try to use local resources whenever possible and have built some great relationships with local businesses over the years.

I encourage you to look to the local businesses that have provided your community with services and give them the opportunity to serve you as they reopen. It could mean the difference between that business being able to keep its doors open and your fellow community members employed.

 

 

 

 

Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC

The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.