Category: FINANCIAL LITERACY,

As the year winds down, it’s a great time to shop for a new or used vehicle. Dealers often offer attractive discounts and incentives to clear out inventory before the new models arrive. Here are some tips to help you get the best deal:

1.            Do Your Homework: Research makes and models you’re interested in, including pricing and features. Check online reviews and ratings to find reliable options.

2.            Get Pre-Approved: Secure financing through Compass before you visit dealerships. Pre-approval gives you negotiating power and helps you avoid high dealer interest rates. Plus, we have a special rate offer, just for you. To learn more, visit https://compassccu.org/promotion/auto-loan-rate-promo/.

3.            Compare Offers: Don’t settle for the first deal. Visit multiple dealers or explore private sellers to find the best price.

4.            Consider Total Costs: Factor in insurance, taxes, registration, and fuel efficiency when comparing vehicles.

5.            Inspect and Test Drive: Always test drive the car and, if buying used, have a trusted mechanic inspect it.

6.            Negotiate Wisely: Focus on the total price, not just monthly payments. Be prepared to walk away if terms don’t feel right.

7.            Ask About Incentives: Dealers may offer year-end rebates or special trade-in values, ask about all available deals.

Ready to hit the road with confidence? Contact us today at 707-443-8662 for competitive auto loan rates and expert guidance to help you drive away with a great deal!

For many new members, managing money can feel overwhelming. You may have concerns about trusting a financial institution with your hard-earned money. However, keeping your money in a credit union is one of the safest and smartest financial decisions you can make.

Why Banking at Compass Community Credit Union Is a Smart Choice

• Your money is protected: Credit unions are federally insured, so your money is protected. The National Credit Union Administration Share Insurance Fund insures credit unions—covering account balances up to $250,000. Plus, Compass provides additional private insurance from American Share Insurance so your account balances are insured up to $1,250,000.
• Your information is confidential and secure: We understand that many worry about the risk of personal information that could be exposed. It’s important to know that your money and personal information are protected by strict privacy laws. Compass will not share information with outside vendors.
• Cash can be risky: When using cash, there is a risk of theft, loss, and physical damage. Cash is untraceable, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. At a credit union, your money is protected with the latest security technology and safeguarded against theft.
• Boost your financial profile: Keeping money in a credit union account helps you build a financial history, which can make it easier to qualify for loans to buy a car, go to college, qualify for a credit card—or even secure housing.

Accessing your money is safe. We provide several services to make accessing our funds easy and convenient. We offer a VISA debit card, online and mobile banking with free bill pay to make life easier for you, personal checks and automatic deposits. Call us today at 707-443-8662, we are happy to answer any questions you might have.

Looking for a new or used car? Don’t head to the dealership without checking out financing from your us first. At Compass Community Credit Union, we offer auto loans designed with our members’ best interests in mind.

Why finance with us?

Lower Rates – Credit unions are not-for-profit, so we return value to our members through competitive interest rates that often beat banks and dealer financing.

Flexible Terms – Whether you’re buying new, used, or refinancing, we offer terms that fit your budget and lifestyle.

Personal Service – Our loan officers work with you directly to make sure you understand your options—no pressure, no gimmicks.

Pre-Approval Power – Get pre-approved before you shop, so you know your budget and can negotiate confidently.

If you’re planning to hit the road in a new ride, let us help you get there with financing that makes sense. Visit CompassCCU.org to apply today or speak with a Financial Partner.

Whether it’s excitement over a fake prize, fear from a supposed government official, or affection for someone you’ve connected with online, scammers count on urgency and emotional pressure to lower your defenses. Understanding how these scams work is the first step to safeguard yourself and your loved ones against them.

• Lottery or prize scams: Never provide personal or financial information if you’ve been contacted about winning a prize, especially if you didn’t enter to win one. Scammers may try to get you to pay an upfront fee or taxes before receiving the “prize,” or they may ask for your account information––that way they can “deposit the money.”
• Imposter scams: This is when a scammer pretends to be someone else, such as a government official, police officer, credit union or bank employee, friend, or family member––with the intention of obtaining your money or personal information.
• Wire or money transfer fraud: Never transfer money to someone you don’t know. If you are asked to send a payment via a wire transfer, prepaid card, or cryptocurrency, do not do it. These methods are nearly untraceable, and once the money is sent, it’s usually gone for good.
• Check scams: If you’re selling something, do not accept a check for more than the requested amount. After the sale, scammers will ask you to send back the difference they “mistakenly” overpaid. The check will later bounce, and you’ve lost both the money and whatever item you sold.
• Romance scams: These are deceptive schemes where scammers create fake online personas, pretending to be potential romantic partners, to exploit individuals looking for love or companionship. After building emotional connections with their victims over time, they gain their trust and affection. Once that trust is established, they ask for money.
• Charity scams: Always verify that a charity is legitimate before donating. Check their website, look for reviews, and never donate if you’re feeling pressured. You should also be suspicious if a charity asks you to make a donation via cash or wire transfer.
• Debt settlement or relief scams: Don’t pay upfront fees to any company that guarantees they can settle or eliminate your debts. Scammers will promise to negotiate with creditors on your behalf to settle your debts for a fraction of the amount owed or even wipe the debt out entirely. They charge an upfront fee but fail to deliver on their promise, leaving you in a worse financial situation and without any real debt relief.

Remember, if something feels off––whether it’s an unexpected prize, an urgent request for money, or a plea from someone you’ve never met in person––take a step back and verify the situation. Thoroughly thinking things through or researching claims can make all the difference in protecting your finances and personal information.

Plant Your Roots!

Do you own a home or do you plan to? Set up a garden with strong roots! We can help you renovate your home or buy a new one with the garden of your dreams.

Starting a small home garden in the spring is a rewarding way to grow fresh vegetables while keeping maintenance easy. Raised beds offer better soil drainage, prevent soil compaction, and help control weeds more effectively. Plus, you don’t have to lean over to tend to your plants! To get started, choose a sunny location that receives at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Construct raised beds using untreated wood, bricks, or metal, ensuring they are at least 12 inches deep for healthy root growth.

Fill the beds with a high-quality soil mix containing compost, topsoil, and organic matter to provide essential nutrients. Adding mulch on top helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.

Want to plant that garden? We can help you! Become a member and belong to a credit union that is deeply rooted in the community.

Every year, scammers prey on senior Americans with all kinds of fraudulent schemes.

Be wary of emails requesting personal information. Scammers send bogus emails that look like they come from a company you recognize. They include the company’s branding and logo so you think it’s legitimate. These scams are designed to trick you into providing your username and password. Do not click on any links in the email. Contact the company directly through their website by typing the web address yourself. You can also call the phone number that you have on file or the number listed on their website.

Crooks like to create fake websites that look genuine. They can be very impressive to deceive you into thinking it’s real. Then, they try and trick you into providing your debit/credit card number or your username and password. The best thing to do is go directly to the website by typing the web address yourself rather than from the link. Look at the website address and make sure it matches the site you’re trying to access.

Tip: Scammers usually misspell or add an extra letter to the website address. An example is Amazon becoming “Amazone” or “Amazne.”

Fraudsters con people every year. It can be difficult for some to admit they may have been victimized. Here are several telltale signs to watch for:

1. Money and valuables are disappearing for no good reason.
2. Bills aren’t paid, and a parent seems confused about finances.
3. They are being secretive about money and asking for more. There may be strange credit card charges.
4. A family member won’t answer questions about your parent’s money.
5. Someone new befriends your parent and manages to take joint title to accounts and property.

To help keep our seniors safe, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created some free materials at www.consumerfinance.gov.

For additional tips, visit https://compassccu.org/securitytips/

While it is an essential purchase for most of us, it’s never an easy decision to make. New or used? Red or blue? Car or truck? While we can’t answer all of these questions for you, we can provide you with some things to think about when buying a car.

Benefits of Purchasing Used

• Avoid depreciation – Cars are not an investment. In the first two years of ownership alone, a new car will depreciate about 30%. Looking ahead to when it’s time to sell your used vehicle, less money is lost on resale than had you purchased new, largely due to avoiding the initial depreciation.
• Wider selection – While you may not get to choose features a la carte like you can in a new car purchase, you do end up with more choices overall.
• Lower Price – The nature of used cars is that they are less expensive. Used doesn’t necessarily mean worn out. Looking for features such as low mileage and recent model years can increase your buying power, and more bang for your buck.

Do Your Homework if Purchasing New

• If you decide now is the time to buy a new car, be sure to do your homework!
• Decide on your price range – Before you get to the lot, before you are wooed by a car that is outside of your budget, decide what you are willing to spend. Crunch the numbers to know what monthly payment you can comfortably afford and what your overall sticker price cap is. Don’t forget to include fees such as insurance and repairs!
• Get preapproved from Compass for financing – Before you scour online sources or visit a vehicle lot, talk to us about getting preapproved for your auto loan. This will also help you know how much you can afford.
• Read the reviews – Once you’ve decided on the type of vehicle you want to purchase, read reviews at sites such as consumerreports.org, Edmunds.com, and kbb.com. From recalls to the pros and cons of each make and model, these sites are dedicated to providing you with knowledge about the vehicles you are considering.

The Art of the Sale

• Negotiate your offer – Offer 15% below the asking price. There’s about 20% gross margin in the asking price. Offering 15% below allows the salesperson to still make a profit while you get the vehicle you want at a fair price.
• Turn down add-ons – If a used-car dealer tries to get you to add on products and services, decline. These are likely offered at a less expensive rate elsewhere.

Being prepared helps take the stress out of car buying. Compass is here to help with any additional questions you have!

Do you have drawers and filing cabinets full of tax returns, bills, and bank statements? Here are some tips on exactly how long you should hold on to old financial records.

Papers you only need for one-two years

• Receipts: These can be shredded, if you keep an accurate checkbook ledger, there is no need to keep receipts unless you are using them as back up information for tax purposes.
• Credit Card Bills: After you have checked your credit card statements you can shred your credit card bills. The only time you might need to keep a statement is if it shows a warranty or if you charge a deductible item.
• Checking Account Statements: Once you reconcile your statements they can be shredded; as with credit card bills, you need to keep them if you are taking a deduction. A better option is to enroll in e-statements. You have them at your fingertips when you need them and don’t need to store paper copies.
• Investment Statements: Monthly and Quarterly statements can be shredded when you receive the new statement. ConsumerReports.org recommends keeping annual investment statements until you sell the investment.
• Insurance Policies: You only need to keep the updated policy renewal; you can shred old policy documents.

Papers you should keep for seven years

• Tax Records: The I.R.S. requires that individuals be able to produce records for at least three years from the date of return, any of your tax returns in the last three years are subject to random audit. You should keep copies of your tax returns with all of their supporting documents.

Paper to keep indefinitely (preferably in a safe or fire-proof cabinet)

• Loan Documents: Keep all loan documents until the loan is paid off. Once the loan is paid off keep the most recent documents to prove that the loans were fully paid.
• Retirement Statements: Bankrate.com suggests keeping your annual 401(k) statements and any nondeductible IRA contributions. Including information from current and past employers.
• Life Insurance Policies: Life insurance policy documents should be kept until the covered person dies, or until you cash in the policy. Term life policies only need to be kept until the term expires or the covered person dies.
• Estate Documents: Any documents related to estate planning; wills, trusts, powers of attorney etc. should be kept for as long as they are in effect. You should also have copies for your attorney and for your executor.

When you choose to get rid of your documents do so carefully, as to avoid potential identity theft. Proper shredding and filing are easy ways to protect yourself against identity theft.

SAVE THE DATE: Free member paper shred day – Saturday, March 8, 2025; 10am-noon. Compass headquarters, located at 321 Wabash Ave, Eureka (corner of Wabash & E Street).