Click on the link or the image below to enjoy the latest issue of Omaha Federal Credit Union’s monthly e-newsletter. This issue is packed with great articles, news, links and updates and we hope you enjoy this and future issues.
VISA® Rewards
Earn 1.5% Cash Back or 1.5 Points for Every $1 Spent
Our VISA® Rewards credit card currently has a variable rate as low as 11.25% APR (Annual Percentage Rate) with a minimum credit line of $1,000. There is no annual fee and no balance transfer fee.
You can apply for this new credit card in person at any of our branches, by calling 402-399-9001 (option 4), or through our On-line Loan Applications on our website (select Credit Card Application).
Get Rewarded for Every Purchase You Make
Register for uChoose Rewards
Other credit card options are available here.
Apple Pay
You can use both your OFCU Visa® Debit and Visa® Credit Card with Apple Pay — the easy, secure, and private way to pay. Use Apple Pay with iPhone 6 to pay in stores without swiping your card and within apps without entering payment and contact information. With Apple Pay, instead of using your actual Debit or Credit Card numbers when you add your card, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored. And when you make a purchase, the Device Account Number alongside a transaction-specific dynamic security code is used to process your payment. So your actual Debit and Credit Card numbers are never shared by Apple with merchants or transmitted with payment. In addition, paying with Apple Pay is private as the cashier never sees your name, card numbers or security code.
Google Pay
Now the things you love about your favorite Visa® Debit or Credit Card are right on your Android phone. Getting started with Google Pay is simple:
Samsung Pay
Now the things you love about your favorite Visa® Debit or Credit Card are right on your Samsung phone. Getting started with Samsung Pay is simple:
Pay confidently at millions of places around the world with Visa and Samsung Pay.
The COVID pandemic is and continues to be a defining period of our lives. Among its many effects, it caused all of us to take a hard look at how we live our lives, including the way we spend our money.
Quarantine kept many of us at home, preventing us from spending as much as we usually did for things like entertainment and travel. Many people lost their jobs or were furloughed, forcing them to reduce their expenses. One clear effect was that those with emergency funds fared better than those who did not have them.
We all took at least a few moments to evaluate and reassess the things we believed were important to us. For example, many people realized that the things they used to consider “needs” like expensive shoes, eating out every day, or having the latest cellphone, suddenly weren’t as important to them. Those things were simply “wants” or “nice to haves.” We learned we could get by with a less expensive way of life.
If you did manage to save some money, what did you do with the extra cash? Hopefully, you used it to create some financial security, like pay down debt, open a retirement fund, or boost your emergency fund.
There’s a chance that when the pandemic is history, some people may revert to their old spending habits, indulging in all their “wants” again. That would truly be a waste of the lessons we’ve learned. Instead, try to continue spending as mindfully as you have during the pandemic.
1. Make a commitment to save each month. Pay your emergency and retirement funds first. If you haven’t created accounts for either one, then start them now. To make saving easier, use automatic transfers to deposit funds into those accounts after your paycheck is deposited. Try to save 20% of your monthly income.
2. Pay off credit cards. Then make sure you only spend as much as you can comfortably afford — that doesn’t mean your credit limit. Ideally, you want to pay the total in full at the end of each month, so you don’t accrue interest charges.
3. Get clear on what your “needs” and your “wants” are. A lot of people have trouble with this, but it isn’t difficult to figure out. “Needs” are things you need to survive — groceries, housing, utilities, health insurance, transportation. These expenses should amount to 50% of your expenses. Everything else is a “want” — dining out, entertainment, vacations, etc. That should take no more than 30% of your expenses.
Omaha Federal Credit Union is right here with you, ready to help you get your post-pandemic finances in order. If you would like to open a savings or investment account, or need help budgeting, check out our website at www.omahafcu.org or contact us at 402.399.9001.
Please Note New Payment Address for VISA®: Omaha Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 2711, Omaha, NE 68103-2711
Please Note Changes to U.S. First-Class Mail Delivery Times: Effective October 1, 2021, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has revised its service standards for certain First-Class Mail items, resulting in a delivery window of up to five days. This may delay your receipt of mail from us and our receipt of mail from you (including mailed payments). Please take this change into account when mailing items to us via USPS. For more information, visit the USPS website.
What you can do: If you haven’t already, consider signing up for online access, which includes paperless options for online statement delivery and Bill Pay, or utilize online and paperless options available through the Omaha Federal Credit Union mobile app.
