January 2024 - High Point FCU

How do I Prepare for Tax Season?

Gather your documents

The first step in prepping for tax season is to gather all the necessary documents. Depending on your personal circumstances, these can include:

W-2 forms
1099 forms
Receipts and invoices
Mortgage and loan documents
Investment statements
Business income and expenses
Other miscellaneous income

Organize your finances

Store all your documents and receipts in a folder, binder or digital file so you can access them whenever necessary. This will help ensure you don’t miss any deductible expenses.

Prepare your personal information

In addition to your income information, you’ll need the Social Security number and date of birth of each dependent you claim. It’s a good idea to have this info, and any other details your tax preparer will need, ready before you start your return.

Review tax law changes

The tax code changes every year, and some of this year’s modifications may impact your tax situation. Be sure to review the most recent updates so you can take advantage of any new deductions or credits.

Determine your filing status

Your filing status determines the tax rates and the standard deduction you’re eligible to take. Choose the status that best fits your situation. The most common filing statuses are:

Single
Married filing jointly
Married filing separately
Head of household
Qualifying widow(er)

Learn the deadlines

It’s important to be aware of tax filing deadlines. For most individuals, the deadline to file federal income taxes is April 15th. If the 15th is on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is typically extended to the next business day.

Choose your filing method

You can file a paper tax return and mail it to the IRS, use tax prep software like TurboTax or H&R Block, hire a professional tax preparer or e-file your return on your own.

Plan for next year

Finally, use the tax season as an opportunity to plan for the future. Consider adjusting your tax withholding to avoid owing large sums at tax time or receiving large refunds.

You’re ready to file your taxes!

Which Purchases Should I Charge to My Credit Card?

Q: I’m reevaluating my credit card use and wondering if I’m doing it right. Which purchases should I charge to my credit card?

A: Your credit score, which is the key to long-term loans at favorable rates, employment opportunities and more, depends on your credit card usage. To build credit, you need to use credit. You want to make sure you use your cards, but you don’t want to spend more than you can pay. In addition, there are some purchases that are best off being made with a credit card.

Here are six purchases you may want to charge to your credit card:

1. Electronics and appliances

It’s a good idea to pay for big-ticket items, like electronics and appliances, with your credit card. This will provide you with an insurance of sorts on these purchases, such as doubling up on the offered warranty. Some cards also offer price protection, which covers the difference if the price of an item drops after you’ve bought it.

2. Car rentals

Here, too, paying with a credit card can provide you with a level of insurance on the car. The insurance likely won’t be as robust as temporary insurance you might buy through the rental service, but it will probably offer some collision coverage at no extra charge.

3. Purchases made abroad

When traveling and making purchases abroad, a credit card is usually your best way to pay. Cash has the risk of loss or theft and debit cards may have fees for transactions that are made outside the country. They may not even be accepted at some vendors. Credit cards from well-known issuers, on the other hand, are accepted almost everywhere and are a lot safer to carry than large sums of cash. In addition, many credit card companies offer a favorable exchange rate.

4. Fixed monthly bills

If you’re looking for an easy way to build credit, pay a fixed monthly bill, such as a subscription or payment for phone or internet service, on your credit card each month. This will ensure regular transactions are made on your card. As long as you’re paying your credit card bill on time or early each month, you will show a pattern of responsible credit usage!

5. Online purchases

When shopping online, you’re usually best off paying with a credit card. Unlike other forms of payment, credit card transactions are always traceable and provide some coverage for fraud.

6. Mobile phone bills

Another good candidate for credit card payments is your monthly mobile phone bill. Many credit card companies offer some coverage for phones that are lost, damaged or stolen if the card was used to pay a specific number of bills and the cardholder is up to date on their bills.

8 Creative Ways to Save on Heating Costs this Winter

Q: I’ve sealed all leaky windows and doors in my home, but my heating bill is still astronomical. Is there anything else I can do to keep my heating costs down?

A: Sealing air leaks is a great first step toward lowering your heating bill. Luckily, there are many other methods for hacking your way to a lower heating bill.

Here are some creative ways to save on heating costs.

Dust your vents

This can be an easy, effective way for lowering your heating bills. Dust acts as a natural insulator and can block some of the hot air from heating your home.

Lower your thermostat

The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter for maximum energy savings. For every degree you crank it down over an 8-hour period throughout the month, you can shave 1 percent off your heating bill. If you can lower your thermostat by 10 degrees at night or while you’re at work, you’ll save 10 percent off your heating bill! A programmable thermostat can do the job for you so you don’t have to remember to turn it down.

Turn on your ceiling fans

Most ceiling fans are equipped with a “summer” and “winter” setting. In the wintertime, set the blades to move in a clockwise direction so hot air, which naturally rises toward the ceiling, can be blown downward to warm up the room.

Use aluminum foil

Tape a piece of aluminum foil behind the radiator to reflect heat into the room instead of into the wall.

Use zone heating

If you live in a large home, keep the lesser-used areas just warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing. Close some of the vents in these rooms and shut the door to keep that heat in. On the flip side, open the doors of the rooms that see heavy use so hot air can flow evenly throughout the house.

Rearrange your furniture

Check if you have any furniture situated near your heating vents. You don’t want to be paying all that money just for hot air to be flowing into the underside of your living room sofa.

Let the sunshine in

The low-in-the-sky winter sun can give you hours of free solar heat each day — if you let it in. Be sure to open the curtains in the early morning hours and to close them at night to keep that warm air inside. You may also want to swap your curtains for thicker, insulated ones in the winter for further protection against the cold night air.

Humidify your air

Use humidity to your advantage by investing in a humidifier for the winter. Moisture helps to hold onto heat and will keep the air warmer longer.

6 Financial Resolutions for the New Year

It’s a brand-new year, so now is a great time to set budget-friendly resolutions to pave the way toward a more financially fit future. Here are six financial resolutions to get you started.

1 – Create (and stick to!) a budget

If you don’t have a monthly budget, let’s get one started! Track your spending and income over several months, and then make a list of all expenses and all monthly income streams. Assign a dollar amount to each expense category. If your columns are equal, or your income is more than your expenses, you’re doing great. But, if your expenses are more than your income, you’ll need to trim your spending or find ways to increase your income.

After you’ve created your budget, or if you already have one, resolve to actually stick to it each month. You can use one of the many budgeting apps, like YNAB, to help.

2 – Build an emergency fund

An emergency fund is your financial safety net. Experts recommend having three to six months’ worth of living expenses in your emergency fund. Resolve to build an emergency fund this year by setting aside a small sum of money each month until you have a nest egg that can get you through virtually any emergency.

3 – Trim your expenses

Have your expenses started trickling upward in any area(s)? Identify your weak points and brainstorm for ways to start spending less. Small change today adds up to big bucks tomorrow.

4 – Pay down debt

Make this the year you pay down debt, or at least make real headway toward getting rid of it for good. You can choose to prioritize high-interest debts, or work on paying off your smallest debt first to keep your motivation going. Maximize payments on your chosen debt until it’s paid off. Then, keep on rolling to the next debt on your list until you’re completely debt-free.

5 – Automate your savings

It’s all wonderful to resolve to put more money into savings each month, but how do you turn those good intentions into reality? Set up automatic monthly transfers from your checking account to your savings so you never forget to feed your savings.

6 – Expand your financial education

Invest in your financial education this year by reading books, taking online courses, listening to podcasts or attending seminars on personal finance.

High Point FCU Brings Mad City Money to Salamanca Seniors

High Point Federal Credit Union staff shared their Mad City Money program with Salamanca High School with almost 90 seniors participating in this program. The Credit Union (CU) first implemented Mad City Money in 2013, presenting the program in Olean and Allegany high schools.

Originally purchased through the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), Mad City Money is a financial education tool that helps high schoolers get a taste of the “real world.” Students get to choose an “identity” at the start of the program, where they’re given an occupation, salary, spouse & children, student loan & credit card debt, and medical insurance payments. They then have to visit various stations to decide on what housing, transportation, childcare, food, and other necessities to purchase while staying within their budget.

Students learn how to calculate their credit card monthly payment, practice writing a check, experience unexpected bills – as well as unexpected financial gains, and discover how much they can actually afford with their given “identity.” While some of the students had money left over at the end to put in their savings, many had to return to certain stations to switch out their purchase for something more affordable. When asked what the main takeaway of this program was for the students, they reiterated a better understanding of their parents’ spending habits, a realization of how expensive living in the “real world” is, and the importance of paying off debt. Being able to experience these scenarios in a controlled way provides students with a level of financial wisdom they likely wouldn’t have otherwise.

Your Complete Guide to Santa Shock Recovery

The holidays are over, and with the start of a new year, we are often dealt a case of “Santa shock”. Its main symptoms are the result of the house and daily schedule being in disarray as well as those first post-holiday credit card statements haunting you as the ghosts of purchases past!

The good news is, all it takes is some self-care and planning to make a full recovery from Santa shock. Here are four ways you can bounce back from the post-holiday slump.

Declutter and reorganize

Get your house organized! To ease the overwhelm, move all the holiday clutter into one area. Then make a list of all you need to do to get your home looking liveable. Finally, enlist the help of all household members to divide and conquer it all. In no time, your living space will be looking neat and organized again.

Reestablish routine

Getting back into a normal post-holidays routine can be challenging, but the sooner you start, the easier it’ll be to get back into real life. Set a regular sleep schedule, plan balanced meals and reintegrate exercise into daily life. Returning to a structured routine will help you feel more grounded and reduce the disorientation that often accompanies the post-holiday season.

Help your budget recover

Get your budget back on track after the holidays with these tips:

Consider a no-spend month. Resolve to only spend money on what you truly need for an entire month after the holidays. This will help your budget get back on track quickly.
Assess your holiday spending. Take a look at how much you spent so you have an idea of how much you’ll need to pay off sooner than later.
Make a plan for any carryover debt. If you put a bit too much on credit (meaning “borrowed money”) during the holidays, make a plan to pay it off as soon as possible.
Consider opening a Christmas Club Account for next year. A Christmas club account will allow you to spread the cost of the holidays across the rest of year to help pay for all of the season’s expenses without taking on debt.

Prioritize self-care

The holidays can leave you feeling drained. To fully recover from Santa shock, prioritize self-care in the weeks after the holidays. This may mean reading a book, meeting friends for coffee or indulging in a spa day. Whatever revives you!

Follow the tips outlined here to recover from Santa shock and transition smoothly back into real life.