Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union,
3305 E Elms Road
Killeen, TX 76542
Telephone: 254-690-2274
www.gctfcu.net

Financial Management Tips

26. September 2022 Administrator Blog (0)
Financial management is the process of planning, budgeting, saving, investing & spending your money to meet long-term and short-term financial goals. With a good financial management plan in place, you will be able to make well-informed financial decisions while giving yourself a safety net for times of emergency. Here are some reasons that emphasize on the importance of financial management:

  • Allows to establish clear financial goals.
  • Fulfils daily financial needs.
  • Helps in managing your income. (Budgeting, Savings & Expenditure)
  • Gives a healthy financial future.
  • Keeps you prepared for sudden & big expenses.
  • Improved standard of living.
  • Helps to optimize the worth of your income.
  • Financial Independence.
Here are some proven money management tips:

Determine Your Financial Priorities

Assess your financial needs & priorities to streamline the process. Create short-term & long-term goals and build an effective financial plan to achieve them.

Create a Budget

Create a budget that aligns with your financial priorities, income, daily expenditures, recurring expenses, taxes, wants, needs, savings & debt repayments. You can also choose a budgeting framework to set financial boundaries.

Example: Use the 50/30/20 budget rule. Spend 50% of your income on needs & daily requirements. Dedicate 30% of your income on wants like shopping, dining out, travel, entertainment and other luxuries. Minimum 20% of your income should be added to savings, emergency funds & debt repayments.

There are multiple budgeting plans, choose one that suits your income and priorities.

Track Your Money

Making yourself aware of the financial situation helps to keep things organized and transparent. Make a checklist or use financial apps or calendar to monitor the movement of your money. With changing income, expenses and priorities revisit the budget plan time and again to keep track of it.

Savings & Investment

Explore various savings and investment options to grow your money over time. Study interest rates and other outcomes of the plan before investing your money. Consider opening a savings account in a credit union to seek higher dividends. You can also avail automated savings & investment options. Diversifying your investments usually generates positive results.

Create An Emergency Fund

Save a specific amount of money as an emergency fund. The emergency fund provides a safe cushion in situations like medical emergencies, financial distress, etc. 

Insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union offers multifarious automated services, savings, investment & lending options. For more financial management tips, visit Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union at 3305 E Elms Rd, Killeen, TX - 76542 or browse through www.gctfcu.net
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GCTFCU Blog | Used Car Auto Loans: Things To Consider
Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union,
3305 E Elms Road
Killeen, TX 76542
Telephone: 254-690-2274
www.gctfcu.net

Used Car Auto Loans: Things To Consider

5. June 2014 Administrator (0)

If you are thinking of buying a used car for the family but are not yet ready to make a large one-time investment, it makes sense to go for a used car auto loan. With a used car auto loan, the vehicle you purchase costs much less to begin with and your loan provides you with a way to scatter payments into comfortable and easy monthly installments thus enabling you to start using your car immediately without having to worry about one-time payments. There are a number of things to consider when you want to finance a used car. Knowing about these factors can help you make a wiser, smarter decision and make the process smooth and easy.

Initial Considerations

The first thing you need to determine before you can start the process of getting a used car auto loan is to set a concrete budget. Remember to include all possible components in your budget likes local sales tax, licensing fees and car titling fees. If you calculate these costs ahead of time it will really help to figure out the value of the used car that you finally choose.

The next step is to choose a used vehicle and determine its exact current value accurately. Make sure that you get a fair price and have the vehicle assessed by professionals, if there is need for that. To know more about the condition of the vehicle in question, you can ask for a history report from the previous owners which would tell you about usage records, servicing records and records of accidents if any. This helps you foresee potential problems in the future which can turn out to be costly.

Getting a Used Car Auto Loan

When all the initial steps have been taken care of, you can then move onto the actual process of getting a used car auto loan. Keep a close eye on your budget and figure out how much you want to spend monthly. Another thing to watch out for is the interest rate which you will be charged with a used car auto loan. Make sure that your monthly payment figure and the rate of interest is favorable to you and enables you to smoothly make monthly payments with convenience and by staying within your original budget. On figuring these things out, the only thing that remains to be done is to complete the actual paperwork and you will have the money to buy the used car of your choice.

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GCTFCU Blog | For A Cheaper Auto Loan, Try A Credit Union
Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union,
3305 E Elms Road
Killeen, TX 76542
Telephone: 254-690-2274
www.gctfcu.net

For A Cheaper Auto Loan, Try A Credit Union

22. October 2014 Administrator Auto Loans (0)

If you are looking to buy a new or old car and have exhausted almost every financing option, then credit unions can come to your rescue. Credit unions are the financial institutions set up by a group of people who pool their resources to provide loans and financial assistance to the members. Since they are non-profit organizations, you get expect competitive interest rates and quicker loan approval. These features have made credit unions an attractive option to consider for an auto loan. 

Benefits of choosing a credit union for auto loan-

  1. More chances of getting loan approved – Although credit unions do check your credit history, they are quite flexible in making a few adjustments in the loan terms. This can come as a breather for a number of people who have not been able to secure a loan from other financial institutions. The loans are usually approved quickly and even the documentation work is minimal. Being a member of these credit unions can add up to these privileges.
  2. Low interest rates –The loans provided by the credit unions are offered at much lower interest rates than any other financial institution. Knowing that, you can have considerable amount of savings on your loan payment. 
  3. Personalized service - Since credit unions are non-profit organizations and strive to provide the best experience to their clients, they offer flexible repayment options on your auto loan, depending on your circumstances. You can even discuss your concerns regarding the loan with the representatives at the credit union. This can help ease a lot of pressure and other issues regarding the loan.
  4. Non sales approach – Credit unions usually follow a non-sales approach and do not try to sell any other financial products to you. Rather, they strive to provide better services to their customers.
  5. Better educational resources – Credit unions also provide you the necessary information related to the financing options and also help in assessing the real value of your car. They work for your best interest and assist you in making the right decision about the auto loan.

Credit unions are a great option for auto loans as the process is very easy and stress free. The staff assists you in all aspects of loan application process. For more information about auto loans, visit Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union. You can call at (254) 690 – 2274 or visit our office at 3305 E Elms Road, Killeen, TX 76542.

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GCTFCU Blog | ‘Skip-A-Payment' Option At Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union
Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union,
3305 E Elms Road
Killeen, TX 76542
Telephone: 254-690-2274
www.gctfcu.net

‘Skip-A-Payment' Option At Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union

11. February 2015 Administrator Auto Loans, Home Loans (0)
Borrowing money can help ease a difficult situation and bring things back to track. Personal loans like auto loan, home loan and other loans help people overcome financial crisis. However as banks usually have strict conditions along with scrutinizing terms and conditions, people often prefer a credit union to secure a loan. Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union is a non-profit organization owned by its members and offers loans at low interest rates.

An issue that comes up with loans is its repayment. Taking out a fixed monthly payment month after month can be a nerve wrecking experience. There are many reasons that people fail to pay their monthly payments such as loss of employment, sudden unexpected medical expenditures or other expenses, which cannot be avoided. However once you miss a payment it becomes difficult to get back on track and streamline your expenses. In such situations, credit unions are very helpful as they are considerate, flexible and lenient.

Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union have flexible terms and conditions and in certain situations, also offer relaxation to the members who have borrowed money from the union. We also offer the ‘slip-a-payment’ option that helps members pay their payments easily. The skip-a-payment option allows the borrower to skip a payment at a nominal fee. It is available for the members provided that the loan account remains in good standing. Skip-a-payment is usually available on auto loans and RV loans. This option can be availed once per year and the loan should be more than 6 months old. Mortgage loans are however often excluded from this option.

By offering ‘skip-a-pay’ option, you can easily overcome the financial crisis and skip a loan payment without affecting your credit rating. It is however, important to know that “skip-a-pay’ is a temporary option that may offer you relief for some time, but it comes at a cost. Interest still applies on your loan balance and even if you skip a payment it will extend the number of months that you may require paying off your balance.

We, at Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union provide you attractive loans at flexible terms. We offer ‘skip-a-payment’ option for members who are unable to make a particular month’s payment. For more information, visit us at 3305 E Elms Road, Killeen, TX 76542 or call (254) 690 – 2274.
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