USALLIANCE Blog

Buying a home is one of the biggest life events most of us will experience. It’s not only a huge milestone and an exciting prospect, it can also be scary and sometimes overwhelming. When applying for a mortgage, you’ll see a lot of terms that can quickly get confusing. Understanding these terms will take away some of that terrifying sense of not knowing what’s going on during the process and help give you some confidence in dealing with your mortgage. In this article, we’ll dive into some key mortgage terms, what they mean, their significance, and when a homebuyer will see them.

If you’re considering buying a car in the near future, then this article can help save you some money – simply by timing your purchase correctly! Knowing when to buy your car can help you score a solid discount on the price of your vehicle and help you to enjoy savings on your auto loan for years to come. There are a lot of factors that impact the prices of cars, including when dealerships offer promotions, when new models are coming out, existing inventory, and more. That means that there are several different times during the year where these factors combine to give you a chance to get a great deal on your next car! Here’s when to get your car buying into gear.

You’ve almost certainly heard of a credit report before, but many people don’t know a lot about what it involves and what it’s used for. Our infographic provides a quick, handy guide to what a credit report is, what you can expect to find on one, and why your credit report is such an important part of your financial outlook.

During times of financial uncertainty, it’s normal to fret about the safety of your own money. Naturally, you want to be absolutely sure that your own savings will be secure, even in times of financial crisis. Credit unions offer unique advantages that can provide greater security and peace of mind during financial downturns than even the largest, most well-known banks. Here’s why a credit union can be a better choice than a bank during a financial crisis.

Paying yourself first is the golden rule of personal finance. What does “paying yourself first” mean? It means making your savings a priority – before you spend your hard-earned money on anything else, you make sure that you allocate money to your savings.

When you pause to think about it, it makes a lot of sense. Do you care more about the financial wellness of your local coffee shop – or your own? Paying yourself first means putting your own needs, and your own future, before anything else. That can be a lot easier said than done, especially if money is tight, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do it all at once. Start small with just $100 each payday, or even a dollar a day, and watch your savings grow!

Back-to-school season is here – the second-biggest shopping season of the year! However, this year is shaping up to be more expensive than ever due to continued inflation and high prices. As always, we’re here to help with some tips and tricks. You can get everything you need, trim your back-to-school spending, and keep your budget intact.

Cybersecurity is the protection of online devices, networks, data and electronic systems from attacks by hackers, scammers, and cybercriminals. In today’s world, it seems like everything relies on computers and the Internet, so “cybersecurity” is a common term. However, there are many different kinds of cybersecurity which protect specific types of electronic data or systems that it’s important to understand. Download the full infographic to learn about 7 different types of cybersecurity.

One-time passwords (OTPs) are a crucial security feature in our digital age as an extra layer of protection for online transactions and account logins. An OTP is a string of characters that is automatically generated to authenticate a user for a single login session. In some cases, an OTP is a replacement for traditional login information, and in others, it’s a manner for multifactor authentication. In any case, scammers are often trying to hijack these codes so they can steal sensitive info, money, or both.

Your home is one of your most valuable assets, so if you find yourself in need of some extra cash, you may want to consider tapping into that asset with a home equity loan. A home equity loan allows homeowners to borrow against the equity in their homes. The loan amount is based on the difference between the home’s current market value and the remaining balance due on the homeowner’s mortgage. You can use a home equity loan for a number of different major expenses, including: