USALLIANCE Blog

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Dan O'Brien and I'm a solution architect here at USALLIANCE.

This is my third year running the Boston Marathon. It’s also my third year running on behalf of the organization Credit Union Kids at Heart, which works with Boston Children’s Hospital to fund research on pediatric illnesses. This year we’re supporting research on Moyamoya disease, Sturge-Weber syndrome, pediatric brain cancer, and Cerebral Palsy.

I'm Dan, your typical family man, solution architect at USALLIANCE, and marathon runner for a cause.

This is my third time running the Boston Marathon with Credit Union Kids at Heart. This great organization funds many research projects at Boston Children’s Hospital to fight pediatric diseases. Running the Boston Marathon is definitely not an easy task, but I’ve found it’s easier when you’re passionate about your cause and also get into a strict training schedule.

It was right after the devastating 201 Boston Marathon when Dan O'Brien joined USALLIANCE.

Loving husband and father, it wasn't long before Dan discovered Credit Union Kids at Heart, an organization that works with Boston Children's Hospital to fund several pediatric research projects. This is where a project became a passion and ultimately turned a solution architect into a cause-driven marathon runner.

There are more ways to manage your savings than you probably think.

Learning how to handle your savings can be intimidating, with new options seeming more complicated than the traditional ones. You're probably already familiar with a simple savings account, but there are also non-traditional options like a club account or CD account you can explore too.

All of these options have certain benefits, so it might pay off for you to leave your financial comfort zone and learn about the options you have when it comes to managing your savings.

It should come as no surprise that one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is "to get out of debt."

If getting rid of debt is your personal mission this year, debt consolidation may seem like the perfect solution. But, is it? The answer is... maybe.

Debt consolidation is the term for rolling multiple old debts into a single new one, presumably at a lower interest rate to make payments more manageable, which in turn results in quicker repayment.  Sounds like a good plan - but will it work for you?

If you only have $75, you can't spend $100, right?

Actually, that’s not always the case. When you use your debit card to make a transaction without monitoring how much money you have available, it’s possible to overdraw your bank or credit union account.

The first thing you need to understand is what happens behind the scenes when you make a transaction. Let's break it down:

Flu season is almost here. And each year, I avoid getting a flu shot. The “rational” me knows that it can help but there’s one huge hurdle I can’t seem to get over.

I’m afraid of shots. Terrified that’s it’s going to hurt – a lot. And this fear stops me from doing something that deep down, I know I really should.

Credit cards aren’t on the same level as flu shots but I find I have the same reaction when I think about opening a new card. Fear. Afraid that I will do irreparable damage to the great credit score I’ve worked so hard to achieve. Even though I really would like an alternative to the card I’m currently using. 

They say the best way to deal with fear is to face it head on. So I did some research. And what I found was pleasantly surprising and reassuring, so I decided to take the leap and apply for a new card.

There's nothing worse than hearing "I'm sorry, your card has been declined."

Red shame creeps up your neck while you try to stay calm and offer the cashier an alternate form of payment. You probably are growing anxious, wondering how this could have happened. But take a few deep breaths- there are several potential reasons the transaction didn’t go through.

"The timing was just right." When breaking up with your bank is the move you just have to make.

Flashback to November 5, 2011- the very first Bank Transfer Day- the one day when consumers were closing accounts at the big banks in favor of not-for-profit credit unions. That day 664,000 people made the switch. Since then Bank Transfer Day has become an annual event.

There's no place like home, right?

And right now, that home probably looks like the apartment(s) you’ve been renting over the last few years. The thought of owning your own space has entered your mind before, but you don’t know if you’re ready or able to make that step.

Before even jumping into finances, it’s important you think through your plans for your future and ask yourself some questions about your present and future circumstances.