USALLIANCE Blog

It’s tax season, and as if getting your taxes filed on time wasn’t enough to worry about, that means it’s also tax scam season. With sensitive documents and personal information getting passed around, it’s vital that you stay vigilant in protecting yourself. Whether you’re filing your taxes yourself, hiring a professional, or using a tax preparation software, follow these tax security tips to help you stay safe and secure this time of year.

A money market account can be an extremely useful financial tool, but many people are not familiar with them or how they work. Here, we will walk you through the basics of money market accounts: what they are, why they are a good option, potential uses for one, and how to manage a money market account. Download the full infographic for a quick, simple guide on the fundamentals of a money market account.

Tax season is fast approaching, and you might already be thinking about getting everything ready to go. It’s great to start organizing well in advance of the deadline to avoid any last-minute issues, but it can be overwhelming. That’s why USALLIANCE has put together this helpful guide to assist you in getting ahead on your taxes. Here’s how to prepare for tax season.

If it seems like every single year, you’re hearing more and more about scams and fraud, you’re probably correct. In 2022, scammers broke the $10 billion mark for the first time ever. The amount of money lost by Americans to scammers has increased significantly over the past 5 years, rising from $2.7 billion in 2018 to $10.3 billion in 2022, and a new record high has been set every single year in that time. From 2021 to 2022 alone, the amount of money lost rose by over $3 billion. On an individual level, the average loss per victim jumped from $8,142 per incident in 2021 to $12,859 in 2022. In short, scammers are successfully targeting more people than ever before, and they are taking more money than ever before.

It’s that time of year once again; the temperature outside drops, the thermostat rises – and your heating bill rises right alongside it! We all want to keep our homes warm when it’s cold out, but with rising costs, you might be a little hesitant to turn the heat up. It doesn’t have to be that way, though! USALLIANCE is here to help by providing you some tips and tricks that you can use this winter to keep your home warm without paying sky-high heating bills. Some of these are simple tips that you can start using today, others require a little bit of planning or investment, but all of them can help you turn down the heat on your wallet without doing the same inside your home.

What is a share certificate?

A share certificate is an insured savings account, typically with a fixed dividend rate through a fixed date of maturity. A share certificate from a credit union is similar to a certificate of deposit, or CD, from a bank. These accounts offer highly competitive rates by locking your funds into a fixed term. For example, USALLIANCE offers Certificate Accounts ranging from 3 to 60 months in term. The rate is different for different term lengths, but you can choose the rate and term combination that works the best for your financial situation.

The holidays are long past and the new year is now in full swing. However, some of us may still be struggling to get back to everyday life and recover from “holiday shock”. We all know the feeling – the house is in disarray, your daily routine has been out of whack for weeks, and then those first post-holiday credit card statements come haunting you like the ghosts of purchases past! After the time off work and gathering with family and friends over the holidays, it can be quite jarring to get back to our normal lives.

Even after a few weeks, you may still be seeing the residual effects of the holidays. The good news is, USALLIANCE is here to help you recover from your post-holiday slump! By making a plan and focusing on a few key areas, you can get back on track in no time and give your 2024 goals your all.

When the coronavirus pandemic was at its height, many faced financial hardship due to layoffs, an inability to do their job, economic uncertainty, and a host of other reasons. One of the responses to these hardships was a forbearance, or temporary pause, on student loan repayments enacted by the federal government. While that initial decision went into effect almost four years ago in March 2020, there have been various plans, proposals, decisions, setbacks, and successes that have occurred since then. Our infographic traces the timeline of changes that have taken place in the world of student loans since March 2020, through the end of 2023 and provides a look ahead to 2024, when another change will occur.

Most of us make New Year’s resolutions that are personal like improving financial wellness, getting organized at home, or exercising more (ok, that one might seem like an annual resolution, but this is the year). Well, the new year is here and now is the perfect time to take stock of your career and set some professional resolutions as well! Setting well-defined and achievable objectives can help you reach new levels of success and growth in your career. These suggested resolutions are broad, so it’s important to pay attention to the details and tailor them to your situation when you’re making your own list. A good approach is to make sure you’re creating SMART goals – that is, goals that are:

Having New Year’s resolutions centered around finances is very common, and for good reason. There are few aspects of life that financial wellness doesn’t affect, so prioritizing your financial health is a great place to start your new year. This infographic touches on five financial resolutions to set you on the path to financial wellness for 2024: