Here for U: UCU's Blog

Three Advantages to Using a Credit Union for Your Mortgage

When it comes to choosing a home to purchase, you likely think long and hard about its location. After all, they say that location, location, and location are the three most important qualities in a home. That’s because a house with a good location can provide you with a significant long-term return on your investment…

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Saving money in a jar

Saving as an Everyday Routine

June 12, 2019 If your big picture goal is to save towards that dream vacation to Hawaii or that sports car you want to drive with the top down, you should first take a look at your daily expenditures. When you add up your daily grind expenses you may be surprised at the amount of…

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Senior couple reviewing finances

Elder Fraud is More Common Than We Think

June 11, 2019 Senior financial exploitation and fraud is the illegal or improper use of a senior’s resources for another’s profit or advantage. Exploitation usually involves someone the senior knows, such as a family member or caregiver. Fraud is usually perpetrated by a stranger, such as a telemarketer or investment promoter. Experts in elder fraud…

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Spring flowers in a vase, on a table.

Wintertime Tips for Spring Home Buyers

February 13, 2019 By April Gleason, VP of Lending In the middle of a cold Maine winter, it’s easy to find yourself longing for the refreshing warmth and feeling of opportunity that arrives with spring. If you’re thinking about buying a home this spring, you may be feeling extra antsy for the snow to melt…

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New year 2019

Top Tips for Sticking with Your New Year’s Financial Resolutions

February 10, 2019 It’s February, and chances are, your New Year’s resolutions to save more, pay down debt, and spend less have already fallen to the wayside despite the best of intentions. You may be asking yourself, “How does this always happen?” You start the year enthusiastic and ready to make a change, but daily…

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Moving into new house

A Lender’s Advice to First-Time Home buyers

September 18, 2018 By April Gleason – Vice President of Lending Here in Maine, we enjoy one of the highest rates of homeownership in the country at over 71 percent as of 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This isn’t surprising considering Maine’s rental market is among the least affordable in the nation, according…

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Financial Spring Cleaning Tips

March 20, 2017 By Lesley Ridge, Campus Branch Manager, USM Brooks Student Center, Gorham When the calendar says March 20th, we all know what that means-The First Day of Spring! Definition of SPRING: The season after winter and before summer; A sudden jump upward or forward. To many of us, the Spring Season signifies more…

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Budgeting on Campus

February 13, 2017 Making a budget is crucial to financial success at all stages of life, and getting comfortable with budgeting early in your college career will help you in the future! Your budget will have two important components: income and expenses. It seems simple enough, but it’s easy to get tripped up when you’re…

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Eating Healthy on a Budget to Reduce Stress

November 15, 2016 By Lesley Ridge, Campus Branch Manager, USM Brooks Student Center, Gorham There are a lot of stressors in everyday life. One way to keep your stress down is to eat healthy and stay on budget. Sometimes it seems easier to not think about it, and just grab and go, right? Wrong! Over…

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Money 101-Budgeting Basics for Students

September 12, 2016 By Lesley Ridge, Campus Branch Manager – University of Southern Maine, Gorham Brooks Student Center Another school year is upon us and one of the most popular questions asked of me from students at USM is “How do I manage money when I feel like I have very little to none to…

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