Rapids Blog

Financial difficulties are a leading stressor in society today, and this stress can have serious health consequences. Besides medical effects, stressing over money can cause depression and relationship problems. Financial stress can often be a cause of conflict in relationships. Fortunately, you can fight back against financial stress. Here are a few ways to get started and stop letting money woes run your life.

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Many of the ways in which you spend your money comes from nothing more than a habit. From spending $15 on lunch every day to dropping $150 on new shoes, your costly habits can be a slow but steady drain on your finances. If these habits are bad for your finances, think about developing good habits that will boost your finances. Here are seven simple, good money habits you can adopt to help you keep more of your paycheck.

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Even though it’s July, it’s never too early to start budgeting for the holidays. And that’s exactly what we are talking about for this month’s financial fitness challenge. In this article, we look at how to make a holiday budget and how to painlessly put money towards it.

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Now that the world is opening up again, your spending habits are probably changing. Gas expenses may have increased by getting out more. You may be feeling the need for a social spending spree of outings, dining, and events that you haven’t been able to indulge in. You may also be earning more again and feeling more secure financially. Rather than “winging it,” now is the time to rebuild your post-pandemic financial health with a new budget!

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It's no secret that maintaining a good credit score is essential to strong financial health. It is a must if you ever wish to take out a substantial loan or need to apply for rental properties. Most people know the basics of what may hurt or help your credit score. However, you may not know about a few surprising things that can hurt your score. Here are six factors that may negatively impact your credit score.

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Credit union members in the Northwest are falling victim to a new twist on classic phone scams. Scammers are using easily obtained software to mimic the phone number of credit unions and other financial institutions. They then make phone calls to their victims, posing as credit union employees from the security department, and try to obtain information from the members to set up fake debit and credit cards, and to steal credentials to compromise online banking accounts.

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We take a look at how to collect and protect important personal documents. Keeping sensitive documents safe can give you peace of mind in case of unexpected events, and ensure you have documents ready when needed. Below we share what documents you should protect, and options for doing so. This also can be a great summer project if you are stuck inside avoiding the heat.

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As new college graduates, young professionals, and others in their twenties launch their careers, they get bombarded with tempting ways to spend money. For many, handling a more considerable income and “adult” expenses like rent, utilities, and insurance, is a new experience. Now more than ever, money management will be a skill needed to meet future saving and investing goals. Here are tips for twenty-somethings to help control spending and manage their money.

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This month, we look at creating a will. It’s not always an easy thing to think about, but preparing for your end of life will ultimately ensure your property is distributed as you wish, and to the benefit of those you care about most. In this article, we discuss why a will is important and how to create one. While creating a will may not help your personal financial fitness, it can help your beneficiaries.

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There are many benefits to focusing on paying down debt. Paying off consumer debt protects your financial stability. Plus, less debt means less money spent on interest charges, extra funds for other necessities, money to put into savings, or to use on discretional spending. Below are a few simple ways to lower your credit card debt in April (and for the rest of the year).

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