Education Articles

Hitting the Reset Button in Spring

If you’re like many people, spring cleaning just feels good. It gives us a sense of purpose—even in normal times. Organizing and cleaning gets you moving, makes you feel more productive. You get to open all the windows and blinds to let fresh air and sunshine in, and follow that natural light outside. Decluttering your home, inside and out, also...

What Does Value Mean When It Comes to Banking?

Value means something a little bit different to all of us. Ultimately, though, value comes down to a feeling—a feeling that you are getting more than you expected. Financial institutions claim to hold the key to value. Some will tout a rate or dangle a special introductory offer to express value. But to many of us, these deals are superficial an...

The Financial Mistakes of Our 20s and 30s

Early in our careers, we tend to focus on the here and now. It's an understandable impulse. Why worry about the unknown? And how would you prepare for something so far off? But the thing about the future is, it has a habit of sneaking up on us. We may not have a crystal ball, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for what’s to come—and the soon...

How Students Can Keep Money in their Pockets

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a college student in possession of a budget, must be in want of tips for saving money.” -Jane Austen (kind of) For most of us, going to college and living on a budget go hand in hand. Who couldn’t use a few ways to save money here and there? Whether you’re looking to fund your fancy coffee fix or to s...

Be Aware of Free Trial Offers

Not exactly a news flash, but online shopping has been displacing brick-and-mortar retailers for years. In 2024, retail e-commerce sales were projected to be over $6 trillion globally—a figure that grows every year. Retailers continue to shift resources to e-commerce as people have become even more comfortable shopping from their computers or...

Swimming Clear of Phishing Scams

You’ve heard the story before: Scammer poses as a familiar business or service provider, victim is lured into providing personal information, scammer steals victim’s identity. It’s an oldie, but for scammers it’s still a goodie—it's estimated that more than a  trillion emails are sent in a year by cybercriminals. (And that's just emails!)...

Tips to Control Holiday Spending

’Tis nearly the season to get in the spirit of spending more money than you normally do (or perhaps your season has already begun). The National Retail Federation reports holiday spending has steadily increased each year over the past decade. But that doesn’t mean you have to ride the shopping wave. Here are a few tips for keeping spending in...

Make Debt Work for You

Ever seen a report that claims a certain kind of food is bad for you? Then, a couple weeks later, there’s another report saying the  same  food is good for you? It’s usually not the food itself but what you do with it that makes it “good” or “bad.” The same goes for debt. Like drinking red wine or eating bacon, managing debt is all about how...

Couples' Therapy: Investing Together

You like to take risks when investing. Your partner would rather play it safe. So where do you go from here? Many couples grapple with this dilemma. While it might seem like a good compromise to split your funds and invest as you each see fit, that likely won’t bring peace—or wealth—into your relationship. In a marriage, for one thing, whether...

10 Tips for Teaching the Value of a Dollar

Talking to your kids about money can be difficult, but it’s also one of the most important conversations you can have. Learning how to earn, manage, and appreciate the value of money at an early age gives children the foundation they need to succeed down the road. As a financial institution founded by teachers, SELCO is committed to helping Oreg...