Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Vacay Without Breaking the Bank!

Summer is almost here which means a vacation is in order. How do we go about planning a vacation without breaking the bank? Here are some ideas:

1. ROAD TRIP! Gather the family (or friends) and hit the road. Make a stop at the Grand Canyon or Elitch Gardens and spend some time in nature or touring some shops and museums. Quality time with the fam or your closest pals is always a fun time.

2. Use Airbnb! For those of you who don't know, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191 countries! Talk about some options. If you're home for the summer and looking to make some extra cash, put that spare bedroom on Airbnb and earn some money.

3.  Tour New Mexico. New Mexico is beautiful and if you like the outdoors, then you're in luck because you have a lot of options. White Sands, Santa Rosa Blue Hole, Carlsbad Caverns, camping in Ruidoso, zip-lining in Angel Fire...the list really goes on...be a local tourist!

4. STAY-cation. Yes, this is a thing and it's pretty fun. Here's the idea- you stay at home, but you act like you're on vacation which means no work, eating junk food, going to the pool, shopping, and watching movies until 2am. Affordable, yet still a vacation.

5. Camping. Grab your cooler and fill it with hotdogs, marshmallows - the necessities, and head for the mountains. Set up your tent, lay out your sleep bag, and tell your best spooky story. Camping is affordable and away from the city, so you still get that vacation-feel with the plus of nature for the weekend.

Summer is right around the corner, so remember, you can still vacay without spending thousands of dollars. A vacation can be a tent in the backyard or a movie marathon in your living room. Just remember to take some time off, relax, and maybe spend some quality time with your loved ones or pet!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

the LADDER CERTIFICATE!!

Okay guys. We are about to talk about something cool, but also a little bit complicated. Not sure if you have heard the news, but one of our premier investment products is called the “Ladder Certificate”.

What’s a "certificate" and why is it called a “ladder”? Let me break it down…

First, let me start off with the question - what is a CD? And no, I am not referring to those circular disks from the 90s we used to listen to music in a stereo. This type of CD is defined as a certificate of deposit. At credit unions, we call them “Share Certificates”. A CD is a product where you place your money in an account for a period of time (as little as 3 months or as long as maybe 5 years) while you earn a higher interest rate; typically more than your savings or checking accounts.  U.S. Eagle offers a product that most banks or credit unions don’t…ahem, drum roll please…the LADDER CERTIFICATE!
So, what is this infamous ladder certificate you ask? It is five CDs (share certificates) in one. The ladder consists of a one year, two year, three year, four year, and five year share certificates.  Each one of these certificates will earn the 5-year interest rate. When the 1-year CD matures, (meaning coming up for renewal) it will automatically turn into the 5-year CD, while the 2-year CD is now the 1-year (because you only have a year left for maturity), and the 3-year becomes the 2-year, and so on.

The unique thing about this ladder certificate is you can contribute to the CD whenever you have $1,000.00 or more to equally disperse amongst the CDs, (in this case, $1,000.00 will be split into all 5 of the CDs) all the while you still earn the interest rate of the 5-year CD. 
This sets the Ladder Certificate apart from other CDs because it allows you to make continuous equal deposits into each of the 5 CDs whenever you want as long as you do not break your ladder. If you do close out any of the CDs when they mature, you can no longer contribute to the remaining CDs.

So, save up some money and invest it. You'll make money on your money. Plus, you'll sound cool when you explain this investment to all your pals, "Yeah...just invested my money in a ladder certificate...oh you don't know what that is?"