ACUTX Newsletter 2021 Fourth Quarter

ACU in the Community. Page 6 ACUNews Fourth Quarter 2021 Creating & Sticking HOLIDtoAYoYur BUDGET Page 1 CAR SHOPPING Without the Stress Page 4

CREATING & STICKING TO YOUR HOLIDAY BUDGET Making a budget isn’t difficult, but sticking to it can get tricky, especially during the holidays. Between buying gifts for loved ones, planning parties and get-togethers, and miscellaneous expenses that can start to add up, creating a budget is one of the best things you can do to take the stress out of the holiday season. Here are eight ways to help you stick to your holiday budget and keep from overspending. MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE It might sound obvious, but the only way to stick to a budget is to have one in the first place. Many people simply shoot for a ballpark amount or try to gauge how much they’re spending from memory. This is an easy way to find yourself spending more than you bargained for. Instead, you can do a few budget calculations based on your monthly expenses to find a more concrete number for your holiday spending. Once the budget is in place, you can begin planning for the holidays. TAKE EVERY EXPENSE INTO ACCOUNT $ Make sure you record all holiday-related expenses, even those that feel insignificant at the time. Small items, such as wrapping paper, bows, and tiny add-on gifts can slowly build up, leaving you with less money to spend on the more important things. If you’re keeping track of even the most trivial expenses, you’ll be able to better visualize your budget and make necessary adjustments. ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 1

DON’T VEER FROM YOUR LIST Once you have a list of who you’re buying gifts for and what you’re going to get them, don’t make any sudden changes. Impulse buys and last-minute additions can put a dent in your budget, no matter how carefully you plan it out. Once you have your budget tallied, stick to it. When you inevitably have to make changes, try to swap things out with an item of equal value. USE THE 24-HOUR RULE When making a big-ticket purchase this holiday season, be sure to take some time and think it over. If you see an item in the store, especially something expensive, don’t buy it right away. Instead, sleep on it, and if you still think you need it, go and purchase it a day or two later. For online orders, leave it in your shopping cart for a day but don’t check out. Come back the next day and make a final decision. You might even find that by waiting, you’re able to take advantage of a new sale or deal. Once the initial excitement of seeing an item wears off, you may realize you don’t need it after all. Remember, your friends and family aren’t expecting you to break the bank for them, so if that ultra-expensive gift just isn’t reasonable, something less expensive, but more thoughtful, will work just as well. START PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR The holiday shopping season may officially start on Black Friday, but you can skip the crowded malls JAN and save yourself some money in the process by kicking things off earlier next year. Certain gifts, 22 such as winter coats, scarves, and boots, may be a fraction of their normal price in the off-season. Decorations like artificial Christmas trees and other holiday staples will be significantly reduced if you look to buy in the months immediately after the holiday season. OPEN A HOLIDAY SAVINGS ACCOUNT It’s easier to work within your budget if you’ve been planning all year to have the right amount of money for your holiday needs. You can set aside a little money from each paycheck in anticipation of your holiday spending. We offer a Holiday Savings Account that automatically debits a little from your checking account every month and holds it until the holidays. If you’ve planned ahead, your November and December budgets won’t have to carry all the burden of the holiday season. Learn About Holiday Savings Accounts DOWNLOAD A SHOPPING APP Apps can be a great ally for your holiday budget. Some apps can send you the best deals and coupons from all of your favorite stores, while others can organize and calculate your budget to ensure that you’re not going overboard. If you’re feeling overburdened typing away on a calculator or have a wallet full of random coupons, a quick internet search can find the perfect digital shopping companion for the holidays. KNOW YOUR CREDIT CARD REWARDS Your credit card could be one of your best friends when it comes to saving money over the holidays. The ACU of Texas Select Card offers 2% cash back on all purchases. Deals like this can be a nice boost down the road while you’re buying gifts and preparing for parties, so be sure you know every deal your card offers this holiday season. ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 2

LAOUATNOS LIVE CHAT 1.99%RATES AS LOW AS with an ACU of Texas employee APR1 from your smartphone Learn More OPEN AN ACCOUNT without having to set foot inside a branch LOAN APPLY FOR A LOAN in minutes and submit documents electronically GET STARTED 1APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Loans are subject to credit qualifications and approval. Rates may vary depending on creditworthiness and DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY! underwriting factors. “As low as” rate is for Premium credit with a term of less than 54 months and includes discounts of 0.15% for GAP, 0.15% for Warranty, 0.10% for credit insurance, and 0.10% for auto insurance through ACU Insurance Services. Additional terms at competitive rates available. Rate subject to change. Federally insured by NCUA. ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 3

TIPS FOR CAR SHOPPING WITHOUT THE STRESS Even the most patient people can find themselves drained and stressed out by the car shopping experience. Luckily, car shopping doesn’t have to be stressful. There are simple ways to make it easier to find, finance and drive away in a vehicle that meets your needs and budget. Here are a few tips for stress-free car shopping: GET PRE-APPROVED People often go to a car dealership, find a car and then let the dealership assist them with finding financing. While this method works, it often takes longer and makes the entire process more complicated. Pre-approval is the secret weapon of savvy car buyers. It makes car shopping easier and lets you have more power during the price negotiation process. When your loan is pre-approved, you can shop with a check in hand for the amount you have to spend. This lets you have control over which financial institution you work with and lets you figure out how much you can use for a down payment and what your monthly payments will be. Use a pre-approved loan so you and the salesperson don’t have to go back and forth about lender options or monthly payment amounts. The whole negotiation can focus on the price of the car to help you get a better deal. SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH A CAR BUYING RESOURCE Time and money are the major reasons that people dislike car shopping. Sitting in a dealership all day and spending more than you planned would stress anyone out. That’s why car buying resources have become popular for many shoppers. If you’re looking for a specific make and model, a car buying resource like Member Auto Center can help you find a dealership that has what you want. Instead of driving from one dealership to the next, you can search online to see available vehicles, read reviews and see what other people in your area paid for the car you want. When you get pre-approved first, then use a car buying resource, you can skip the tedious parts of car buying and get your car faster. Plus, you can save money, so it’s a win-win! LOOK FOR SERVICE THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS Every shopper is different. Shop somewhere that prioritizes the things that are most important to you. If your biggest concern is overspending, get pre-approved to give you more buying power. Use Member Auto Center’s tools to see what is available. If you hate negotiating, look for service with no-haggle pricing. Car dealerships have all sorts of deals to attract buyers. Some of these deals are good, but others may not be as beneficial as they seem. Look for long-term value over short-term incentives. If the deal is good in the long run and it also rewards you with a cool prize, that’s great. But make sure that your needs are met first and that the incentive is just an extra bonus to an already good deal. ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 4

! CONSUMER ALERT Policymakers in Washington have proposed requiring banks to report virtually all their customers’ bank account information and activity to the IRS regardless of the customers’ consent. While community banks do not endorse such broad IRS access to their customers’ account information, consumers need to be aware of the potential effects of this proposal. Mandating new, broad bank account reporting to the IRS would infringe on the privacy of bank customers, push more people away from a banking relationship and overload the IRS with more personal information about American citizens than it can possibly process or keep safe from a data hack. For more information, click here. VISA® GIFT CARDS MAKE THE PERFECT LAST MINUTE GIFT! www.acutx.org/visa-gift-card ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 5

ACU IN THE COMMUNITY Charis Pollard, Associated Credit Union of Texas’ Chief Human Resource Officer, was recently nominated for Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce’s Inaugural Women in Leadership Award. Members of our staff joined her to celebrate this recognition. Did You Know... As a community credit union, we strive to give back to the communities we serve. Each quarter, ACU of Texas donates back to local schools through the Mascot Debit Card program. Last year, local schools and education foundations received more than $20,000 in earnings from the program. Derrick Brown, ACU of Texas’ VP of Business Development recently presented a check to Dickinson ISD and spoke with educators and school staff about the benefits of the program. ACU OF TEXAS | FOURTH QUARTER 2021 6

P.O. Box 9004 | League City, TX 77574 LOCATIONS Alvin Brenham Cypress 1450 FM 1462 2509 Becker Dr. 7640 N. Fry Rd. Deer Park Pasadena - H-E-B La Marque 309 West X St 6210 Fairmont Pkwy 920 First St League City Corporate League City Pearland 1095 W League City Pkwy 351 S FM 270 6306 Broadway Pearland-Friendswood Pearland - H-E-B Plus Santa Fe 1504 Broadway 2805 Business Center Dr. 11934 FM 1764 Texas City 1326 9th Ave. North Call or Text: 281.479.3441 www.acutx.org PO Box 9004 | League City, TX 77574