Tech CU awards $1,000 to Super Saver of 2009
Kathleen Litman, vice president of marketing at Tech CU, presents Shih-Shan Tan and Ron Vogel a check for $1,000. Vogel was selected as the Grow Your Green Super Saver of 2009.
San Jose, CA (Dec. 31, 2009) —Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) is proud to announce that Ron Vogel of San Jose, Calif. has been selected as the Grow Your Green Super Saver of 2009 and, as a result, Vogel has been awarded the $1,000 grand prize in Tech CU’s Grow Your Green Savings Challenge.
In March, Tech CU launched the Grow Your Green campaign and online community in an effort to support and encourage members to set and achieve savings goals in 2009. Then on Dec. 15, Tech CU picked the Super Saver of 2009—someone who had been actively saving and participating in the community—and that person would win $1,000 toward their savings goal.
Not only did Vogel save consistently all year to reach his financial goals, but he also shared many of his valuable money-saving tips with other Grow Your Green members. From advice on investing to tips on finding free music and video on the Internet, Vogel regularly contributed to the Grow Your Green community, posting several blog entries each week. (Read them here.)
“We worked hard to win this,” Vogel said, as his wife, Shih-Shan Tan, stood next to him. “This was a team effort. Shih-Shan would look for story ideas and then I would research them and develop them into blog posts. We wrote them with our own experiences of spending and saving in mind.”
One of those experiences, Vogel said, came when he was six years old.
“I loaned my grandfather $20 and a week later, he gave me $30—to cover the full amount, plus interest,” said Vogel. “That’s when I learned that if I was smart with money, I could make more of it.”
Vogel says since then he has tried to share his money management skills with the world. This time it has paid off—literally.
“We knew that more people were being affected by the economy this year so we wanted to help them focus on saving,” said Kathleen Litman, vice president of marketing at Tech CU. “From the start, we designed the Grow Your Green site to encourage comments from, and interaction between, the participants who were saving toward a particular goal. Ron was a major contributor and really cared about helping others. We’re thrilled he’s our Super Saver of 2009.”
And Vogel’s thrilled too.
“I opened the Grow Your Green savings account because I wanted to win the $100 monthly prize,” Vogel said. “That was appealing, but to win $1,000 is an even more wonderful surprise. It’s definitely a great way to end the year. Thank you, Tech CU!”
We’ve picked a Super Saver for 2009!
Ron Vogel will receive $1,000 for being Grow Your Green's Super Saver of 2009!
Congratulations to Ron Vogel for being Grow Your Green’s Super Saver of 2009!
Not only did Ron save consistently all year to reach his financial goals, but he also shared all his wonderful money-saving tips with Grow Your Green members. (You can read them here.)
Stay tuned—we’ll have an interview from Ron in the coming days when we present him with the $1,000 check. How’s that for a holiday gift?
Meet all our $100 monthly winners.
Q&A with Ramie – GYG $100 winner, November
Ramie proudly shows off her granddaughter, Kara, who was born in October. Ramie is saving for Kara's future.
What are you saving for?
I have a brand new granddaughter, Kara, who was born on Oct. 14, 2009, so I am saving for her. Her parents can give her the necessities but I want to be able to provide her with the “fun” stuff: field trips, gifts, money for college.
She’s my first grandchild so I am excited about saving for her future.
What steps are you taking to save each month?
Luckily, I have developed a pretty good habit of saving over the years.
Whenever I get a tax refund or a bonus, I immediately put it into a savings account so I can earn interest on it. This also helps to keep me from the temptation of spending it. For example, when Tech CU offered the one-day Celebration CD with a 4.00% APY, I immediately took $2,500 to open the account.
What is your biggest obstacle when you’re trying to keep a consistent savings plan?
This real estate market has been a challenge for us. We have some big expenses on our rental properties. I don’t normally dip into my savings but I may need to from time to time for miscellaneous expenses like home repairs and insurance. Otherwise, I am trying to grow my balances.
Has the current economy affected your savings plan at all?
Again, it’s our rental properties. We’re upside down on them but I am optimistic that things will slowly turn around.
Do you have any savings tips for other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
My co-worker is a single mother of three. I told her to put away $25 for each child each month. In fact, I told her to open a Tech CU ‘Grow Your Green’ Savings Challenge account. She won’t even miss it and at the end of the year, each child will have some extra money for the holidays.
I think the main thing I’d stress is that you have to stay consistent–even if it’s just a few dollars a week. It really does add up and before you know it, you’ll have a nice chunk for when you really need it.
Also, I wanted to say that you called me on my birthday, so thank you so much for the drawing award! This was a great birthday gift for me!
Save $500 for holiday spending
Courtesy: CBSNews.com/The Early Show
OK, who doesn’t want extra cash–especially for the holidays?!
We found a great article on CBSNews.com with tips on how to save $500 for extra holiday spending. The tips are fairly simple, and may actually even help you save more throughout the entire year.
Take a look here. You can also click on the image to the right to watch the interview.
Now that’s growing your green!
Black Friday best day to buy a car
Historic day-by-day car pricing data and found the average discount on a new car bought on Black Friday is 7.5%, up from the daily average of 4.7%.
Everyone’s talking about all the great sales deals you can get on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. While the masses will be at the mall buying flat-screen TVs and the latest gaming consoles, you could really score at the auto dealership. That’s because, according to Truecar.com, Black Friday is the best day to buy a car.
The car-pricing website looked at historic day-by-day car pricing data and found the average discount on a new car bought on Black Friday is 7.5 percent, up from the daily average of 4.7 percent.
Adding to the sales pressure, Black Friday this year happens to fall very close to the end of the month. Car deals typically sweeten as the month goes on because many dealerships are approaching quotas they must meet in order to get additional manufacturer incentives.
Besides monthly deadlines, dealers are also under pressure to clear out 2009 model year cars and trucks before the end of the calendar year. Those cars will be much harder to sell after Dec. 31, when they become “last year’s” models.
These are some awesome factors working in your favor.
And, you could save even more with the right car loan! Check out Tech CU—the credit union has lowered its auto rates. Combine that with a Fuel$mart loan and other Tech CU discounts, and you could get a rate as low as 4.40% APR* on a new vehicle with a 66-month term. (Learn more here.)
So if you’re in the market for a new car, try to buy it this Friday. With the combination of low car prices and sweet auto loan rates, you could shave thousands of dollars off the price of your next ride.
*Restrictions apply. Please speak with a Tech CU representative for complete details. ‘As low as’ rate of 4.40% APR assumes a new vehicle loan with a term of 66 months at 5.200% APR. Rates as of November 16, 2009 and subject to credit approval and change without notice. Discounts on this rate include a .30% Fuel$mart discount, .25% discount for purchasing from The Car Store and a .25% discount for Relationship Rewards, with a Relationship Rewards level of Premier, requiring an aggregate loan/deposit balance of at least $100,000.
Q&A with Steve – GYG $100 winner, October
What are you saving for?
We’re just setting money aside for emergencies, anything that comes up. We have several accounts–one for emergencies, one for savings, one for retirement.
What steps are you taking to save each month?
Any time we get a large bonus or amount from, say, a stock cash-out, it goes straight into our savings account. Anything left over goes to bills.
What is your biggest obstacle when you’re trying to keep a consistent savings plan?
Right now we have two houses. We’re in the process of selling one of them so that’s our biggest obstacle when it comes to saving. There are a lot of expenses and the rent isn’t covering the mortgage. Once it’s sold, hopefully we can save more.
Has the current economy affected your savings plan at all?
I think we’ve been good about saving so right now, thankfully, we’re OK.
Do you have any savings tips for other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
Put a little away each day, even if it’s just a few dollars. It may not seem like a lot but that money really does add up pretty quickly.
Finding affordable health care insurance
Research all your options so you have the information you need to make your medical decisions with confidence.
While there is a lot of talk in Washington about health care reform, it probably doesn’t help you if you need medical insurance TODAY.
If you’re in the market for health insurance–whether you recently lost your benefits or you’re just looking for better rates–here are a few tips to finding affordable, comprehensive health care insurance for you and your family.
Use a health insurance broker
Brokers know the market. They can help you shop for the lowest prices, and they also know which companies offer the best coverage for your needs.
For example, Tech CU offers medical and life insurance. The credit union works with such companies as Blue Anthem, Blue Shield of California or Kaiser Permanente to find its members medical and life insurance at affordable prices. Tech CU representatives can walk you through the pros and cons of each plan since there are so many options and it’s easy to feel confused or overwhelmed. (Here are some good questions to ask when choosing a plan.)
The National Association of Health Underwriters can also put you in touch with specialists in your area too.
The Internet is your friend
You can find lots of online sites that can give you instant quotes. For example, did you know a healthy 30-year-old single female can find health care plans that start as low as $40? Do this to compare rates and make sure you’re getting the most for your money.
Use government resources
The state of California has dedicated online sites to help you figure it all out: http://www.ca.gov/Health/HealthCareServ/HealthInsurance.html
You can find information for everything from help for drug and alcohol abuse to contacts for caregivers and mental health programs.
Can COBRA help?
COBRA is more expensive but it can be useful if you are in poor health, in a market with few choices, or you want to stick with your current doctors.
Don’t take something as important as health care coverage lightly. Research all your options so you have the information you need to make your decision with confidence.
Q&A with Sophie – GYG $100 winner, September
Sophie Martinez won $100 for being a great GYG saver.
What are you saving for?
My husband’s health insurance changed. Our deductible went from $0 to $5,000, and we had to pay for $10,000 in medical bills. We started the ‘Grow Your Green’ account to save more after dealing with these expenses. I’m excited about winning the monthly prize. These are good incentives to continue saving.
What steps are you taking to save each month?
We’re definitely trying to budget better. A percentage of my paycheck goes straight into my savings account through direct deposit. I opened our ‘Grow Your Green’ savings account in July. We just set aside a certain amount each month and it stays there, untouched.
What is your biggest obstacle when you’re trying to keep a consistent savings plan?
Medical bills are our biggest challenge right now. However, with the right savings plan and some real discipline, it’s doable.
Has the current economy affected your savings plan at all?
My husband was laid off earlier this year. Luckily, he was able to find another job in three weeks. We know that’s amazing in this economy so we’re very grateful. Also, his former employer was affected by the economy so the company had to cut costs, which then affected us.
Do you have any savings tips for other ‘Grow Your Green’ savers?
I highly recommend designating a certain amount of EVERY paycheck for a savings account. If you use direct deposit, you don’t even see it so you don’t miss it. That is, you’re not tempted to spend it. It’s great that this money goes to a certain account and, if you don’t touch it, it just sits there and grows.
Congratulations to the East Side High School Educational Foundation for winning the ‘Save 4 Your School’ Savings Challenge!
Courtesy of Tech CU
Technology Credit Union (Tech CU) is proud to announce that the East Side High School Educational Foundation in San Jose, California, is the deserving recipient of a $1,000 donation match for winning the credit union’s Save 4 Your School Savings Challenge. The money will be used to pay for the foundation’s after-school sports programs in the East Side Union High School District. Full story
20 moves to simplify your finances
Choose to become accountable, then use every tactic you can to streamline—and destress— your financial life.
I know what you’re thinking: simplify and finances in the same sentence? Ha! Like that’s even possible when we have credit cards, bank accounts, bills, bill-paying options, fees, penalties and interest rates to keep track of! How can we possibly make our finances simple? By knowing the right tricks. Choose to become accountable, then use every tactic you can to streamline—and de-stress— your financial life. If you can pare things down in the following areas, you’re well on your way. Full story
