- Endwell, NY – Visions Federal Credit Union employees recently completed their fourth annual “Anti-Hunger Games” to combat food insecurity. The resulting impact spanned throughout Visions’ three-state footprint in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The Anti-Hunger Games is an annual giveback campaign led by Visions Cares, the charitable giving initiative of Visions Federal Credit Union. Since…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2024…
- Looking to clean up credit card debt? There are actually several ways to get it done – some you might not have thought of. Here are the top five suggestions from Visions Federal Credit Union's Debt Experts. CONNECT WITH A DEBT EXPERT, Personal Loan, The personal loan is your likeliest solution for debt consolidation. The goal is to combine all your loan balances (and their associated APRs) into one loan at a better rate. It not only, saves you tons of interest, , but, simplifies your payments, as well. "I had a member who was paying over $1,000 a month on credit card debt," says Kham Phonechanthasone, Visions Debt Expert and Assistant Manager of the Binghamton University and University Center Branches in New York. "I helped her consolidate them into a personal loan and was able to save her over $500 a month." "She was thrilled to be able to have extra money in her pocket and know that…, Home Equity Loan, This is not always the most obvious solution, but a solid one if you've been in your home for a while. Debt consolidation is a great way to utilize your home's equity as, like the personal loan, you can combine, save, and simplify multiple lines of credit. In addition, it's a type of secured loan, which, locks in an even better rate, . "I find my go-to is to talk to members first about our home equity loans as Visions offers great rates," says Lindsay Kennedy, Visions Debt Expert and Manager of the Muhlenberg, Pennsylvania Branch. "I think people often forget about home equities to help consolidate." "I often say that you work hard to pay for your home and to accumulate equity, so sometimes in certain situations, it's time…, Mortgage Refi, You may also leverage your home's value when you, refinance to knock down mortgage payments and free up some extra cash, . You can even do a cash out refinancing in some instances, which puts money right in your hands to clean up debt., Balance Transfer, It may seem counter-intuitive at first, but if you're prepared to keep your spending under control, consolidating multiple cards and rates to a new line of credit with a low APR can really work. There are plenty of cards out there with great rates or other incentives and a Debt Expert can help find one that improves your payment situation. For example, Visions credit cards will charge, no fees for cash advances, , which can be a great solution for moving outstanding credit card debt into your Visions account and away from other institutions that may charge higher rates and additional fees., Cash Out Auto Refi, If you don't own a home, you might also look to your vehicle to put cash on hand with an auto refinance. At Visions, you can refinance your auto loan and "cash out" based on, up to 100% of your equity, . "One thing people might not think of is you can do a cash out auto refinance," Phonechanthasone says. "If you have enough equity on a vehicle or you own the vehicle outright, you can take equity out of it to pay down other debt at a lower interest rate." Visions understands the value of having local Debt Experts across the areas the credit union serves. That's why they made it a point to place…
- When Should You Consolidate Debt?, Debt can be a stressful thing, especially when it's coming at you from multiple directions. The average American has more than $5,000 in credit card debt and it's not unusual to have that spread out among several accounts. Debt consolidation is a solution that can simplify billing to one statement and lower interest rates so that you have a single, manageable payment. But, when should you…, You Have a High DTI, The first signal could be your debt-to-income ratio. That's your total debt relative to your gross income. The Federal Reserve considers 40% a sign of fiscal stress, while 20% is considered low. If you fall toward the smaller end of the spectrum, debt consolidation may not be necessary for you., You Can Lower Your Interest Rate, This is the primary reason to pursue debt consolidation. If you can lower your interest rate, you can pay more toward the principal. The more you can apply to the principal balance, the faster you can pay off the debt. Start by determining your average interest rate and compare it to the APR on a personal loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC)., You Can Control Your Spending, Of course, none of this matters if you don't get to the root of your debt problem. In order to become debt-free, you must have a plan to change your financial ways so that you don't end up in the same situation. This starts with a monthly budget that you commit to sticking with. This should naturally be a lot easier if you're paying one lower monthly bill to one source. So, if you truly want to…
- Endwell, NY – Visions Federal Credit Union recently held its sixth annual 4 on the 4th Road Race at their headquarters in Endwell, NY. The annual July 4th event welcomes in-person and virtual participants, several community partners, and the support of more than 50 volunteers. The 4-mile course takes in-person participants through the surrounding neighborhood and into nearby Highland Park before…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2024…
- Endwell, NY – Visions Federal Credit Union offers congratulations and best wishes to their 2024 scholarship winners! Visions recently awarded $25,000 to select students for the 2024-2025 school year. Visions offers two scholarship programs each year: the Visions Cares and Visions Salutes Scholarships. Each recognizes college-bound and currently enrolled college students for their outstanding…, About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2024…
- While we’re certainly one-of-a-kind, we didn’t invent the co-op. Financial cooperatives and credit unions have been around since the 1800s, evolving with a shared set of principles that govern and guide like-minded companies around the globe. From our commitment to community, to our unique mission in financial services, to your relationship and role as a member – the Eight Cooperative Principles…, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, . Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion “Credit unions support diversity, equity, and inclusion as a shared credit union cooperative principle and continue to have a responsibility and take a leadership role in building and serving more diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities.” – National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) The eighth and final cooperative principle – Diversity, Equity, and…, Explore our cooperative principles:, Autonomy and Education, , Democracy and Community, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, , Cooperation Among Cooperatives, Membership and Participation
- Endwell, NY – To enhance accessibility of branch services, Visions Federal Credit Union is planning to pilot a device titled "Badger" at select locations. Developed by Satellite Displays, Inc. , Badger is a smart device that can provide closed captions for conversations in real time. The size of a traditional name badge – and functioning as such when not in use – the device receives audio and…, About Satellite Displays, Satellite Displays' purpose is to improve communication through innovation. We created Badger, the world's first closed captioning smart badge to convert speech to text in real time. Badger also translates speech to many languages. We are inspired to help all people overcome communication barriers. Whether you are deaf, have hearing loss, speak a different language or are wearing a mask, Badger…, About Visions Federal Credit Union, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Ref: Visions FCU press release, 2023. View recent news.
- Syracuse, NY – Visions Federal Credit Union is proud to announce that Ty Muse, Visions’ President/CEO, has joined the advisory board of Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA). Muse and two additional newcomers will join the eight current members to provide advice and counsel to the university’s leadership related to programs, initiatives, and opportunities that…, veterans.syr.edu, . Visions also maintains a Veterans Program for veterans, their spouses, and their dependents, as well as a suite of resources for military-connected students. Visions resources can be found at , visionsfcu.org/veterans, and , visionsfcu.org/ovma, . , About Visions, Visions Federal Credit Union is a not for profit financial institution completely owned by its members. Established in 1966, Visions proudly serves over 250,000 members in communities throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Services include banking as well as auto, home, personal, and business loans. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Source: , https:/veterans.syr.edu/news/three-new-advisory-board-members
- While we’re certainly one-of-a-kind, we didn’t invent the co-op. Financial cooperatives and credit unions have been around since the 1800s, evolving with a shared set of principles that govern and guide like-minded companies around the globe. From our commitment to community, to our unique mission in financial services, to your relationship and role as a member – the Eight Cooperative Principles…, Democratic Member Control, and, Concern for Community, . Democratic Member Control “Credit unions are democratic organizations owned and controlled by their members. Each member gets one vote, no matter their financial status, to help make the organization’s policies and decisions.” – National Credit Union Foundation We’re accountable to our members. That means our volunteer Board of Directors, President/CEO, and staff leaders listen to your voice…, Explore our cooperative principles:, , Autonomy and Education, , Democracy and Community, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, , Cooperation Among Cooperatives, Membership and Participation
