GCTFCU Blog | All posts tagged 'Credit '

Managing your debts is vital for maintaining financial health. Timely loan repayments not only keep your credit score healthy but also ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the household.

Here are a few tips for making timely loan repayments while taking care of your expenditure.

Prepare a Budget

Prepare a monthly budget and earmark a particular amount for each household requirement. With proper budgeting, you can strategize your loan repayment while keeping track of your expenditure. Cut down on unnecessary expenses and spend mindfully. You can also install budgeting apps to keep your monthly outlay in check.

Loans Consolidation

It is difficult to keep track of multiple loans and their monthly installments. Consider various ways to consolidate your debts. Debt consolidation means unifying more than one debt into a new loan, especially the ones with a lower rate of interest. You can take personal loans from a credit union at a competitive interest rate to pay off your loan.

Prioritize the Loan with Higher Interest Rate

Focus on the loans with higher rate of interest. If allowed, make larger payments towards these loans to pay them off as early as possible. But make sure that you don’t skip payments towards other loans, if any.

Automate Payment Options

Choose auto payment deductions to ensure you don’t skip or delay any monthly installment towards your loan repayments. This is necessary to avoid penalties for late payments.

Emergency Funds

Prepare an emergency fund to walk through tough times without any financial complications. If possible, keep funds worth 2-3 months of EMI amount in your account to act as a financial safety net.

Deposit Extra Money Towards Debt/Loan

If you receive a considerable amount of money, such as a bonus, instead of splurging that sum on needless expenses, deposit this money towards your loan repayments.

Insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF), Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union is a member-owned cooperative that has been helping people with their financial needs since 1957. The lending options offered by the credit union include New and Pre-Owned Vehicle Loans, and Secured & Unsecured loans at competitive interest rates. The credit union also offers numerous other financial services such as savings accounts, Wire Transfer, Bill Pay, etc.

To know more about loans in Killeen, visit Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union at 3305 E. Elms Rd, Killeen, TX – 76542 or call (254) 690 - 2274. You can also browse through www.gctfcu.net

Greater Central Federal Credit Union is a member-owned cooperative that strives to provide its members with affordable and convenient financial services and products. It was formed in 1957 by a group of 9 teachers who contributed money to be used by any one of them in need of finances at affordable rates. To date, the credit union is committed to providing the best services and lending opportunities to its members. It is insured by the NCUSIF (National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund).

The credit union provides the following loans and financial services to its members:

Secured Loans: These loans are provided against collateral with a value that is at least 20% more than the loans value. Detailed information about the loans is available on the credit union’s website. APR and the term of secured auto loans for new and used autos is provided. The APR rates for recreation vehicles (ATVs, motorcycles and RVs) are 2% higher than those of used autos. We also provide 72-month vehicle loans. If you want a share-secured loan (one that is backed by a share account), the rate will be 2% more than that of a secured account.
Unsecured/Signature Loans: These loans are ideal for unexpected expenses or for projects like a vacation. We offer personal/unsecured loans at affordable rates and make quick approvals upon receiving a completed application and verifying income (loan approval within 24-48 hours). We offer payroll deduction, direct deposit and automatic transfer services for convenient loan payment.
Credit Builder Loan: This loan is offered to help members improve their credit score. It works by freezing the amount of money in a share account until the borrower pays off the loan. As per their nature, these loans can be offered even if the credit score is not satisfactory. It is a good choice for anyone interested in getting a loan for the first time. The best part about these loans is that a borrower gets to build credit and also save in one go.
Savings Accounts: We offer a range of accounts to provide banking convenience for our members. These include a share savings account, a checking account, a money market account, a Christmas Club, a Vacation Club, Certificates of Deposit, and an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The requirements for opening a savings account are to be living, working, or worshipping west of I-35, 2 forms of ID, $5.00 for opening an account, and $20.00 to be kept in the account.
Other Services Offered: We offer useful financial services such as an amortization calculator (on our website), skip-a payment options, debit cards, Outgoing ACHs, Incoming ACHs, Outgoing wires, Incoming wires, bill pay, gift cards and an audio response system for checking balances, making loan payments and checking cleared drafts.

To know more about the loans and services offered by Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union, visit 3305 E. Elms Rd., Killeen, TX 76542 or call at 254-690-2274. You can also visit www.gctfcu.net

If you are looking for convenient and affordable financial services, consider availing the services of a credit union near you. Credit unions are non-profit organizations that provide a variety of financial services and products to their members. They are committed towards providing the services at the earliest and are dedicated towards customer satisfaction. Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union provides a wide array of affordable financial services to its members in Killeen, TX.

Listed below are the financial services and products that can be availed at a credit union:

Savings and Checking Accounts: Savings accounts are interest-bearing accounts that offer safety and reliability to fulfill short-term financial needs. Checking accounts are ideal for those in need of quick access to money for daily needs. Credit unions offer savings accounts such as share accounts, money market accounts, Vacation Club accounts, Christmas Club accounts, Certificate of Deposits and Individual Retirement Accounts.
Loans: You can avail affordable secured and unsecured loans at credit unions for unexpected expenses. The loans are available at lucrative rates and are approved within 24 to 48 hours upon receiving an application. For the convenience of clients, services such as direct deposit, automatic transfer services and payroll deduction are offered. Secured loans are granted against collateral whereas unsecured loans do not require collateral. Examples of unsecured loans are credit cards, student loans and personal loans.
Direct Deposit: A direct deposit is a payment that is directly made to a payee’s account electronically with the help of software. The service is convenient for businesses that have to pay employees and are also useful for tax refunds. Direct deposits are a convenient and safe method of transferring funds. They offer faster transactions, ensure timely payments of salaries and reduce bookkeeping.
IRA: Individual Retirement Accounts are for those who want to build up their retirement funds. These accounts can be opened by anyone working and below the age of 70 ½. IRAs offer tax advantages and are considered to be one of the best savings tools. IRA’s are of two types: Traditional and Roth IRAs. They are great for those starting their career, couples, growing families and those nearing retirement. Credit unions offer competitive rates to members interested in IRAs.
Other Services: Apart from the services mentioned above, credit unions also offer debit cards, credit cards, wire transfer, ATM services, payroll deduction, notary service, online access, skip-a-payment options, outgoing and incoming ACHs, gift cards, etc. GCTFCU strives to offer its members affordable financial services and convenient lending services.

To know about financial services and products offered at Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union, visit 3305 E. Elms Rd., Killeen, TX 76542, call at (254) 690-2274 or check out https://gctfcu.net

While procuring a loan it is important to know what kind of loan you should opt for. Basically there are two types of loans available. The first one is Secured Loan – Where certain collateral is kept as security by the lender. The second one is Unsecured Loan – Where loan is given without keeping any collateral. A person needs to make a sound choice between the two. The choice of the same would depend on various factors like:

Purpose for which the loan has to be taken.
Your financial capability
Loan Tenure
Monthly repayment capacity
Loan amount

What are Secured Loans?

Secured loans as the name suggests are loan that are provided by financial institutions against something that you own (asset). In case the loan is not paid, the lender can take possession of the asset to cover their losses. In case of auto loans, depending on what vehicle you are buying and the cost of the same; financial company decides what asset can be taken as collateral. It can be your property or any other asset that has similar value in comparison to the loan amount.

Advantages of Secured Loans

Lower interest rates.
Depending on the value of the asset, you can borrow more loan as compared to unsecured loans.
As your secured asset assures lender that their money is safe, you can get a loan even if you have a bad credit history.
Longer repayment periods.

What are Unsecured Loans?

As the name suggests unsecured loans are the loans given by financial companies and lenders without keeping anything as collateral against the loan amount. As the loan is given without any security, the risk for lender is high. As a result most of the unsecured loans attract high rate of interests and the repayment period is also usually short. The rate of interest is also decided on the basis of your credit history and your repayment capacity.

Advantages of Unsecured Loans

You don’t need a property or any other expensive assets to take an unsecured loan.
For small purchases, unsecured loans are cheaper than credit cards etc. In case you need small loan for few months, then you should go for unsecured loans to fund your purchase.

To obtain cheap and secured auto loans easily and quickly, consider Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union only. We can be contacted at 254-690-2274.

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