Answers from the TVFCU Pros
October 15, 2020
Thanks for watching our new financial education video series! We hope the information helped you gain a stronger financial foundation. The video series is an ongoing project, so we will roll out new videos in the future. And we are excited so many of you weighed in through NoogaToday’s poll with topic ideas!
A bulk of the responses were for more information about homeownership, and rightly so because purchasing a home is one of the biggest purchases most of us will make. There are so many things to consider when selecting the right home — Is the house’s location convenient to our needs (work, school, daycare, family)? Does the square footage meet our needs? How are the schools? How long do we see ourselves living in this house? But with today’s market, once you find your dream home, you have to move quickly because more than likely someone else likes the home as much as you do. That’s why it is important to talk with a TVFCU mortgage originator in advance.
We knew homeownership would be a big topic, so our next video series module is strictly devoted to mortgage. In the meantime, here’s more information from our mortgage colleagues about the next steps and how to connect with a mortgage originator. Our TVFCU Mortgage Team will be able to guide you through the process and answer your individualized questions.
Another theme focused on financial strategies for college students. This is such an important topic because the financial decisions that you make early in adulthood will definitely influence your financial trajectory. A good pro tip is to stay away from high-interest credit cards. It can be tempting, but do not rack up unnecessary debt. In addition to scholarships, education loans and student work if you find a need for more financial resources, visit TVFCU to learn about a Sally Mae loan options. Another tip is to start an emergency fund. Our HR colleague, Susan, gives more details about starting an emergency fund in her video. We’ll definitely devote future videos to this topic.
We also received questions about how to become a TVFCU member. It is a great question because some credit unions have rules reserving membership for groups of people, typically where they work. We started that way in 1936 when Chattanooga TVA employees pooled $500 to create the member-owned credit union. However, we gained our community charter in 2004, which allows anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school throughout our 13-county service community in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia to join. The process is simple; chat with a TVFCU representative from the comfort of your home through the tvfcuLIVE Stream Video Banking app, visit a TVFCU branch or complete the online membership application to become a member-owner of TVFCU.
Another person requested a video to help persuade their parents that online banking is safe. We are so grateful for our suite of eServices that includes our online banking platform, our mobile banking app, bill pay and mobile deposit. We knew these were convenient services, but they definitely became necessary during the pandemic. In addition to these services, we have our suite of tvfcuLIVE services. Our tvfcuLIVE Studio features interactive teller machines in select branches and branch drive-thrus that allow you to connect with a personal teller from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Saturday. Earlier this year, we launched tvfcuLIVE Stream to enable you to video chat with a personal consultant from your PC or smartdevice all from the comfort of your home. And if you just want to talk to someone on the phone, we also have tvfcuLIVE Line 423-634-3600. Here’s the video about our ITMs. We plan to create additional videos focused on our suite of digital technologies.
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