Education Articles

Time to Rethink Your Savings Strategy

If you’re like many Americans, chances are in recent years you have put saving on your back burner. The personal savings rate across the nation dipped to 2.4 percent of disposable income earlier this year, the lowest rate since 2005, and that trend is certainly alive and well in Oregon. The low savings rate sounds alarming. In context, though, i...

Wants vs. Needs: Finding the Perfect Balance

The end of the year (or beginning of a new year) is a great time to take a look at your household’s budget and start planning for the new year. Whether you’re creating a new budget from scratch or reviewing previous months’ expenses, it’s helpful to consider if those expenses fall into the category of a  want  or a  need . What’s the difference?...

Organizing Your Household Finances

Stop for a moment and think about all the bills, receipts, paystubs, account statements, and other essential financial paperwork that comes your way on a monthly basis. It’s enough to make your head spin. Thankfully, an organizing system for your financials that you’re comfortable with can make all the difference. File it all away Whether it’s i...

The Financial Mistakes of Our 20s and 30s

Early in our careers, we tend to focus on the here and now. It's an understandable impulse. Why worry about the unknown? And how would you prepare for something so far off? But the thing about the future is, it has a habit of sneaking up on us. We may not have a crystal ball, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for what’s to come—and the soon...

How Students Can Keep Money in their Pockets

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a college student in possession of a budget, must be in want of tips for saving money.” -Jane Austen (kind of) For most of us, going to college and living on a budget go hand in hand. Who couldn’t use a few ways to save money here and there? Whether you’re looking to fund your fancy coffee fix or to s...

Tips to Control Holiday Spending

’Tis nearly the season to get in the spirit of spending more money than you normally do (or perhaps your season has already begun). The National Retail Federation reports holiday spending has steadily increased each year over the past decade. But that doesn’t mean you have to ride the shopping wave. Here are a few tips for keeping spending in...

Make Debt Work for You

Ever seen a report that claims a certain kind of food is bad for you? Then, a couple weeks later, there’s another report saying the  same  food is good for you? It’s usually not the food itself but what you do with it that makes it “good” or “bad.” The same goes for debt. Like drinking red wine or eating bacon, managing debt is all about how...

Couples' Therapy: Investing Together

You like to take risks when investing. Your partner would rather play it safe. So where do you go from here? Many couples grapple with this dilemma. While it might seem like a good compromise to split your funds and invest as you each see fit, that likely won’t bring peace—or wealth—into your relationship. In a marriage, for one thing, whether...

10 Tips for Teaching the Value of a Dollar

Talking to your kids about money can be difficult, but it’s also one of the most important conversations you can have. Learning how to earn, manage, and appreciate the value of money at an early age gives children the foundation they need to succeed down the road. As a financial institution founded by teachers, SELCO is committed to helping Oreg...