Education Articles

4 Ways To Watch Your Savings Grow

Remember the days of pedaling to the local bank and depositing your lawn-mowing or paper-route money into a savings account? Life is more complicated now (as are our finances), but the idea remains the same: We want a safe place to store our money and, ideally, watch it grow. SELCO has been around since the throes of the Great Depression,...

Loose Change Stack-Up

A fun, educational game for your kids The Loose Change Stack-Up is a fun, easy activity to teach your kids how to count change as well as the value of earning money. Teaching kids at an early age how to count and earn money will help set them up for success later in life by building a financial foundation of knowledge. This activity is great for...

7 Life Insurance Misconceptions

Many of us let popular claims about life insurance convince us that we don’t need it. Whatever your unique needs, it doesn’t hurt to give what you’ve heard additional thought—in fact, it might help a great deal. Read on to see if you change your mind about seven of the most common life insurance misconceptions. #1: I’m single and have no...

SELCO Select Checking: Your Personal Financial Hub

A checking account is no longer just a place to house and access your money. In the past, checking accounts were mostly used as a pass-through system, pooling your money and then dispersing it via checks or cash withdrawals. But like so many other banking products and services, checking accounts have evolved to fit modern times and needs. You ca...

Renting as a College Student

For many college students, renting off-campus is a major part of the college experience. Exciting, too. I, for one, couldn’t wait to live with friends. We were looking for something affordable, sure, but what we wanted most was an awesome place to throw parties. And while a great space to hang out for a reasonable price is important, there are...

Knowing Your Home Improvement Options

As spring turns to summer, Oregon's natural beauty is in full view. Is it time to spruce up your home to match that splendor? Depending on the scope of the project, home improvements can be both time-consuming and costly. And many use their home’s equity to acquire the funds needed to complete the project. Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) ,...

Friendly Warning: Tax Season Is ‘Fraud’ Season

Tax season fraud and malware campaigns have a seemingly endless number of ploys, often using flagrantly aggressive tactics, like applying threats and an extreme urgency to act or face fines, imprisonment, or legal action. Not surprisingly, a big focus in fiscal year 2021 (spanning October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021) was again COVID-19-relate...

Unexpected Expenses of Owning a Pet

If you own a pet, you already know that budgeting is just part of the deal—just like walking the dog or scheduling regular vet visits. If you’re starting to look for your own “man’s best friend,” it might be time to start thinking about all the expenses that go into owning a pet. Before taking a trip down to your  local shelter  or pet store,...

Mentally Prepare to Ace That Job Interview

It’s the night before the big interview. Your outfit is laid out, your résumé is hot off the press, and you’ve Google-Mapped your route. You’re sufficiently prepared—and yet, you’re still nervous. Although we’re generally pretty good at anticipating and preparing for external challenges, it’s those pesky internal challenges that tend to come up...

What Does Credit Union Membership Mean?

When credit unions profit, so do you. There are more than 4,500 credit unions in the United States, yet doubt continues to creep into many people's minds about whether their structure and services (including digital tools) can stand up to larger banks. SELCO and other credit unions continue to gather momentum—and set themselves apart from...