Putting your money on auto-pilot saves time, money and the environment. Step one is to find out if your employer offers direct deposit; most do. Signing up is usually as simple as taking a voided check to your human resources department. You’ll see your first paycheck appear automatically in your Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union account within a few weeks.
Step two is to set up electronic payments. There are a few ways to do this, and you can use them all:
1. Use your our free online bill pay service to pay bills by electronic transfer to a vendor or service provider. Or, if the merchant isn’t set up to accept these, the credit union will issue a paper check debiting your account. You can set up payments 24/7, adjust payment dates to coincide with your paydays and make optional extra payments when you can—say to your credit card.
2. Authorize a biller to take money directly from your checking account. These ACH payments can take a bit of effort to stop, so use them for regular, uniform payments that will continue for a long time—mortgage payments are a no-brainer.
3. Pay bills online using a credit card. Paying with your credit card is ideal for bills that only pop up twice a year—like car insurance. It’s also a good option for bills that change in amount, such as your cell phone bill. Be sure to pay off the card balance each month to minimize interest charges.
Are you looking for a low-interest credit card to use in times like these? Check out our MasterCard credit cards. You’ll find that we have some of the lowest rates around!
With these three automated options, you can pay every bill you have.
Don’t overlook automating routine savings, too. Set up automated transfers from checking to your credit union savings account(s), and you’ll always be financially ready for an unexpected car repair and for infrequent but larger bills like insurance premiums.
Streamlining your finances with online tools is about more than just saving time. By helping you to avoid late fees and overdraft fees, automatic services save you money. To make sure you’re never penalized for overdrawing your checking account, for example, set up an overdraft protection savings account or line of credit.
Once you’ve automated your finances, use our website or mobile banking tools to track your accounts and transfer money between them. Check accounts frequently to make sure your automated system is working smoothly and to monitor for attempted fraud or ID theft.
If you need help automating your finances, an AACFCU member service representative can help. Call us at 800-448-4096, email us at cuinfo@aacfcu.com or stop in today for assistance.
Copyright 2012 Credit Union National Association Inc. Information subject to change without notice. All other rights reserved
Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union (AACFCU) hosted its 22nd Annual Golf Tournament to benefit Fort Rucker’s Army Emergency Relief (AER) Fund campaign. This year’s tournament was held Friday, April 20, 2012 at Silver Wings Golf Course on Fort Rucker. Over 120 golfers supported the event. AER is the Army’s own emergency financial assistance program dedicated to helping active and retired soldiers when there is a vital need. Fort Rucker’s AER campaign raised $111,818 and will provide loans and grants to soldiers, retirees, family members and survivors. AACFCU donated $15,000 from this year’s golf tournament to help support the campaign.
