Because March is Women’s History Month, we’re taking a moment to reflect on many of the important contributions women have made to society. At Aspire FCU, we’re proud to be a part of the nationwide celebration of women. As part of this effort, we’d like to take time to recognize a few important women in the history of finance and entrepreneurship. Here are five lesser-known and underappreciated women who are sometimes left out of the popular economics conversation. That, of course, does not diminish the importance of their trailblazing efforts and work. Maggie Lena Walker, first female bank president Maggie…

Keeping an eye on your credit report allows you to monitor any errors that come up. At Aspire, we offer free credit report reviews and try to help you understand what’s happening with your accounts, but it also helps for you to look at your report once a year at annualcreditreport.com (you get one free look every year). Why is it so important? Even companies you think you can trust, like Wells Fargo, can be corrupt. Wells Fargo Employees Opened Millions of Unauthorized Bank Accounts Since 2011, Wells Fargo employees have been opening deposit and credit card accounts without notifying…

54% of Americans say credit unions are the best place for middle class people to deposit their money. They know that credit unions like ours keep our economy strong and provide a smart financial choice for consumers. As we enter the 2016 Election, we want to make sure every Republican and Democratic candidate for President knows that too. Unlike big banks who answer to Wall Street and return profits to their investors, credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives owned and operated by our members. What makes us different? We return savings to the middle class families we serve through higher interest…

Last month, the Federal Reserve raised the prime interest rate.  This is the first time it has done so in nearly a decade, which means many of you have not experienced a rate hike in your adult lives. Even if you have, given the time between, you may want a reminder about what such an increase means. What To Expect First, if your payment amount goes up on any of your loans because of this interest rate hike, it is not because we chose to raise your bill.  Adjustable rate loans are usually tied to the prime rate, so when…

Good news! Aspire FCU accounts now feature Popmoney personal payment service. This allows you to send money directly to just about anyone – no need to write a check, exchange account numbers or carry cash. All you need is someone’s email address or phone number in order to send money to them. Popmoney has the added convenience of being right inside your password-protected online account. How It Works 1. Enter the recipient’s name, email address or phone number, and the dollar amount. 2. An email or text message automatically notifies the recipient. 3. The recipient securely enters an account number…