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There are good tips, like having an emergency fund and there are bad tips, like spending all your money on the pizza pouch for your emergency slice of pizza. 
At Ascentra, we’re here to help you decide which ones to follow and which to leave behind. 
Bad tip: Let George make your lunch.
Good tip: Instead of opening a credit card with a big bank that hides the annual fee and high rates in the fine print, open an Ascentra Visa credit card. You'll love our fine print, where explain there will be no annual fee and no high rates.
So follow the good tips, not the bad and head on over to ascentra.org/visa to apply today.

There are good tips, like create a budget and there are bad tips, like spending large googly eyes. 
At Ascentra, we’re here to help you know which ones to follow and which to leave behind. 
Bad tip: Let George crive your card.
Good tip: Download the CardValet app and load your Ascentra Visa® Credit and Debit Cards. You can turn your cards on and off if they get misplaced, setup alerts for every time your card is used, and more!  
So follow the good tips, not the bad and head on over to ascentra.org/visa to apply today.

The holidays tend to get a bit out of hand, especially when it comes to spending money. The regret that comes with that January credit card bill can be a bit of a… pink nightmare.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few tips to help you defeat the holiday bill regret.

Don’t buy on impulse. I know the deals are almost as attractive as my leg lamp, but don’t give in. Go into the holidays knowing what you need to buy and don’t buy random gifts on impulse JUST because it’s on sale.

Keep track of your spending. You can use Ascentra’s Financial Tools to see how much you’ve spent vs your income so you can stick to your spending plan.

Remember that the gift is in the giving, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. Shoot, my boys were just as happy with me telling them we’re going out for dinner as they were with their gifts.

While you’re doing your smart shopping, don’t forget to use your Ascentra VISA Credit Card. When you use it you’ll lock in a low 4.9% APR from November 1 - December 31. And you don’t even have to bargain like at the Christmas tree farm.

 

It seems no matter how hard you try, there’s always some CON FLABBERIN’ unexpected expenses around the holidays. Like your kid shoots their eye out and needs new glasses.

That’s not the only unexpected expense you might run into during the holidays. Here are a few things that could come up and how to be prepared for them.

Increased shipping costs. If you don’t start shopping early and plan on shopping online, you could end up paying for expedited shipping just so it’s under the tree in time for Christmas. Instead, take our advice and shop early!

Of all the people to buy me a Christmas gift, my paper boy? Really? Now I feel the need to get HIM something. Luckily, I know this happens every year, so I’ve added a little wiggle room in my holiday spending plan so it’s not as unexpected. That will come in handy when you forget about your office white elephant exchange.

Why is wrapping paper so dang expensive? I’ll save myself some money and hassle, and just use my newspapers. I’ve heard it will give it a “trendy” look anyways.

If that’s not enough to get you through the holidays, with an Ascentra Holiday loan you can borrow up to $2500 dollars for 12 months with a rate as low as 5.9% APR. You should take advantage of that.  I triple dog dare you.

 

You know back in my day, we didn’t have any CON FLABBERIN’ Black Friday or Cyber Monday.  You just went to the mall and left your kid in line to meet Santa while you got the shopping done.

But this year, things are different. That dadgummit virus has made things difficult, but there are still ways to make sure your holidays are as merry as ever. Here are a few things the wife and I plan on doing.

Shop early. Stores are using the entire month of November for deals, so we can get our shopping done early and save some money.

Why shop in store when I can shop online? The interwebs is so fast now that I can get all my shopping done in minutes!

Set a spending plan and stick to it! Ralphie doesn’t need the most expensive Red Ryder BB gun. A more affordable alternative will do just fine. (CU of Ralphie)

Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As the kids have told me, they’ll have “deals, on deals, on deals”. Whatever that means.

Lastly, use your Ascentra VISA Credit and Debit Cards for qualifying purchases on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You’ll earn two times the uChoose Rewards points. Now that’s a major RE-ward.

 

“Today Ascentra is Making Sense of Scholarships.”

Scholarships are a great way to help offset the increasing costs of college.  The keys to winning scholarships include: knowing where to look for them,

having an application strategy,

and using creative writing techniques to make your essays stand out. 

Applying for scholarships should be viewed as a part-time job for students.

Devote the same days and time each week, to researching and applying for scholarships. 

Start by looking for smaller scholarships from local service organizations, such as Rotary or Kiwanis. Or businesses such as credit unions. 

These scholarships usually require short essays, and tend to give you better odds of winning. 

For larger and national scholarships, use free and reputable websites that match you to scholarships, such as fastweb.com.  

Billions of scholarship dollars go unclaimed every year!  Set yourself up for success, by graduating with little to no student loan debt.