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Much has been written about preparing at home for a coronavirus outbreak, like stocking up on food, medicine, and water. It’s good to make sure you’re prepared to bank electronically if there is an outbreak so ensure you have access to your accounts before a possible disruption in normal banking services and follow these tips.

Choosing a Home Equity Loan should be easy.  You’ve got equity in your home.  Your credit is good.  You can afford the payment.  What’s the big deal?  The truth is, all Home Equity Loans are not the same, and some lenders advertise rates or terms that very few borrowers qualify for, only to switch you into higher rates or less favorable terms somewhere during the process.

Like many people, when you bought your house and got your mortgage loan, money might have been a little tight.  Not only did you have the new house payment (including the new property taxes), but you also had to buy new furniture, right?  But then, after a few years or maybe a new job, you started to have a little extra money and you’ve wondered whether it makes sense to pay extra toward your mortgage, or if you should invest the money.  It’s a good problem to have, but there isn’t one right answer for everyone.  It depends on you, your discipline, your risk tolerance, and your goals.

When applying for a business or personal credit, the first thing that matters is your credit score. In the same way, a report card described what kind of student you were, your credit score tells banks or other lenders what type of borrower you are.  Your credit score tells a lender how well you’ve repaid loans in the past, and how likely you are to repay a loan in the future.  Not only can your credit score determine whether you get a loan, but it can also determine how much you pay in interest on the loan.  A better credit score can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest.

In advertising, provoking an emotion can be a very effective way to increase sales. Fear, for example, is a very powerful emotion. Read more about protecting yourself and not allowing criminals to play on your emotions.

Parody of The Night Before Christmas. Happy Holidays to all. Remember that we are closed on December 24th and December 25th but will be open regular business hours on the 26th. Online banking and Metro's mobile app is always available.

One thing that bad credit usually doesn’t prevent you from getting is a car loan. Today, nearly anyone can get a car loan, even if you have bad credit.

Metro will be doing the Holiday Fee Exchange program again! The dates are December 9th-14th and any Metro member can bring in diapers or a new toy.

There are multiple Cash-Transfer Apps, such as CashApp, Venmo, Zelle, FBPay, that allow you to transfer funds from your bank account, to another person’s account that is using the same app/service. Learn more about how to prevent fraud when using cash-transfer services.

Leasing a car and getting a car loan are very similar; both are just forms of car financing.  As everyone knows, with a car loan, you borrow money from a lender and make payments until the loan is paid off, at which time you own the car.

The term ‘mortgage’ is used pretty ubiquitously to refer to any loan for real estate. If you’re a first-time house buyer, you may not realize that the term is in fact rather general and describes a range of different categories of mortgage loan. Heading to a lender without knowing the difference between these various types of loans can result in you making the wrong decision, or just getting very confused. Read on  to learn the different types of home mortgage loans so you can keep up with all the jargon.

Buying a car on finance/with a car loan is a great decision for many people, as it allows them to drive the car they really want, without hurting their cash flow. In fact, for many people, this will be the only way to afford the kind of vehicle that they always imagined driving. But it does create some more complicated questions that you might not have had to consider otherwise. For example: should you pay off your car before trading it in? Let’s find out.

For anyone who wants to buy a car, the best option is usually getting a loan to fund their purchase. When looking at cars, the first thing you'll see is that the dealership gives you the offer of a loan to buy the car you like right now. This is enough for most people to sign right on the dotted line: It's instant finance for your car, after all. But what if approaching a car dealership isn't the best way for you to get a vehicle loan?

When most people want to save or invest their money, the first place they approach is a bank. Credit unions are becoming an increasingly popular alternative, and there are many reasons why credit unions might be better for both individual and business finances over heading straight to the bank. Here are a few of the main differences between credit unions and banks.

Criminals are using new and brazen tactics to gain access to member accounts. In recent days, Metro has had a noticeable increase in fraudsters calling the Credit Union posing as members and the techniques they are using are very convincing.

Are you planning a wedding or attending weddings this fall? Let the wedding be a memorable celebration with these tips.

If you were impacted by the 2017 Equifax data breach, you may be eligible to file a claim. Internet criminals are now targeting victims of the Equifax data breach with phishing attacks and are spoofing Equifax’s settlement page.

Metro's Save and Succeed is a FREE resource to access daily tips from personal finance and career experts anytime, anywhere. Learn about our latest courses about Health Insurance and Insurance Needs.

Did you know that mortgage rates are down considerably? If the current value of your home has increased it may make sense to refinance at a better rate, or refinance to consolidate debt or plan a home improvement project.

When you're in the market for a home loan, you know you can trust your credit union to provide a great rate, great service, and all with fewer and lower fees. Here are some things to consider when purchasing your new home with June being National Homeownership Month.