Welcome to 2019!
This month’s newsletter is packed with helpful advice on how to improve your finances both now and down the road. Just a few simple changes can be the key to making 2019 your best financial year ever.
Coming in mid-December, two branch locations in Grand Rapids, MI will offer the convenience of an ATM plus the personal, friendly service of an LMCU teller thanks to our new, Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs).
ITMs operate just like an ATM however, you will be able to video chat with an LMCU teller to help you navigate through your transaction or answer account questions!
‘Tis the season for giving…and giving…and giving. And all that giving can be hard to keep track of. Don’t worry, our budget tool located within Online Banking can help. Here are just a few of the features:
From stocking stuffers to ugly sweaters, gas to groceries, LMCU’s Max Rewards Visa Credit Card pays you cash back or points on every purchase—including 3% on gas, 2% on groceries, and 1% on everything else. And if you’re a Signature Max Rewards Credit Card cardholder, you’ll also get 2% back on restaurants and dining. It happens automatically with every purchase, so Santa can be extra generous this year.
Sure, you’d be fine with new socks and a gift card. But here are five reasons why December is the ideal time to purchase your next home.
1. You hold the cards.
Nobody wants to think about moving when there’s pie to eat and stockings to stuff. So, anyone who’s selling probably needs to do it fast. And their need for speed could work to your advantage when negotiating.
From mom-and-pop businesses to Fortune 500 companies, our Max Wealth Management team can help you find a retirement plan appropriate for your needs. We walk you through all of the options, and take care of everything from the paperwork to monitoring and communicating your plan’s performance.
Whether you’re establishing a new plan or looking for a more proactive financial partner to educate your employees on the market, our dream team of Trustees, LPL Financial Advisors, Client Service Associates, and Third-Party Administrators work together to coordinate and execute a plan that’s specific to you and your employees.
Lake Michigan Credit Union members get $100 per line in cash rewards for every new line activated with Sprint®—and, for a limited time, this offer is available for unlimited lines. Plus, you’ll receive $100 in loyalty cash rewards every year.
On Monday, November 5, we officially welcomed Encore Bank of Florida to the LMCU family. This merger means LMCU will now have a total of ten full-service branches in southwest Florida. And we’re bringing our exceptional suite of value-driven products and services with us.
Welcome, Encore Bank members. You’re going to love it here!
Visit LMCU.org/Locations for a list of all our Florida locations.
For the past decade, borrowers have enjoyed historically low mortgage rates. So why are rates suddenly on the rise?
A strong economy tends to force mortgage rates up because of inflationary fears. Rising inflation causes fixed-income investments, such as bonds, to lose value. And that causes their yields to rise. Mortgage rates usually follow long-term bond yields. When yields go up, home loan rates tend to go up, as well.
The tax year will be ending on December 31. If you have plans to make charitable gifts to family members, it’s last call to make those donations for 2018.
The Basics
If you have the financial ability and devotion to make lifetime gifts to family members, consider making them annually. The inflation adjustment for 2018 has increased the amount you can gift without being subject to a per-individual gift tax – $15,000 individual, or $30,000 for married couples. Keep in mind that gifting decisions should reflect any additional wealth transfers or estate planning steps you already have in place.
