Directions CU Can Help Fill College Funding Gaps

Student Money Tips

Directions-CU-Can-Help-Fill-College-Funding-Gaps

College is a big investment, which is why it’s important to know your options, plan ahead, and choose wisely to pay for it. Most families do not have enough college savings to pay for four years of tuition, room, board, books, and other expenses, so financial aid will come into play. Directions can help you plan, and help you bridge …

Preparing Your Kids For College: The Must Have Money Talk

Student Money Tips

College is a time for kids to take responsibility for their finances. Many college first-year students have had minimal experience dealing with money. Typically they come from living in a parent-controlled world where they have rules, and they know their limits. College offers a sense of freedom that could cause financial problems if not handled correctly. Credit cards and shopping …

All You Need To Know About Your First Student Loan

Student Money Tips

You might approach your student loan the same way you approach those term papers: If you don’t think about them, they can’t stress you out. Unfortunately, just like those papers, you’ll eventually have to write, your student loan debt isn’t going anywhere. If you’ve borrowed the funds from a private lender, you likely need to start making payments toward your …

What To Expect On Your First Holiday As A College Student

Student Money Tips

The holidays can be a bit different once you’re in college. Going home costs money, and you might find the family dynamic a bit different. It’s the jolliest time of year again, but everything’s different now. Instead of decking the halls with your family and counting down the days until Christmas together, you’ll be heading home just days before the …

Student Loan Scams

Security and Scams, Student Money Tips

College students, take note! If keeping up with your coursework, acing your exams and scrambling to hand in every term paper before the deadline wasn’t enough, you now have something else to worry about: Student loan scams are on the rise! Scammers know you hate owing tens of thousands of dollars, so they’re quick to offer you an easy — …

3 Ways To Build Your Credit History Before You Graduate

Student Money Tips

If you really want to build your credit you may have to wait until after graduation, but there are a few ways you can control your credit score now.  Pay your bills (and pay them on time), keep your debts low and keep your name off credit card applications. Your credit score is one of the most important and widely …

College Life: A Study Guide For Your Personal Finances

Student Money Tips

Some of the most important lessons you’ll learn in college won’t be taught in a classroom. Your ability to master the pressures of the adult world will determine, in large part, how well you live. To help prepare you for those life tests, you can start to put these simple habits into your daily routine. Your future self will thank you. …