This guide is sponsored by First Alliance Credit Union
Your Money, in Minnesota.
First Alliance Credit Union serves almost 20,000 members across the 5 South East Minnesota Counties of Olmsted, Dodge, Goodhue, Wabasha, and Winona. Today, membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, owns a business, or attends school in our 5 county communities.
No matter where our future takes us, we are committed to offering advice, sharing resources, and providing lending options to everyone in order to assist them in making smart financial decisions through every stage of life.
Your Money in Minnesota with First Alliance Credit Union
Each month, First Alliance Credit Union provides a tip to help you manage your money in Minnesota. It’s your money, make it work for you! With expert help and advice on various relevant topics. This is your one-stop-shop for your money needs.
Your Moving Checklist
Anyone who has moved before knows it’s a hurricane of stress. You have a hundred tasks ranging from packing up dishes to disassembling bookcases.
That’s where this moving checklist comes in—we’ve compiled all the information you need about moving to Rochester, MN so you can get settled into yournew home with more efficiency—and less stress.
Prepare to move: Create a schedule, create a moving budget, get your children’s school transcripts, collect moving supplies, and find out if your moving expenses are tax deductible. Lastly, update your address and driver’s license.
Work With a Moving Company: While many people are fine with renting a moving van and enlisting the aid of family and friends, there’s no denying that professional movers can eliminate a lot of the stress involved with moving into a new house.
Unpack Efficiently: Clean everything, and unpack your bathroom and bedroom items, along with your kitchen items.
Furnish Your New Home: Visualize your living space by walking through each room to figure out how you’d like your home to look.
Switch to a Local Financial Institution: The process isn’t difficult, but it can take up to 60 days, so you’ll want to get started before you move if you can.
By using the moving checklist, you can settle into your new home with less hassle and more confidence!
SMART Goals
Setting financial goals doesn’t have to be difficult. When you use the SMART goal framework you can create actionable and realistic goals for you and your family. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. To use this framework, start by identifying the specific financial goal that you want to achieve. For example, if you want to save up for a down payment to buy a home, your SMART goal might look like this:
Specific: Save $10,000 for a down payment on a house
Measurable: Save $425 a month for 2 years
Attainable: Ask yourself if saving the money and 2 years time frame is reasonable given your current financial situation and resources? If not, reassess what is realistic for you.
Relevant: Ask yourself, does saving for a down payment on a house align with your overall
financial goals and priorities?
Time-bound: There is a clear deadline of two years to achieve the goal.
By using the SMART goal framework, you can set clear, achievable financial goals that are tailored to your specific needs and priorities.
Download your free SMART goals worksheet to get started with setting your financial goals!
Financial Tips for Couples
Money can be a heated topic in any relationship.
Being able to discuss your finances with your partner is one of the best ways to make a relationship last.
You can start this process by answering some fun money questions together:
What are your individual financial goals? (Ex: Paying off student loan debt or buying a newer car)
What are some financial goals you’d like to have together? (Ex: Buying a house, saving for retirement)
How do you like to spend your “fun” money? (Ex: Go to concerts, buy new clothes or electronics)
What are you currently wanting to save money for? (Ex: Vacation, down payment for a car)
What local charities do you want to support through donations or volunteering? Do you have any in common?
By talking about your financial hopes and dreams together you can start to create financial goals as a couple, which will strengthen your relationship for years to come.
Started setting your couple goals with this free financial goal-setting worksheet from First Alliance Credit Union!