Springtime Gardening Tips

There’s nothing quite like a garden in full bloom. And nothing says spring like a row of breathtakingly beautiful flowers blossoming in a variety of colors. But all that beauty comes after some serious work. There’s planning, planting, maintenance and more.

Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to turn your own patch of grass into a botanical work of art. Have you always wanted to try gardening, but weren't sure where to start?  Here’s how to make it happen: 

School Spotlight: Coolidge Elementary Starts Early with Financial Education

Education Partnership Coordinator, Amy Fava,
uses the book Arthur’s Pet Business by:
Marc Brown to introduce second grade
to key economic concepts.

Community Financial believes it’s important for all students to receive financial education. The money management skills students learn through our Student-Run Credit Union program and our financially-based classroom presentations set the tone for a positive financial future.

Coolidge Elementary School in Livonia partners with Community Financial to jump-start their students’ financial confidence at an early age. Take a look at these awesome students from Coolidge Elementary learning about opportunity costs, goods and services, and what a business plan is with Education Partnership Coordinator, Amy Fava.

5 Ways to Pay off a Loan Early

If you’re like most Americans, you owe money on a large loan. Whether that’s credit card debt, a mortgage and/or a car loan, loan debt is part of your life. And that means you’re looking at hundreds of dollars in interest over the life of the loan. There’s also the mental load of knowing you’ll be paying on the debt for years to come.

Did you know there are simple tricks you can employ to lighten the load? With a carefully applied technique, you can pay off your mortgage, auto loan, credit card debt and any other debt you’re carrying sooner than you thought possible. These tricks are light on your finances, but they can make a big difference to the total interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan and get you debt-free faster.

"Thumbs Up for Charity" Starts March 11!

We often give a “thumbs up” to things we like such as Facebook statuses and Netflix shows. During the month of March, Community Financial is making it easy for you to give a “thumbs up” to your favorite charity with our 6th annual “Thumbs Up for Charity!” program! So how can you get involved?

Starting Monday, March 11th, you can nominate a local organization that's doing great work in your community for a chance to receive a donation up to $10,000! Nominations will be accepted at cfcu.org/thumbsup until Friday, March 29th.

7 Reasons Not to Skip a Home Inspection

Shopping for a new home can be an exciting blur of listings, neighborhood scouting and open houses. There’s so much to consider! You want a house in the perfect neighborhood with that gorgeous kitchen and great yard, all within your budget. And then, it all finally comes together and you think you’ve found your dream home. But don’t go “under contract” just yet!

First, be sure to have an inspection contingency included in your contract. A professional home inspection can save you a ton of aggravation and thousands of dollars in the long run. The inspector will carefully examine the entire house, checking its systems, structure and equipment for functionality and potential problems.