Hi there,

The results are in for last year’s efforts. Together, we made a difference! Maine Credit Union’s Campaign for Ending Hunger raised a new record of $740,000 in 2017! Each year, nearly all of Maine’s credit unions participate in the Campaign for Ending Hunger. Since 1990, the year that this collective effort began, more than $8 million has been raised and distributed to help end hunger in Maine. Check out this Own It Moment; celebrating yet another successful year!

Spring is finally here, following a long, cold winter with a number of large snowstorms. And with all that snow, crews were quick to sand and salt the roads. Although salt is instrumental in keeping you safe, it’s also extremely corrosive and can cause damage to your vehicle over time. It’s fairly common for a car in Maine to rust beyond the hope of passing an inspection. If your vehicle has seen its share of winters, it might be time to start looking into purchasing your next ride. But buying a car can be stressful, so I’ve put together a list of ways to improve your car buying experience!

April is Financial Literacy Month! Expect to see your local credit union making extra efforts on financial education in the coming month, although, credit unions in Maine do an exceptional job with this year round. In the past year, nearly every credit union in the state was active in promoting youth financial education. Whether it was volunteering and teaching at a school, operating an in-school branch or participating in one of the Financial Fitness Fairs, more that 20,000 Maine students were exposed to financial literacy and money management concepts last year. Don’t forget to stop in at your local credit union to see how they’re celebrating this month!

You can locate the closest credit union to your location at any time on mainecreditunions.org. With the Credit Union Locator, you can search by credit union name, city and zip code. Whether you’re looking to join a credit union and you want to find the closest branch to your home, or you’re on the road and looking to make a deposit with Shared Branching, the Credit Union Locator is always available to you. With 259 branches around the state, a credit union is always within reach.

In this It's a Money Thing video, Jen learns all about taxes including the difference between gross pay and net pay and payroll withholdings.

What are you looking forward to most about spring? I’d love to know!

Take care,

Jake Holmes
Young & Free Maine Spokester