Have you ever wondered what is cash stuffing?

You may have seen the latest trend of “cash stuffing” online, where people organize their savings in envelopes, labeled for specific categories and stored together in a small binder. But, is cash stuffing a good idea? While the stylish binders online make it look fun to budget this way, it isn’t the most secure or financially beneficial way to save your money. Let’s take a look at what cash stuffing versus keeping savings at a Credit Union really means for you and your financial future.

Cash-Stuffing:

• Higher risk of losing your money. You could lose your hard earn savings to fire, theft, or water damage, which is not insured by homeowners or renters insurance.
• More time spent and room for error managing bills. Keeping large amounts of cash could prevent you from paying essential bills from home like your mortgage, car payment, or electricity bill or cause you to make multiple trips to deposit money needed for automatic payments. At Northern, we make banking simple with tailored solutions and advanced technology designed to save you time, so you can focus on what matters most.
• You could accidentally throw it away or forget where it is. Have you ever hidden something so well you couldn’t even find it after awhile? Likewise, someone in your home may unknowingly throw or give away your life savings, thinking its just an old binder.
• Your money is losing it’s value at home. With inflation rising, the value of a dollar is unfortunately decreasing. Near the end of 2021, inflation topped 6% according to the Consumer Price Index, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What this means is if you kept cash at home and inflation stayed at this rate, you would have 6% less of spending power at the end of the year. Keeping your funds in an in interest-earning account can help offset the inflation impact on your money!

Keeping your money at a Credit Union:

• Organize savings, securely. If you like the idea of separating your money for specific saving goals, you can open multiple savings accounts, nicknaming them what they are each for! Online & Mobile Banking makes it easy to transfer money to and from all your accounts, all while keeping your money secure.
• More automated savings in the long run. Your money won’t earn any interest at home but can grow right before your eyes in interest-earning savings or checking accounts. Plus, our checking accounts offer great perks like ATM fee refunds and cashback or dividends. You can even set up direct deposit and automatic transfers to separate accounts and shares, making it easier than ever to build your savings.
• You’re insured! Deposits at Northern Credit Union are insured by the National Credit Union Association (NCUA). The NCUA is a U.S. government agency that allows Credit Union members up to $250,000 of insurance per individual depositor. Your money is protected at Northern no matter what’s happening on Wall Street or with the economy.
• Dedicated team to help with your financial goals. As a not-for-profit community-focused credit union we aren’t focused on generating profit for the bottom line, but instead on providing an institution for member-owners to gain information and professional guidance to make the best possible financial decisions for their families.
• We’re Member Owned. At Northern, you’re part of something bigger, a local community of members that believes in lending a hand and giving back. When you bank at Northern, you’re part of a cooperative owned by the people who save and borrow here and you have a stake and an equal voice in the future direction of your Credit Union and you’re treated with the utmost respect and appreciation; whether you have $50 or $500,000 on deposit. We have no outside shareholders, all of our decisions are made locally, and earnings are returned to members in the form of lower rates on loans, higher dividends, fewer fees and better service.
• You’ll feel less tempted to spend it! Having a stack of money before your eyes can feel good but so does spending it. You know what they say, out of sight, out of mind and it never hurts to remove the temptation to spend money that you might need for emergencies later.

Your financial well-being is the “why” for our existence – your why, is our why, and we’re committed to helping you reach your goals. Whether that’s through the dream of homeownership, your first vehicle or credit card, earning a college degree, providing your daughter or son with their dream wedding, or getting through tough times. We’re committed to being your partner, and we’re here when you need us most. Northern Credit Union owes its success over the last 67 years to our loyal and valued member-owners and we are so grateful for that! If you have any questions or concerns over the safety of your money, please reach out to us.