BECU Blog

Your source for stories and information to help you reach your financial health goals.

A family poses together in front of their house. Grouped to the left is a woman, in the middle is a child and to the right is a man. They are standing in the outside entryway in front of a green hedge and sold sign.

Is Now a Good Time To Buy a House?

Get current homebuying insights.

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Advancing Equity | Budgeting | Credit & Debt | Spending & Shopping | Mortgages & Home | Security, Scams & Fraud | Hear From Our CEO | Taxes | BECU Spotlight | Jobs & Income

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Grocery Inflation: Rising Costs and How To Save

A person pushes a grocery cart down the dairy aisle of the grocery store. The cart contains lots of fresh vegetables and other items. The person's hands and lower body are visible.

Learn which grocery items cost more and what you can do to save money.

12 FAQs About Repaying Your Student Loans

Two young college-aged students sitting at a table inside located in front of large windows. Trees are in the background outside. The two students are looking together at the screen of a laptop that's in front of one of the students, who is typing on the laptop keyboard. The other student not in front of the laptop is holding a pen in one hand and has a book in their other hand resting on the table, open to a page.

​​We share options and information about repaying your federal student loans.​

Voice Cloning AI Scams Are on the Rise

A woman in a yellow hoodie sits on the floor in a living room setting, holding a credit card and a smartphone, likely making an online purchase. There is a wooden bookshelf and gray couch in the background.

Protect yourself from scams that sound like calls from loved ones.

Most Recent

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Protect Your Child From Identity Theft

Two smiling young children, sitting side by side, looking down at a digital tablet they are holding together. Consumers' Checkbook logo in bottom right of image.

Learn the warning signs and take steps to protect your kids.

Latinx Retirement: Saving Despite Barriers

A family stands together in their kitchen, smiling for a photo. There is a grandfather, grandmother and three grandchildren. There are several framed photos, a refrigerator and vase with flowers on the floor behind them.

Culturally relevant approaches can help increase opportunities to build wealth.

Overcoming Data-Breach Fatigue

A man is seated at a desk, in a home office setting, focused on his laptop while working. He is wearing glasses and a button up shirt. In the background is a bookshelf with books and other home decor. The window next to him makes the setting bright.

How to avoid weariness while also avoiding worry about data leaks and breaches.

Advancing Equity

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How To Control Costs of Assistive Devices

A young boy is sitting on an adaptive bike, while three individuals help to make sure the bike fits correctly. All three women are looking at the bike. Two are wearing gray shirts and one is wearing a tie dye shirt. In the background is other assistive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers and other equipment. They are outside under a red canopy tent. Behind the group are trees and a couple parked cars.

Learn about resources and payment options for assistive technology and devices.

LGBTQ+ Couples Plan for the Future

Three Polaroid family photos displayed on a greenery background. The first photo shows one of dads and a daughter, the second shows both fathers and their daughter, and the third shows the other father and daughter.

Learn about financial factors for LGBTQ+ people preparing for marriage and kids.

​​What My Family Taught Me About Money​

A black and white family photo with over 30 people posing for a group shot. The ages range from young children to older adults. The photo is captured in a living room setting. There are windows and curtains in the background. Some children are sitting crossed-legged or kneeling in the front, other family members are sitting on chairs in the middle, and many are standing in the back.

​​ANHPI employees share money lessons that reflect diverse experiences.​

Budgeting

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Are CDs Worth It Right Now?

This is an image of a father and son in an airport. They are sitting down in chairs and looking out a window and pointing outside. In the photo in a red suitcase. The son is wearing a gray stripped shirt and has blonde hair. The father is wearing a gray shirt and has brown hair.

If you don’t need access to your money soon, a CD might be good for you in 2024.

Joint Accounts: Pros and Cons for Couples

A couple is looking at paperwork in their kitchen. A woman is holding paperwork in her hand while her other hand is rested on her chin in a thinking posture. The man is behind her and is also looking at the paper with one of his hands on his hip. They are in a indoor kitchen setting. The woman appears to be sitting at a kitchen counter, while the man is standing. There are two mugs on the countertop and a computer is open as well.

Learn about co-managing finances with your partner using a joint account.

Emergency Funds: Your Financial Safety Net

Emergency Funds - Your Financial Bestie

Learn what an emergency fund is, why you need one and how much you should save.

Credit & Debt

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How To Pay off Credit Card Debt

Two smiling men sit shoulder-to-shoulder in front of a laptop and look over a paper document together.

Get tips for paying off debt and saving for the future.

How To Use a Secured Card To Build Credit

A woman is smiling and handing her card to pay her bill at a restaurant. In front of her is a card reader and a figure's hand reaching for her card. In the background are two women talking. The background is a restaurant setting with a bar in the back.

Learn how you can use a secured credit card to help improve your credit.

Why Did My Credit Score Drop? 11 Reasons

Illustration of a credit score gauge. A person is sweating from the effort of pulling on the indicator needle, like it's a lever, to move their credit score up.

Learn about these common credit-score setbacks and how to improve your score.

Spending & Shopping

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Back-to-School Budget-Friendly Checklist

A young boy stands next to his mother and father in the aisle of an office supplies store. The family is facing a wall full of writing utensils and other back-to-school supplies, with the father reaching to pull an item off the shelf.

Browse common school supplies to build your must-buy list.

Do You Need Travel Insurance?

A smiling woman wearing sunglasses and a green top lies in a hammock while looking at her phone. A sandy beach, blue ocean and bright blue sky are in the background. The Consumers' Checkbook logo is in the upper right corner.

Get tips to help you decide if insurance makes sense for your trip.

How To Get a Fair Deal on Auto Repair

A woman happily driving a car. White text says Consumers' Checkbook in the lower right corner.

Tips for shopping for an auto mechanic.

Mortgages & Home

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How a Home Equity Line of Credit Works

A man and woman engage in a flooring project. The man is kneeled over and is measuring flooring on the ground and the woman is sitting behind him on steps. There's a paint can on the steps next to the woman, She has a paint brush in her hand. Both of them are smiling.

Learn how you can use your equity for home improvement projects.

First-Time Homebuyer Guide

Two women sitting on the steps of a house. The woman on the right has one arm wrapped around the other. She has red long curly hair and is wearing a blue long sleeve cardigan and jeans. The woman on the left has black curly hair. She is wearing a periwinkle-colored long sleeve and black shorts. The home is blue with white trim around the windows and the steps are wooden. On the left are bushes with yellow flowers.

From credit score to the front door, navigate homebuying with these steps.

Homebuying as an Unmarried Couple

Three people standing in front of a brick house, one person is holding and showing a document to the other two. The woman holding the document has curly black hair and glasses. She's wearing a green top and beige pants. The couple, are standing next to each other, looking at the document. A man, in the middle, is wearing a beige top and brown pants. He has dark hair. The woman, to the right, is wearing a white top and light jeans. She has blonde hair. To the left are some plants.

Learn about legal agreements and title options to protect both of you.

Security, Scams & Fraud

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How To Wipe Computers and Phones

Illustration of a computer monitor and cell phone that show a loading symbol. A spray bottle full of liquid, labeled with the settings gear icon, sits next to the computer monitor. Text in the lower right corner says "Consumers' Checkbook."

Remove data before getting rid of unwanted digital devices.

​How To Spot a Text Scam

This is an illustration of three hands holding up smart phones. Each phone is displaying text message threads with potential text scams. The phone on the left appears to have an alert message. The phone in the middle has question mark icons and a red security flag. The phone on the left has several dollar sign symbols and a red security flag. Each hand has a diverse skin tone color. The background of the illustration is blue.

​​Is that text real? We identify common scams and ways to spot fake texts.​

Password Phishing: How To Avoid Scams

Computer screen with password typed in has a sticky note in the top right corner with a fishing hook going through it.

Protect your personal and financial information from online attacks.

Taxes

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2024 Tax Extension: Deadline, Rules, How To File

A man sits in his kitchen looking at papers he's holding in his right hand and punching buttons on a calculator with his left hand. A laptop is open on the table in front of him.

Need more time for your taxes? Learn about tax extensions.

2023 Income Taxes: What You Need To Know

An image of a person on a computer while filing their taxes. They are looking at what appears to be a W-2 Form. The form is in their left hand. The person is using their right hand to calculate numbers on a calculator. The Consumers' Checkbook logo is in the bottom left-hand side of the image. There is a pen on a white surfaced desk top and a plant. In the image you can see the back of the person's head and she is wearing blue glasses.

Learn what to expect as you prepare to file your 2023 income taxes.

5 Common Tax Filing Mistakes To Avoid

Calculator paper clip and pen on a table

Be sure to avoid these mistakes during tax season.