BECU Blog

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

A mom and dad swing their child between them outside during a fall day.

ANHPI Heritage Month

CEO Beverly Anderson celebrates ANHPI community and diversity.

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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

Featured

Road to Financial Health 'Takes a Village'

Headshot of Pauline Hernandez, a Filipino American woman and manager of a BECU neighborhood financial center.

A BECU manager works to share her financial knowledge.

30 Tips To Get Financially Fit

Illustration of a man wearing a blue headband and blue athletic shorts holding a dumbbell. On his left is a yellow bicycle and on his right is a wall calendar and a potted plant.

Get a month's worth of daily tips to build your money-managing muscles.

CDs vs. Savings Accounts: Which Is Better for You?

Three people on a kayak in a lake. A man wearing a red life vest in the back, a boy wearing a red life vest in the middle and a boy wearing a yellow life vest in the front. They are holding paddles and smiling at the camera.

Learn which type of account might be a good financial fit for you.

Most Recent

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How To Budget as a Couple

A couple smiling, taking a selfie. A pair of bicycles are on a car-mounted bike rack in the background.

Learn about budgeting methods, tools and common spending patterns for couples.

Equity and Access to a Clean Environment

Cranes and bridges along the Lower Duwamish Waterway with steam plumes from industry operations in the background. The sky is brown and hazy from wildfire smoke.

How pollution has a bigger effect on poor communities and communities of color.

New Baby Budget: Costs for the First Year

Mother and father sitting on the floor in front of a baby crib holding and looking at their newborn baby, with a black- and white-colored dog as well as a brown- and grey-colored dog laying down on the floor next to them. Friendly depictions of a raccoon, bear, and forest are painted on the walls of the room. "Miranda Jade Photography" photo credit is displayed in text in bottom left hand corner of image.

Prepare for costs in the first year of your baby's life.

Advancing Equity

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Path to Equity: A Woman VP's Perspective

BECU's Vice President of Servicing and ATM Operations Shawna Thompson.

How the workplace has changed for women in Shawna Thompson's 30 years with BECU.

A Steeper Climb

Image of a woman's face on gray background.

How an SVP overcame challenges as a woman in the financial services industry.

Coming Together Over Black Coffee

Three women standing together in front of a green, leaf-covered wall with a neon sign that says "Coffee" on it. The woman on the left is Intentionalist CEO and founder Laura Clise, wearing a Seattle Sonics hat. The woman in the middle is Seattle Storm Center Mercedes Russell, wearing a sweatshirt that says "Seattle." The woman on the right is Black Coffee Northwest co-owner DarNesha Weary, wearing a "Black Coffee Northwest" t-shirt.

Learn how Black Coffee Northwest is leading the conversation on racial equity.

Budgeting

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How To Budget for Inflation

A woman sits at her kitchen table reading a receipt she is holding in one hand. She is holding an apple in the other hand. A paper bag of groceries is on the table next to her.

Get tips on how to adapt your budget when prices are high.

5 Banking Tips for Kids and Parents

A mother and her teen daughter stand together in their kitchen facing the camera for a photo. The mom has her arm around the teen and is resting her cheek against her daughter's head.

Get tips to help kids start banking and building good financial habits.

9 Steps To Include Fun in Your Budget

Two people kayaking in orange boats with orange paddles on a sunny day. A woman in the foreground is smiling, looking in the direction that the man in the boat behind her is pointing. The sun is shining on the calm water.

Learn how to loosen up spending limits to avoid splurges.

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.

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

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.

Things To Know About Credit Scores

Illustration of a person sitting next to a white dog, looking at a smart phone; a thought bubble shows a credit score gauge with the needle pointed at green to represent a good score.

Learn how to raise your score and improve your financial health.

Spending & Shopping

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Do You Need Travel Insurance?

Couple huddled close together, smiling for the camera while situated in front of a medieval castle. Consumers' Checkbook logo in top left corner.

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

Buying Your Leased Car Could Save You Money Now

Couple standing inside an auto dealership reviewing materials on a digital tablet with an auto dealership employee. Consumers' Checkbook logo in the lower right of the image.

With inventory problems driving up auto prices, buying your vehicle as it comes off lease could result in a windfall.

‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Pros and Cons for Travel

Parents stand smiling with their two young children on a sunny, sandy beach with bright blue water behind them. A logo says Consumers' Checkbook on the lower right.

Find out if putting off payment for your upcoming trip is right for you.

Mortgages & Home

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How Credit Debt Could Affect Your Mortgage

Image of a young, smiling couple standing in front of a brick home with one of the individuals holding house keys in their hand.

Find out if credit card debt affects whether you qualify for a home loan.

Is DIY Home Improvement Right for You?

A woman smiles as she paints a white wall gray using a roller brush.

Save time and money and increase your home value by doing your homework.

5 Upgrades To Increase Home Value in 2022

Photo of a modern house with stone veneer along the bottom, vinyl-framed windows, and a four-panel garage door with windows across the top.

How to make the most of your home improvement dollars.

Security, Scams & Fraud

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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.

How To Wipe Your Data From 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.

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.

Hear From Our CEO

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Building a Path to Financial Freedom

A smiling child stands in front of a BECU ATM machine, holding a BECU-branded earphones case.

CEO Beverly Anderson shares an early lesson about building financial access.

Celebrating Women's History and a Brighter Future

BECU President and CEO Beverly Anderson, center, with women from the BECU Office of Equity and Inclusion.

BECU CEO Beverly Anderson celebrates women's history and an equitable future.

History and Hope: A Message From Our CEO

BECU President and CEO Beverly Anderson smiling at the camera. Her head and shoulders are visible.

BECU CEO Beverly Anderson shares what Black History Month means to her.

Taxes

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2023 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 getting an extension in 2023.

2022 Income Taxes: What You Need To Know

Two men sitting close together on a gray couch. The man on the left is wearing a blue shirt and glasses and is pointing at a tablet in other man's hand. Man on right is wearing a gray shirt. Consumers' Checkbook logo in upper right corner.

Learn how changes to tax laws might affect your 2022 tax return.

Guide to 2021 Child Tax Credit: Amounts, Eligibility

A toddler squats in the grass, looking at a clover held by her smiling mother.

Find out how advance payments might affect your tax return.