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Do you have a colleague who has helped you or others with good advice on financial planning and saving for retirement? Nominate them today for the Financial Mentor Award!
Looking to improve your financial position this year? You may have untapped benefits that can help you get the job done.
The Wisconsin Retirement System pension is an important source of
retirement income for most state of Wisconsin employees, including
Wisconsin public school employees. How much do you know about this
benefit?
Our free eBook includes 20 frequently asked questions you should know. Download your copy today.
You’ve probably spent quite a bit of time over the years saving for your
retirement and planning out what you’ll do. But have you made a plan
for your assets after you’re unable to manage them?
Many Wisconsin public school employees attribute their participation
in our retirement and insurance programs to someone who shared their
experience and encouraged them to take action. Now is a good time to pay it forward by mentoring a colleague. You don't
have to be an expert, just someone who's passionate about
helping people learn—educators helping educators.
When you think of student loan debt, do you think of retirees? It may come as a surprise, but the number of people age 60 and older with student loan debt quadrupled—to more than 2.8 million—in the past decade. Unfortunately, many of these older borrowers are retired and struggling to make payments. Learn more about these loans and options for relief.
Spring is here, summer is on its way, and with the changing seasons
comes the increasing chance of severe weather. Perhaps you’ve had
contractors knocking at your door after a big hailstorm asking to view
the damage to your roof or siding. While you may have found legitimate
help this way, be aware there are many individuals who try to take
advantage of damaging weather by trying to commit fraud against you as
well as insurance companies.
Continued from
Breaking into your second act. Don’t miss the windows for Medicare and Medigap enrollment. It’ll cost you.
Meet our Member Benefits Consultants! Continued from
Breaking into your second act.
We found a partner as committed to helping Wisconsin public school
employees become financially secure as we are: Educators Credit Union. The many similarities between our organizations—how we were created, who
we serve, how we do business—are the basis of this relationship and why
we believe it’s good for members. Learn the top five reasons why this partnership benefits you.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As more drivers take their cell phones into their vehicles, distracted driving continues to grow as a traffic safety issue. Learn more about the dangers and pick up some helpful tips to reduce your risk.
This year, April 17-21, 2017 is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness
Week in Wisconsin. A mock tornado watch and mock tornado warnings will be issued on Thursday, April 20.
Daylight saving time begins this
Sunday...so spring is just around the corner, right? The time change is a good reminder to
take care of some tasks that can protect the ones you love and help keep
your finances on track. We share a few things to consider.
Jill went up the hill to fetch an early retirement. But Jack started later, so the cost was much greater and he saved all the way 'til the end. Take a lesson from Jack and Jill and learn more about the power of compounding interest or the time value of money.
So...you want to start making more informed decisions about your
finances. Congratulations! That's a great first step. But where to
start? Fortunately, Member Benefits has some excellent online tools and
resources to help you become a more savvy saver and spender.
Having a budget is a key component of any financial plan. It requires an investment of
time up front and requires you to face the good and the bad of your
financial situation. But the pay off and benefits are long lasting.
January has been designated National Radon Action Month by the Environmental Protection Agency to educate the public about the dangers of radon. Learn more about why you should be concerned, what you can do to reduce your risk, and where to get more information.
Well before they start school, children develop attitudes that can influence a lifetime of financial behavior. Talking to your children about money can help them build a sense of financial awareness and financial responsibility.
There's a good reason January is Financial Wellness Month. With the new year still fresh with our good intentions, it's a great time to set some personal financial goals for the year. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Why not open up a 529 college savings account on a child's behalf for a meaningful holiday gift? A 529 is a tax-advantaged savings plan
offered by a state that makes it easier to save for college or other
post-secondary education. Wisconsin’s plan is called Edvest.
According to an October 2016 Gallup poll, Americans expect to spend $785 on average for the Christmas holiday. While
this may be a positive sign for retailers, it could become a pain in
your budget that you’ll feel long after the season is over. Take a few tips
from us to stay out of spending trouble and enjoy your holidays more.
Start saving something...now! Saving even a small amount each month is better than nothing. And, starting early gives you a longer timeline to reap the benefits of compounding.
If you’re a recent grad or young educator
(or you know someone who is), you may be feeling overwhelmed by new
responsibilities and financial obligations. The good news: Member
Benefits can help you lessen your anxiety and gain more financial
confidence.
Take advantage of our new online resource.
Member Benefits was pleased to award four Wisconsin educators
scholarships to attend the National Institute of Financial and Economic
Literacy (NIFEL) Summer Institute financial literacy courses.
In our article, “
Personal finance lessons: 4 insights for new educators,” new teacher Molly Walsh Anderson shared important financial lessons she’s learned in part from playing Member Benefits’
Don’t Be Jack interactive board game. It’s a great way to learn about financial issues that impact Wisconsin public school employees.
Have you moved recently or are you planning on moving over the summer? Make sure your electronic contributions
to your WEAC IRA and/or personal insurance continue without interruption
by notifying us if you have changed where you bank or if your account
information has changed.
Likewise, if you have moved, please contact us with your new address to ensure timely delivery of important information.
If you recently moved or have plans to move this fall, please let us know your new address. Don't worry, it's fast and easy to do.
Get the details on deadlines for 403(b) and IRA exchanges/transfers/rollovers, postdated checks, and year-end withdrawal deadlines.
Our 2016 Mentor Award winners have been recommended by their peers as
champions of education who take the time to mentor their colleagues on
good financial planning and saving for retirement. The nominators were
passionate in their praise of this year’s winners. Read what they had to say about these exceptional financial advocates.
Before you know it, the holidays will be here with all of those to-do
list items taking your time and attention. So October can be a great
time to review your finances before things get busy so you can start the
new year in good shape. Here are a few things to check off your
financial task list.
Come and view some of the great the talent we have in our Wisconsin public school students! We have the perfect wall in our reception area to showcase student art. So, we sent out a request to art teachers to have students submit their artwork for a contest. They more than answered the call!
Do you know someone who takes the time to give financial encouragement,
advice, and guidance to his or her colleagues? Chances are there is
someone in your district who goes the extra mile to help others build
financial security. Why not show that person some appreciation?
If you recently moved or have plans to move this summer, please let us know your new address. It's quick and easy to make the change.
Do you know someone who takes the time to give financial encouragement,
advice, and guidance to his or her colleagues? Give that person some
well-deserved recognition.
We may be well into summer but it's not
too late for severe storms and tornadoes. Do you know the difference
between a severe weather watch and a severe weather warning? Knowing the difference could save your life.
WATCH: Stay alert and aware.
WARNING: Take action now.
View this excellent,
interactive infographic from PBS' FRONTLINE program
on how fees could be eating away at your retirement savings. While this
infographic is based on the 401(k), it still applies to the 403(b) and
other retirement savings programs held by Wisconsin public school
employees.
Imagine sharing your personal financial information with your students—your bank account transactions, your retirement account statements, even your bills. Patrick Kubeny, a nationally certified business education teacher at Rhinelander High School, not only sets the example, he is the example. He puts everything out there for all of his students to see, because he believes his real life examples are his strongest teaching tools.
Find the answer to your 403(b) question by searching our Frequently Asked Question database. If your question is not posted here, please give us a call at 1-800-279-4030.
Fourth of July celebrations will be
starting this weekend and going on through the holiday. It's one many
people look forward to and often the highlight of the summer. Whatever fun stuff you have planned, we
want you to be safe. Here are a few common sense tips from the American
Red Cross to help make your celebration a great one to remember.
It’s summertime! Time to relax a bit and
have some fun. And since you may have more free time compared to your
busy school year, it’s also a good idea to take a look at your finances.
Here are some great financial resources from Member Benefits to help fill your summer hours.
Have you ever wondered about the difference between a credit union and a
bank? Because these two types of financial services companies do
largely the same things—that is, take deposits and make loans—their
differences aren’t immediately apparent. However, two main distinctions
are ownership and profit.
AAA just released their top driving
distractions for teens as the “100 Deadliest Days” begin from Memorial
Day through the summer. Find out the top three distractions for teens, get ideas on how to educate your teen about distracted driving, and follow the link to the full article.
Confusion be gone! There is often confusion between WEA Member Benefits and other independent organizations that also serve the Wisconsin education community. We clear that up for you in today's blog.
Deciding which financial professional to trust is a very important
decision and shouldn’t be made without some thorough vetting.
Our best advice…
ask questions. Getting the answers to important questions up front will help you avoid surprises (the bad kind) later on.
In a time when student loan debt has been referred to as a national crisis, it’s surprising how little awareness there is for student loan forgiveness programs. It’s even more surprising how many borrowers could actually benefit from them.
Take advantage of the annual summer institute series for educators on financial literacy from the National Institute of Financial and Economic Literacy (NIFEL). There are three courses to choose from that can help build your confidence in teaching a wide array of financial topics.
While the younger generation is facing new financial challenges, there are plenty of old school strategies and new solutions to help them make the most of their finances.
Many of us look forward to “longer days” as we change our clocks to
daylight saving time, and we've been enjoying it for several weeks now.
It’s also a good time to move forward on some important household tasks
to help keep you and your family members safe. Did you get this to-do
list done yet?
Money Smart Week®, April 23-30, 2016, is an annual event that offers financial education programs for people of all demographics and income levels. During Money Smart Week, you might learn
about saving for college, buying a house, using credit wisely, managing
student debt, or financing retirement.
Would you rather miss a phone call...or miss a stop sign? The National Safety Council (NSC) has
some thought provoking questions for you to ponder during Distracted
Driving Awareness Month.