Start the Year Right: Smart Financial Tips from Brewery Credit Union
As we step into a brand-new year, many of us are thinking about fresh starts, goals, and ways to improve our lives — especially our finances. At Brewery Credit Union, we’re here to help members in Milwaukee and surrounding communities set up a strong financial foundation for 2026 and beyond. Here are some powerful tips to help you start the year off right financially: 1. Set Clear Financial Goals A big part of financial success is knowing what you’re working toward. Whether it’s building an emergency fund, paying off debt, saving for a vacation, or buying a home, define what you want to achieve this year. Break big goals into smaller monthly or quarterly milestones to make them feel attainable and measurable. 💡 Example: Instead of a vague goal like “save more,” try “save $1,000 for emergencies by March.” 2. Create (and Stick to) a Budget Budgeting is a tool that helps you understand where your money goes and how to make it work for you. A popular method is the 50/30/20 rule: Tracking your income and expenses helps you catch spending habits, adjust where needed, and feel in control. There are many apps, spreadsheets, or even simple pen-and-paper methods to get started — pick one that works for you! 3. Build (or Grow) Your Emergency Fund Life throws curveballs — car repairs, medical bills, job changes — and having a financial cushion can protect your peace of mind. Aim to save at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses, even if you start small. Regularly contribute a set amount each month to make steady progress. 💡 Pro tip: Set up automated transfers from checking to savings so you save without thinking about it. 4. Know and Improve Your Credit Score A strong credit score can save you money on loans, qualify you for better rates, and open more financial opportunities. At Brewery Credit Union, members can access credit score tools like SavvyMoney through online and mobile banking — making it easier to understand your credit and monitor changes throughout the year. Look for opportunities to reduce credit utilization, pay bills on time, and correct errors on your report — small steps that can make a big difference. 5. Pay Down High-Interest Debt If you’re carrying credit card balances or other high-interest debt, prioritize reducing those balances faster — it can save you significant money in interest over time. Consider strategies like paying more than the minimum monthly payment or focusing on the highest-interest accounts first. For some members, refinancing or consolidating debt with Brewery Credit Union may be the best approach. 6. Use Your Credit Union as a Resource As a member-owned financial cooperative, Brewery Credit Union exists to empower you — not just to hold your money. From checking and savings accounts with member benefits to personalized financial guidance, our goal is to help you thrive financially. Have questions? Reach out to a local team member — that’s one of the perks of real community banking right here in Milwaukee. Final Thoughts Starting the year with strong financial intentions sets the tone for the months ahead. By budgeting wisely, building savings, managing debt, and leaning on tools and resources available to you, you’re putting yourself on a path to financial confidence and well-being. Here’s to a prosperous 2026 — Brewery Credit Union is here to help you make it your best year yet!
Keep Your Holidays Merry & Scam-Free
The holidays should be full of joy—not stress. Unfortunately, this is also the season when scammers step up their tricks. At Brewery Credit Union, we’re here to help you stay safe so you can focus on what matters most: celebrating with family and friends. ❌ Common Holiday Scams 🛍 Online Shopping TrapsScammers set up fake websites or ads with deals that seem too good to be true. Shop only from trusted retailers and check that sites start with https:// before entering payment info. 🎁 Gift Card SchemesFraudsters tamper with gift cards in stores—or demand gift cards as “payment.” Buy directly from the cashier and remember: no legitimate business will ever ask for gift cards as payment. ❤️ Fake CharitiesScammers create look-alike charities to take advantage of holiday generosity. Always research organizations before donating through sites like Charity Navigator. 📦 Package Delivery ScamsBeware of texts or emails claiming you missed a delivery. Don’t click the link—track packages directly through the carrier’s website. ✈️ Travel TricksToo-good-to-be-true travel deals often mean fraud. Only book through reputable travel sites and avoid wire transfers or gift card payments. ✅ Protect Yourself with Brewery Credit Union 💡 Quick Tip: Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is! From all of us at Brewery Credit Union, we wish you a safe, happy, and scam-free holiday season.
Helping Milwaukee Families This Holiday Season: Join Brewery Credit Union’s Food Drive for the Hunger Task Force
As the holidays approach, many Milwaukee families are preparing for festive meals and time with loved ones. But for far too many in our community, the season brings added stress — not celebration. Food insecurity continues to affect thousands of local households, and the need for donations grows even greater during the winter months. That’s why Brewery Credit Union is proud to once again step up and support our neighbors through our Food Drive, benefiting the Hunger Task Force. Why Food Drives Matter in Milwaukee While Milwaukee is a city known for its heart and generosity, food insecurity remains a real challenge. According to local data, tens of thousands of residents rely on food pantries and meal programs each month. Rising grocery costs, limited access to affordable food options, and seasonal hardships can make it difficult for families to keep nutritious meals on the table. The Hunger Task Force, Milwaukee’s free and local food bank, works year-round to make sure everyone in our community has access to the food they need — without cost or discrimination. During the holidays, their shelves are stretched thin as demand increases, making every donation matter even more. How You Can Help Starting Monday, October 20th, 2025, Brewery Credit Union is inviting members, staff, and community members to bring in non-perishable food items to either BCU location through the end of November. All collected items will go directly to the Hunger Task Force, helping provide warm meals to local families during the holidays. To make your donation go even further: A Small Thank-You for Giving Back As a token of appreciation, the first 10 members at each branch who drop off a bag of food will receive a free Brewery Credit Union t-shirt (20 shirts total — 10 per location). It’s our way of saying “thank you” for helping us make a difference together. Together, We Can Build a Stronger Community At Brewery Credit Union, “People Helping People” isn’t just a slogan — it’s what drives us.By coming together as a community, we can help ensure that no one in Milwaukee goes hungry this holiday season. Stop by, drop off your donation, and help us spread warmth, kindness, and hope where it’s needed most. ❤️
Why Fall Is the Best Time to Buy a Vehicle
Fall isn’t just about crisp air, colorful leaves, and pumpkin spice everything—it’s also one of the best times of year to shop for a new (or new-to-you) vehicle. If you’ve been considering upgrading your ride, here’s why autumn is the perfect season to make it happen: 1. End-of-Year Deals As the year winds down, dealerships are eager to clear out current inventory to make room for next year’s models. This often means bigger discounts, rebates, and incentives for buyers in the fall months. 2. More Choices on the Lot Because new models start rolling in, you’ll usually see a wider selection—both the latest models and remaining current-year vehicles that dealers want to move quickly. 3. Perfect Timing for Winter Driving Upgrading your car in fall means you’ll be ready for the upcoming winter season with a reliable vehicle that can handle icy roads, snow, and colder temperatures. Refinance with Brewery Credit Union and Get $100 Cash Back Already have an auto loan somewhere else? Refinancing with Brewery Credit Union is a smart way to save money—and we’ll even reward you for making the switch! When you refinance your auto loan from another lender with us, you’ll receive $100 cash back and no payments for 90 days!* Not only will you lower your rate or payment (or both!), but you’ll also get money back in your pocket right away. Easy Application = Stress-Free Process We know your time is valuable, so we’ve made our application process quick and simple. You can apply online anytime, or stop into the credit union and we’ll walk you through it step by step. No hassle, no stress—just a smooth process that gets you into the vehicle you want (and the savings you deserve) faster. 🍁 Whether you’re buying a new car or refinancing your current one, fall is the season of savings at Brewery Credit Union. Don’t miss your chance to get a great deal and $100 cash back when you refinance from another lender! * APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rates and terms based on creditworthiness, loan-to-value, and age of the vehicle. Minimum $7,000 new money and current Brewery Credit Union loans not subject to refinancing. Interest will begin accumulating at the date of loan signing: the first payment will include all interest accrued from the loan origination date. Membership eligibility required. $100 Refinance Offer: Loan must be transferred from another financial institution or finance company. The vehicle must be used as collateral. Offer valid for a limited time and subject to change. Only one transfer per vehicle. Some restrictions may apply. Membership eligibility required.
Does Retirement Feel Far Away? Here’s How to Start Saving Now.
Retirement can seem like a distant dream, especially when you’re focused on more pressing priorities—like paying off debt, building an emergency fund, or saving for your next family trip. But starting now, even in small ways, can make a big difference. Begin by imagining your ideal retirement. What does it look like? Where will you live? Will you travel often? On average, Americans over 65 spend about $52,000 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Will that be enough to support the lifestyle you want? Since no one can predict the future exactly, try using a retirement calculator (like the one at AARP.org). It will ask for your current age, salary, savings, and target retirement date, then estimate how much you’ll need and how much you’re on track to have. Once you have a number, ask yourself what you can do to reach it. If you’ve paid off high-interest debt and built a 6-month emergency fund, consider maximizing your retirement contributions. For 2024, the annual limits are $23,000 for a 401(k) and $7,000 for an IRA. If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute even more. Still working on your short-term savings or paying off debt? Try increasing your retirement contributions by just 1%—every little bit helps. One financial advisor shared a story about a client who began saving just $10 a week. That simple step grew into a habit that eventually helped him retire at 56. A smart tip: When you pay off a big expense like a mortgage, reroute 50% of that payment into a high-yield savings or retirement account. If all this feels overwhelming, consider meeting with a financial advisor. You can check credentials at investor.gov, or connect with a free volunteer advisor through SavvyLadies.org. And when the money worries creep in late at night? Take a deep breath and picture how it will feel to reach your financial goals. As one expert put it: “You don’t have to be perfect—just make progress.” Facing your finances might feel scary, but avoiding them keeps you stuck. Shine a light on your goals, and you’ll be surprised how empowering it can feel.
Know Your Number
Tips for understanding your credit score The three main credit score companies (also known as credit bureaus or credit reporting agencies) in the United States are: These companies collect and maintain consumer credit information, which they use to generate credit reports and calculate credit scores. While each bureau may have slightly different information and scoring models, all three play a major role in determining your overall credit health. We will review the FICO score, which is the primary metric most lenders use to assess your creditworthiness. The FICO scoring system ranges from 300-850. It is based on five elements: Paying off Debt Canceling a credit card to avoid temptation makes sense, but if the card has a high limit and no annual fee, you may be better off keeping the card to maintain low credit utilization. If you have $10,000 in available credit across all your cards and your combined balance is $1,500, your credit utilization is 15%. If you close a credit card after paying it off, you reduce the total amount of credit available to you. Credit History Getting out of debt can wipe out some of your credit history. The scoring algorithm awards you more points the longer you have a record of dealing with cards and loans. If you cancel a card or pay off a loan, the length of your credit history may decrease if that account is no longer included in the calculation. Credit Mix The scoring system loves to see a mix of different types of credit, such as a car loan, a mortgage, and a couple of credit cards. When you pay off a loan, it can reduce your credit score mix. If your credit score does fall after paying off debt, don’t worry, it will work itself out over time. The decline will likely be small – credit history and credit mix have a combined weight of only 25%. Never regret paying off debt and moving toward financial freedom! Brewery Credit Union’s SavvyMoney Credit Score is available through online and mobile banking. SavvyMoney Credit Score is a free service offered to help you understand your credit score, give access to your full credit report, provide credit monitoring alerts, simulate and learn ways to improve your score and see ways you can save money on new and existing loans. Login to online banking to see your score.
Lost & Found. Do you have money out there?
There are several sites to check to see if you have money coming your way. Provided by the National Association of State Treasures, the site catalogs assets such as uncashed checks from corporations, financial institutions, insurance companies, and more. Treasury Hunt is mainly intended to help you reclaim unredeemed or lost paper savings bonds and securities. Treasury Hunt can also be useful if you believe you are the beneficiary of Treasury securities that have not been paid out to you. The U.S. Department of Labor is helping America’s workers and beneficiaries search for retirement plans that may still owe them benefits by establishing a public Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database through the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. This database serves as a centralized location to find lost or forgotten benefits and get information on how to obtain those funds. Learn about the tools and resources available for you to recover your hard-earned benefits. Ready to Find Your Unpaid Wages? If you think we may have recovered unpaid wages for you, use the Workers Owed Wages (WOW) application to search and claim them. For money left at an FDIC-insured bank : www.closedbanks.fdic.gov/funds.Orphaned Credit Union Accounts: www.ncua.gov.
5 Steps to Eliminating Debt
The first step to eliminating debt is understanding where you are. By developing a complete picture of your finances, you can confidently prioritize which debts to tackle first. Once you have an overview of your financial situation, it’s time to review spending habits and cut back on non-essential expenses. The more money you can free up, the more you can put towards your debt to pay it off faster. Third, choose a repayment plan. There are two strategies to consider: the snowball method and the avalanche method. The snowball method prioritizes paying off the smallest debt first, giving you the satisfaction of eliminating each debt item and the motivation to work towards the next. The avalanche method prioritizes the highest-interest debt first, helping you save money in the long run. Fourth, consider consolidation if you are juggling multiple debts with varying interest rates. Putting them together into one loan could simplify the repayment process. Streamlining your finances makes it easier to focus on long-term goals. Finally, keep moving forward and give yourself grace. Seek help from Brewery Credit Union. We have guided members to achieve many goals. Through open conversations and tailored action plans, we’ve helped members better their credit scores, enabling them to secure their first vehicle, home, and so much more. Brewery Credit Union is a better place to borrow and save!
AI and Machine Learning Fraud
The increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is one of the most significant trends predicted for 2025 in both perpetrating and combating fraud. AI and ML algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, making them powerful tools for detecting fraud patterns and anomalies. However, fraudsters are also leveraging these technologies to create more sophisticated schemes. As technology continues to evolve, cyber fraud is expected to grow in complexity and frequency. The increasing reliance on digital platforms for financial transactions, communication and data storage creates new vulnerabilities for cybercriminals to exploit your members. Credential stuffing, a cyber-attack where stolen usernames and passwords are used to gain unauthorized access to accounts, is expected to rise. Despite the increasing shift towards digital transactions, check fraud persists as a significant challenge and is set to evolve alongside technological advancements. In 2025, fraudsters will likely exploit sophisticated printing technologies and AI to produce counterfeit checks that are nearly indistinguishable from genuine ones. These counterfeit checks may replicate the design and security features of legitimate checks, making them more deceptive to both recipients and financial institutions. Learning about common phishing attack indicators (Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks | CISA) and being wary of what information you share online can reduce your chances of becoming a victim. Collaboration and information sharing among financial institutions can also aid in detecting and preventing synthetic identity fraud. Moreover, it will be crucial to enhance the education of our members about the dangers of check fraud and the importance of protecting checkbooks and personal information. Promoting the use of electronic payments and providing guidelines on recognizing and reporting suspicious checks will play a key role in diminishing the incidence of check fraud.
8 Steps of Home Buying
Becoming a homeowner can be stressful. You are looking for the perfect home in the best neighborhood, and then, on top of it all, you need financing. We are going to give you a few tips to make the process easier for you. Whether this is your first home or your fifth, read on to make the process less stressful. Step 1: Understanding Your Credit Score Having good credit is extremely important when buying a home. Your credit score helps determine your mortgage interest rate, so the higher your score, the better. Here are a couple of resources to help you understand and improve your score: FICO Score Breakdown: Understanding Your Credit How to Escape “Finacial Quicksand” You can access your credit score in home banking using SAVVY MONEY. Step 2: Setting a Budget Think about what you think you can afford as a monthly payment. One rule of thumb is that your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio should not exceed 43%. To calculate your DTI, add your monthly debt payments and then divide that total by your gross monthly income, which is what you make before taxes and deductions. For example, if each month you pay $1,200 for your mortgage, $250 for your car, $300 for your student loans, and $100 for credit card debt, your monthly debt payments total $1,850. If your gross monthly income is $5,000, your debt-to-income is 37% ($1,850 divided by $5,000 is around 37% DTI). Debt to Income Calculator Stop 3: Get Pre-Qualified By getting pre-qualified for your mortgage loan, it will give both you and your Realtor an idea of your homebuying budge. When it comes a time to make an offer, you will know you are pre-qualified for the loan and know your monthly payment. To get pre-qualified for a Brewery CU Mortgage, call our team at 414-273-3170. Ask for Robert, our Mortgage Loan Specialist. Step 4: Find Your Dream Home Time to tour! With your Mortgage pre-qualification in hand, you can start shopping for and touring homes. Look at local listings, go online, and talk to your Realtor to find the right home for your needs. Step 5: Make an Offer This is a big step — and it pays to be prepared. Your real estate agent will provide guidance and help you write an offer to purchase. Step 6: Securing Your Loan Yahooo — an accepted offer! Now, you need to finalize the financing and choose the right Mortgage for you. There are fixed rates, adjustable rates, and several term options. You won’t need to navigate this step alone — the Brewery Mortgage Team will help determine which financing option works best for you. Step 7: Get an Inspection You need a professional inspection of the home before closing. This step can uncover any unseen (and potentially costly) issues with the home, so don’t skip it. Step 8: Closing Time You are officially a homeowner when the papers are signed and the deal is done. Getting into your new home is a bigaccomplishment. Congrats! Our Mortgage team is here for you every step of the way, to ease the stress of buying a home. Get started today.