Better Values - Better Banking

By Walter Laskos According to Wikipedia, the “Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. In the Medieval era, the knights...

By Walter Laskos The holidays are upon us and gift-buying is at an all-time high. While many will be fighting the crowds at the local mall and shopping centers, others will choose a more laid back and leisurely way to complete their holiday gift-buying shopping list by conducting their purchases online. After all, why confront the...

By Walter Laskos In today's commercial world, your ability to buy a home or use credit cards is contingent on the quality of your credit worthiness. The process begins with the lending institution where you might be applying for the credit card or loan to purchase a home or auto, and it entails looking up...

By Walter Laskos Ever Wonder Why Credit Unions Were Formed? By the beginning of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants pursuing work and a better life found their way to the mills of the largest textile-manufacturing center in the nation---Manchester, New Hampshire. Although gainfully employed, they were denied the privileges of savings and credit. On a hillside...

By Walter Laskos It's 2017 and Americans are more burdened by student loan debt than ever. Today, Americans hold more than $1.4 trillion in student loan debt, spread out among about 44 million borrowers. Compare that to the total US credit card debt of some $880 billion. No wonder all the alarm bells sound when graduates...

Each year, about 12 million people in the United States in need of quick access to cash take out payday loans, often spending billions on principal, interest, and fees. Payday loan borrowers spend approximately $7.4 billion annually at 20,000 storefronts and hundreds of websites, plus additional sums at a growing number of banks. The...

By Walter Laskos Each year, Special Olympics Rhode Island touches the lives of thousands of Olympic Athletes and their families across Rhode Island through a variety of programs, most especially its Summer Games at URI. The Credit Unions of Rhode Island proudly assist annually in supporting the games. Sponsorships and donations like this have allowed...

By Walter Laskos Spin the “Wheel of Misfortune" and learn what fate has in store for you and your financial wellbeing. Will you be paying a hospital bill or winning a lottery? Narragansett High School students took the wheel out for a spin during a recent CU 4 Reality Fair, hosted by Westerly Community Credit Union....

By Walter Laskos For many, the desire to see one's dreams come true today requires the ability to take out a loan. Whether it's to secure a diploma to achieve a college degree, buy a new car, renovate part of your home, or increase the size of your business, chances are you will need additional...

By Courtney Hunter and Walter Laskos Financial Literacy or financial education—what does it really mean? To some, it's an understanding of the way money works. To others, it's a life-long journey that involves a knowledge of finances; how to save, invest and manage one's money so that come retirement, you can sit back and enjoy...