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VCNB Blog

Holiday Banking Made Easier

The holiday season is upon us and with it all the trappings of Christmas shopping, parties, decorating, cookie baking, present wrapping and family fun nights galore! Many of us will soon be busier than the elves in Santa’s workshop.

As your bank, we want you to keep your finances in tip top shape and even benefit from the spending of the season but we know your time is more precious than normal right now. So we have some realistic ideas for how you can streamline and maximize to make managing your money a better experience.

Skip The Bank Line – We love seeing smiling faces in our lobbies but we understand that you may not want to stop in your local branch when you have other things to do.

  1. Make deposits at the ATM – You’ll find Smart ATMs at most of our bank branches. That means you can swipe your debit card, select which account you want your money to be deposited in and then feed your cash and checks without an envelope. You’ll receive immediate credit for up to $500 per day.
  2. Use Our Mobile Branch – We consider our app VCNB Mobile a virtual bank lobby. That’s because you can check balances, find statements transfer funds among accounts, deposit checks into your account and even open a new account right from your smart phone. Ever wonder where your money goes? Check out the tracking tool in our app to see how much your spending on groceries, gas, personal care and more.

Know How Much Money You Have – Just knowing how much money you have can be a chore but it’s important information that will save you overdraft fees that can add up quickly when you spend money you don’t actually have.

  1. Track your spending - Since check writing and keeping a check register is on the decline and most people are swiping their debit cards, it’s tempting to not keep track of spending. However, you must remember that the balance on your online banking account only reflects the transactions the bank knows about. So, if you do write a check, schedule a bill to pay at a future date or swipe your card someplace where the transaction doesn’t transmit to us immediately, these debits will not show up, making it appear that you have more money than you do.
  2. Receive account alerts via text or email – We offer a variety of account alerts to help customers know when there has been activity on their accounts. Set an alert for every time your debit card is used or for when a direct deposit hits your account. You can also receive reminders when a loan payment is due so you don’t forget the car payment in the hustle and bustle of holiday celebrations!

Pay Your Bills – Paying bills on time is a chore of adulthood. We do offer tools for making it easier to do.

  1. Online Bill Pay – This free services allows you to schedule payments for things like your electric bill, dentist or credit card. The money is sent to the payee digitally meaning that it’s quicker and safer than sending a paper check in the mail.
  2. Zelle® - Owe money to an individual you trust? Try Zelle! Available through your online banking, Zelle lets you send money using only someone’s email address or mobile phone number meaning that you don’t need their personal account information and they won’t have yours either. This is great for splitting the cost of a gift or for paying for a porch pick-up when your friend starts decluttering before Christmas. You can even send a request for someone to pay you!

Reward Yourself With uChoose® Rewards Points – For many of us, this is the most expensive season of the year. If you’re spending money, you may as well get something nice for yourself too!

  1. With a VCNB Rewards Checking account or a Visa® Platinum credit card, you can earn uChoose Rewards Points that can be redeemed for gift cards, cash back, merchandise, travel and more! You do have to register your cards with uChoose to begin earning.     https://www.vcnbfamily.bank/Personal/Checking-Accounts/Rewards-Checking
  2. When you register your cards, explore the uChoose sissste to learn about extra points earning opportunities that you can activate. For example, sometimes gas stations, restaurants and department stores will offer bonus points for every dollar you spend!

Embrace The Shortcut – Many people in our lives seem to already have everything. Remember that color, size and brand aren’t important when you give a gift card. You might say it’s impersonal but it’s often very much appreciated. If money is tight for your recipient, if they love to shop or if they’re particular about what they own, a gift card is a great way to guarantee they’ll like whatever they buy! Stop by your neighborhood VCNB branch to pick up a stack of gift cards and then treat yourself to something fun in all that free time you just found! Now through December 31, 2023 our Mastercard® gift cards are fee free. Get yours today!

 

 

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