BALANCE Your Money

BALANCE Your Money
All MCU members get free financial counseling from BALANCE Financial

What does it mean for you to reach your financial goals? Does it mean buying your own home? Or getting a much needed new car? Or just being able to pay all your bills on time?

Whatever your goals and financial needs, Madison Credit Union’s partner BALANCE can help. Started in 1969, BALANCE has dedicated over 45 years to bringing financial wellness to its customers. They offer assistance in debt relief, home buying guides, budgeting tips, identity theft solutions, and more!

Madison Credit Union pays for our members to have free financial counseling from BALANCE. Simply call 888.456.2227 and mention Madison Credit Union.

And you don’t have to call BALANCE to reap the benefits. You can simply visit their website. They offer a tremendous amount of online resources like, financial security after divorce, retirement planning, just starting out planning, and more! There are tool kits, calculators, articles, videos, worksheets, booklets, and checklists. Basically, if you have a financial question, they have an answer.

Here is just a taste of the information you can find on their website:

Car Buying

Drive Away Happy – This booklet covers new vs used vs leasing a car as well as trade-ins, financing options, down payments and more.
Buying a Car Video – A short (less than 2 minute) video offering a good overview of car buying tips.
Auto Loan Calculator

Home Buying Guide

The Road to Homeownership – This booklet covers the entire home buying process from preparing your credit report, knowing your budget and down payment options, extra costs to plan for, pre-closing and more.
A Seller’s Market vs A Buyer’s Market – Tips on how to purchase a home in either type of market.
8 First Time Homebuying Mistakes to Avoid 
How to Prepare for the Commitment of Owning a Home
Mortgage Qualifier Calculator
15 year vs 30 year Mortgage Comparison Calculator 

Debt Management

Getting Out of Debt – A quick video on getting out of debt.
Money Management Planner – This booklet includes plenty of worksheets to help you organize your finances.
Four Ways to Manage Medical Debt

Identity Theft

The Basics of Identity Theft – This booklet covers how your information is obtained by criminals, how they use it and what to do if you become a victim.
Guarding Against Identity Theft – A quick video how to keep your private data private.
Fight Fraud with a Credit Freeze
Security Tips to Pick Hack-Proof Passwords

Retirement: Planning For It and Living In It

Planning for Retirement

Planning for Truly Golden Years – Learn how much you will need, where to save it, when to access it and more.
Cool Million Calculator – How much to invest, to be a millionaire when you retire.
401(k) Calculator

Living as a Retiree

Great Jobs for the Semi-Retired – Ways to keep busy and make a little income on the side.
Retirement Withdrawal Rate – How much you should withdraw and when.
How Long Will My Retirement Savings Last Calculator