For many, the holiday season comes with joy and traditions by gathering with friends and family to celebrate the year and look forward to what’s ahead. But making plans, traveling, preparing meals and buying gifts can also add unnecessary stress, making it easy to accidentally overspend and neglect your banking needs.
But with Online Banking tools like Alerts and eStatements, SESLOC is on your side to help you bank easier, so you can live better. Here are five things you should do to get ahead of your banking for the holidays.
Set Alerts and Card Controls for the Holidays
Overspending during the holiday months can happen easily and without warning. Whether it’s buying special treats for a Thanksgiving meal or getting gifts for friends and family, spending can add up and it’s easy to fall behind on monitoring your budget with everything going on. Consider setting automated Alerts in Online Banking to help you stay in tune with your account balance.
Setting balance and transaction alerts serves two purposes throughout the holidays. First, balance alerts send you an email, text, or push notification when your balance is below a certain threshold, giving you the power to adjust your budget in real time. Transaction alerts can help you keep track of spending and stay ahead of fraudulent activity as it happens so you can take immediate action. And with Card Controls in your SESLOC Online Banking app, you can lock your card if it becomes lost or stolen.
To learn how to set up alerts and tips for using online banking, check out our guide to Online Banking Basics.
Set Travel Notifications for Your Accounts
Having a transaction declined when you’re away from home is a quick way to go from holiday cheer to holiday nightmare. Setting Travel Notifications in Online Banking before you depart is important to ensure your spending goes smoothly wherever you go – from the Central Coast to the Amalfi Coast and everywhere in between.
Setting a travel notification for your accounts ahead of your trips tells your financial institutions about your plans and where you will be spending. In turn, they will know that any spending you make in those places are normal and should be approved. But even with Travel Notifications set for your accounts, it’s important to carry more than one form of payment just in case.
Keep Contact Information Up to Date
Your financial providers can only contact you about your spending or potential fraud if they have your up-to-date contact information. Now is a great time to double check your accounts to make sure your address, email and cell numbers are updated and correct. Taking this simple step can help you stay on track with your accounts and help prevent fraud or theft if it should happen.
Enroll in eStatements Before the New Year
Finally, the end of the year is a great time to enroll in eStatements for your accounts if you aren’t already. Knowing that people spend an extended time away from their homes during the holidays, scammers will often attempt to steal mail in hopes of using financial statements to commit fraud. Instead of sending a printed statement in the mail, eStatements are delivered faster and allow you to securely review your monthly savings and spending, reducing your risk of becoming a victim. eStatements are also archived online, making for one less document to store or eventually shred. Maximize your time by enrolling in eStatements today.
Find Your Nearest Fee-Free ATM
Finally, getting cash while you are out and about should not be difficult. Even if you go to a small town in the middle of nowhere (like in one of those Hallmark movies), you’re sure to find a surcharge-free ATM. SESLOC members have access to over 50 surcharge-free ATMs across the Central Coast and 30,000 surcharge-free CO-OP ATMs throughout the United States – more than just about any bank, anywhere! CO-OP ATMs can be found at 7-Eleven stores, Costco Warehouses, and participating credit unions. To find your nearest ATM, visit the CO-OP website, or download the ATM locator app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
While the holidays come with a level of stress, managing your money shouldn’t be one of them. With these tips and a little planning, you can cruise through the season and truly make it “The most wonderful time of the year” with friends and family.