Beware Tax Filing Scams

It’s tax time! Unfortunately, that means there are thousands of scammers looking to steal your information and your tax refund by posing as authentic tax preparers. Here’s all you need to know about these scams and how to keep safe.

How the scam plays out

In a tax filing scam, a victim will hire an alleged tax preparer to do their taxes. The scammer then uses the victim’s information to file a tax return in the victim’s name. They’ll change some important details on the tax form, such as a checking account number or mailing address, and then collect the victim’s refund. By the time the victim realizes what’s happened, they’ve lost the money owed to them by the IRS and are now vulnerable to deeper identity theft.

Protect yourself

The best way to stay safe from a tax filing scam is to do your research carefully before hiring a tax preparer.

First, avoid pop-up ads when choosing a tax preparer, especially those that are riddled with typos. Research any preparers you consider hiring by asking for references of previous clients and by looking for a physical address on their website. Be suspicious, as well, if they promise a large return without knowing anything about your finances.

Second, before hiring an individual or an agency to do your taxes, ask to see their Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). If the “preparer” refuses to share their PTIN, you’re being scammed.

Finally, if you’ve already hired a preparer but you’re suspicious about their authenticity, look for these red flags:

• The preparer inflates numbers that affect your tax liability.
• The preparer claims ineligible individuals as your dependents.
• The preparer asks you to sign a blank form and promises to fill out the remainder after you sign.
• The preparer refuses to sign your form.

If your tax preparer follows any of the above practices, terminate your relationship with them immediately.

If you’ve been targeted by a tax filing scam, report it to the authorities as quickly as possible. Let the FTC know about the scam and alert the IRS. If you’ve shared personal information with the scammer, you are now vulnerable to identity theft. Check out the federal government’s page on identity theft recovery to learn what steps to take next.

Stay safe!

IRS ISSUES ANNUAL LIST OF TAX SCAMS

The IRS recently issued its annual list of tax scams. The list highlights various scams that taxpayers may encounter, many of which occur during tax filing season. Here are some of the scams that are highlighted on the list.

PHISHING

Phishing scams usually involve unsolicited emails or fake websites that pose as legitimate IRS sites to convince you to provide personal or financial information. Once scam artists obtain this information, they use it to commit identity or financial theft. The IRS will never initiate contact with you by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media.

PHONE SCAMS

Phone scams typically involve a phone call from someone claiming you owe money to the IRS or that you’re entitled to a large refund. The calls may show up as coming from the IRS on your Caller ID, be accompanied by fake emails that appear to be from the IRS, or involve follow-up calls from individuals saying they are from law enforcement. Sometimes these callers may even threaten you with arrest, license revocation, or deportation.

IDENTITY THEFT

Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security number to claim a fraudulent tax refund. You may not even realize you’ve been the victim of identity theft until you file your tax return and discover that a return has already been filed using your Social Security number. Or the IRS may send you a letter indicating it has identified a suspicious return using your Social Security number.

RETURN PREPARER FRAUD

Sometimes scam artists pose as legitimate tax preparers and try to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers by committing refund fraud or identity theft. It’s important to choose a tax preparer carefully since you are legally responsible for what’s on your return, even if it’s prepared by someone else.

INFLATED REFUND CLAIMS

Taxpayers should be wary of anyone promising an unreasonably large or inflated refund. These scam artists may ask you to sign a blank return and promise a big refund without looking at your tax records or charging fees based on a percentage of the refund.

FAKE CHARITIES

Groups sometimes pose as charitable organizations in order to solicit donations from unsuspecting donors. Be wary of charities with names that are similar to more familiar or nationally-known organizations. Before donating to a charity, make sure that it is legitimate. The IRS website has tools to assist you in checking out the status of a charitable organization.

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6 STEPS TO JUMPSTART YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY!

By Breanna Johnston, AFC® Candidate

Retirement is one of those endeavors that fall into the “someday” category. When living your day-to-day life as a person in their 20s, 30s, and even your 40s and those everyday expenses pop up, it’s more difficult to save for something that is seemingly so far away.
But as we all know — life comes at you fast. A 2020 survey by Charles Schwab of currently employed 401(k) plan participants found that saving enough for retirement continues to be a leading source of significant financial stress for all generations.

While studies show that 71 percent of Americans are adequately prepared for retirement, much of that includes receiving Social Security benefits under the current law. With Social Security payouts only scheduled to be paid at the full benefit amount through 2035, Millennials and Gen Z have to approach retirement from a different perspective — one that is diverse and doesn’t rely on Social Security benefits, if you can help it. The good news is that starting early allows you to reach your retirement goals more easily.

In today’s economy, we can’t overlook the fact that there are some people who are not making a fair living wage, making it difficult to save. But for those of us with the ability to save it’s important to understand that it’s never too late to start saving for retirement. Your future self will thank you!

So what are the steps to take when you’re ready to jumpstart your retirement journey? Glad you asked! Here are our six steps below.

1. GET IN THE “RETIREMENT READY” MINDSET.

The first step is getting in the right mindset, meaning-making your new savings goal a priority. We encourage you to “Start Small, Think Big” and take advantage of retirement solutions available to you like your employer’s 401K or 403 B plan or IRA options you can open on your own.

If you’re starting your retirement savings journey early, you have time on your side! However, if you’re closer to retirement age, then prepare to be a bit more aggressive in order to achieve your retirement goal. Research how to make catch-up contributions to your retirement savings, ultimately jump-starting a stalled plan.

The good news is this: it’s never too late! It is important to remember that saving anything is better than saving nothing. Even increasing your retirement savings by one percent can make a huge difference in the long run.

2. DEFINE WHAT RETIREMENT WILL LOOK LIKE FOR YOU.

Your retirement years will be as individual as you are! Have you visualized how you’d like your retirement to look and feel? Think about where you want to settle down. Will you stay put and have sweet tea and lemonade on the front porch most days or do you intend to travel far and wide? Most importantly, how much “annual income” will you need to achieve this envisioned lifestyle? Asking yourself these questions will help determine a rough estimate of how much to start saving now.

Someone who plans to travel and or have an active lifestyle when they retire may need to save more than someone who has a home that is paid off with no grand plans of world travel.

You will also need to consider exactly when you want to retire. This will help determine how much you should be saving annually. In the modern age, people pre-retire, half-retire or even never leave the workforce at all.

3. CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOU’LL NEED TO SAVE.

Once you have an idea of what type of retirement you want to have, estimate the annual retirement income needed. You want to ensure you are saving for the future you want. Most Americans are not putting enough money into their retirement fund every year in order to afford the life they want for themselves in the future.

What each person needs will vary widely based on a number of factors, including your current age, the age at which you plan to retire, if your partner or spouse has an income, your spending habits, and different sources of retirement income. There are also circumstances beyond your control, like how long you can expect to live based on family history.

While there is no hard and fast rule to determine how much to save by a specific age, many personal finance experts recommend having saved an amount equal to your annual salary by age 30, three times by age 40, and five times by age 50. While this can be overwhelming if you haven’t hit those milestones in your retirement savings yet, one small step you can take is to increase your contribution rate with each pay raise. Remember, building a savings habit and taking control of your finances, like you’re doing now, is worth celebrating.

4. TAKE THE AMERICA SAVES PLEDGE.

Now that you have a better idea of what exactly you’re saving for and how much, it’s time to consider how you’ll achieve your dream retirement. The America Saves Pledge is a tool that helps you make a simple plan to meet your savings goal while offering you long-term accountability and support along the way. Take the America Saves Pledge and visit AmericaSaves.org for tips, resources, and support on your journey towards retirement. Remember: savers who make a plan are twice as likely to save successfully!

5. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

Consider what type of accounts to deposit your retirement savings into. Your employer may offer a retirement plan such as a 401K, 403B, or SEP-IRA and match your contributions up to a certain percentage. The most important consideration here is to take advantage of any employer benefits such as matching your contributions up to a certain percentage. Find out if your employer offers a match and contribute at least enough to maximize that benefit.

Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) are also an option, and you can open one anytime through financial institutions or financial services providers. There are several different IRAs including the most common: Roth and Traditional. Roth IRAs can be withdrawn at anytime without penalty and are tax-free. Traditional IRAs may be tax-deductible and your earnings grow tax-deferred until you start making withdrawals. You’ll need to determine which is best for you — or maybe a combination of both. The IRS has put together a great comparison tool to understand the differences between the two accounts and decide which may be better for you.

6. PRIORITIZE MAKING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AUTOMATICALLY.

Now that you can visualize the type of retirement you want, have determined approximately how much you’re saving for, and have a plan and support in place, the best thing you can do is to set it and forget it! Set up automatic payments and contributions either through your employer or from a financial institution to stay on track.

The point of retirement savings is to keep it invested for the long term. This means avoiding dipping into your retirement fund for emergencies. Instead, create an emergency savings fund that you are also contributing to consistently.

Research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that it typically takes 13 years or more of contributions to an account before you begin to reach a level of savings that is enough to fund a number of years of retirement as a supplement to Social Security. So don’t become discouraged if you feel you do not have enough savings in your retirement fund just yet.

Whatever path you choose to take toward retirement, the biggest step to take is being consistent. Retirement savings is a long-term commitment, but today’s work will pay off in the long run, literally. Take the America Saves Pledge and let us help you reach your goals, no matter what they are. Your future self will thank you!

Banking With A Purpose

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Choosing the right credit card is easier than ever. Whether you want to pay down balances faster, maximize cash back, earn rewards or begin building your credit history, we have the ideal card for you!

No matter which card you choose, you’ll enjoy important features like:

• Convenient and Flexible Purchasing Power. Accepted at millions of locations worldwide.
• Mobile purchasing capability for added convenience.
• Zero Fraud Liability.* You won’t be liable for fraudulent purchases when your card is lost or stolen.
• Cardmember Service available 24 hours a day/365 days per year.
• Plus much more!

Learn More

*Elan Financial Services provides zero fraud liability for unauthorized transactions. Cardholder must notify Elan Financial Services promptly of any unauthorized use. Certain conditions and limitations may apply. The creditor and issuer of these cards is Elan Financial Services, pursuant to separate licenses from Visa U.S.A. Inc., and Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

How do I Raise my Kids to be Financially Independent Adults?

It’s commendable to try raising your kids today with an eye toward their future. Teaching your children how to be financially independent will help smooth the transition into adulthood. It will also give them the tools they need to achieve and maintain financial wellness throughout their life.

Here are some tips for raising kids to grow into financially independent adults.

Start with basic budgeting

Successful budgeting is the foundation of every financially independent household. You can introduce your children to the concept of earning money and spending it mindfully when they’re still young and then build upon that knowledge as they grow older. Preteens can watch you work on an actual budget, and teens can even assist you in creating a budget for a large expense, such as a family vacation.

Another way to bring this lesson home is by showing kids how to budget their own money. Help them create columns for “income” and “expenses,” listing their allowance, occasional gift money, and income from any jobs they may have in the income column, and the ways they’d like to use their money in the expense column. Show them how to divide their money across their expenses in a reasonable fashion and talk to them about setting aside money for the future.

Finally, you can allow your older kids to make some spending decisions on their own, provided they don’t later complain about the choices they made. For example, you can give your preteen a specific amount of money to spend on a fall wardrobe, and then let them choose to spend more on a jacket and less on a pair of sneakers, or vice versa. They may make some mistakes, but you’ll be teaching them a lesson they’ll carry with them throughout life.

Split the costs of “must-have” items

If your kids are like most, they’ll likely be asking you for all sorts of trending items they claim they absolutely need; from a pair of designer jeans that all the in-kids are wearing, to the latest fad toy they insist their entire class already has. As a parent, you may be inclined to bend and give them what they want more often than you’d like. Or maybe you play hardball by refusing most of these requests. Neither approach is likely to leave both you and your child feeling happy with your choices.

A great way to compromise on just how often to say yes to kids, and to teach them a fantastic financial lesson at the same time, is to have your child pay half the cost of expensive trending items. They’ll quickly realize that what seems like a “must-have” really isn’t when you’re the one footing half the bill. Or, they may go ahead with the purchase and either come to regret it as they learn this lesson later or enjoy the gratification that comes from paying your way toward an important goal.

Teach them about credit cards

To a child, a credit card is a magical piece of plastic that makes everything possible. If your child observes you using a credit card or debit card often, you owe it to them to teach them what’s behind that little card. Show them your credit card bill when it arrives in the mail and talk about how you need to pay for all those expenses you swiped during the month, plus the interest you may incur. Teach them about debit cards, too, explaining how money is withdrawn from your checking account when you swipe the card. It’s also a good idea to give older kids a quick rundown on credit scores, how they work and why they’re so important.

Open a checking account for your child 

Experience is the best teacher, and giving your child their own checking account can be an excellent way to teach them how they manage their own money. At AGCU, you can open a youth account, or a regular checking account under both your names to help your child learn all about money. They’ll make their own deposits (with your help), check on their balance, and may even enjoy a debit card to use as appropriate, so long as they have enough funds in their account to cover the purchases. This first account opened and managed under your watch will help them transition easily into truly handling their own money as financially independent adults.

Talk openly about what they can expect in terms of support for the future

When your child is mature enough to talk about their college years and beyond, it’s time to have a conversation about their transition into financially independent adulthood. The more you communicate about your plans now, the less room you’ll leave for misunderstandings and upset feelings in the future.

Be open and specific about how much financial support you plan to offer while they attend college, immediately after they graduate and further into the future. Ask about their plans as well, paying attention to when they anticipate being financially independent and whether you believe they are being realistic in their planning.

When speaking to your young-adult child about the future, it’s a good idea to bring up the topic of career paths and earning potential as well. You can help your child determine a basic budget for the lifestyle they plan to lead, and then assist them in narrowing down their career choices to just options that can support their future desired lifestyle. Talk to your child about student loans too, and explain how crippling debt can be.

It’s a scary world when you must step up to manage your money on your own, but it’s also a world filled with wonderful opportunities. Use the tips outlined above to help raise your child to be a financially independent adult.

Banking With A Purpose

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8 Ways to Protect Yourself From Holiday Credit Card Fraud

Fraudsters and scammers are always on the prowl, but experts say fraud attempts increase about 30 percent during the holiday season. So while you’re taking advantage of holiday shopping deals, fraudsters are looking to take advantage of you to steal your identity and run up charges on your accounts. Follow these tips to help protect yourself from fraud during the holidays.

1. Keep a close eye on your transaction history

It’s always important to review your account information regularly, but it’s especially critical during the holiday season when you’re likely spending more than usual. In the event of unauthorized transactions or discrepancies in your account, continual monitoring of your account will help if you need to flag suspicious activity to your bank or credit union.

2. Go mobile

Use Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or other digital wallets as you cross things off your shopping list. Add your debit and credit cards to your digital wallets to take advantage of the latest forms of encryption protection so no matter if you’re in-store or buying online, your personal information is secure.

3. Ask yourself: Is this legit?

Be aware of scams when purchasing items online or even donating to charities. Does the deal look too good to be true? Is the site asking for irrelevant personal information? Ensure you are purchasing from legitimate and secure sites, and make sure you have the most updated anti-virus software just in case.

4. Verify site security

Before handing over your credit card information to a retailer, always verify that checkout is secure by confirming the URL starts with https://. This means the site is using an SSL certificate to secure data as it passes from the website to the server and keeps it safe from hackers.

5. Set account alerts

Most financial institutions offer customizable transaction alerts via email or text. Setting alerts can help you better manage your account (no more overdraft fees!) while also giving you peace of mind that no one else is accessing your accounts. Want to be alerted about any transaction over $50? Easy. Want to get pinged for every transaction you make with a debit card? Done.

6. Understand your credit card’s fraud protection offerings

Many credit cards offer something called “Zero Liability,” which applies to purchases made in the store, over the phone, online or via a mobile device. If your credit card offers Zero Liability, you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized transactions if you reasonably protected your card and promptly reported that your card was lost or stolen. Check your credit card agreement for more details.

7. Protect your PIN

Pay attention to your surroundings when using your credit and debit cards in public. The best way to protect your PIN is to shield the keypad anytime you enter your PIN. Also, be on the lookout for ATM skimming devices. Learn how to spot ATM skimming devices

8. Watch out for other scams

Following recent breaches, scammers are taking advantage of holiday shoppers by claiming to be from financial institutions, asking for your personal information so they can “make sure your information isn’t compromised.” In reality, anyone who contacts you directly asking for your information over the phone, via email or via social media is likely not authorized to do so. Err on the side of caution, do not respond, and proactively reach out to your financial institution to confirm if the call or message you received was legitimate.

Banking With A Purpose

Much more than a catchphrase, our tagline is our passion, our reason why we do what we do. This is the impact of your membership with AGCU. Learn More About Banking with a Purpose

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Avoiding Scams:

Don’t Answer Calls From These Area Codes

Robocalls have got to be one the most annoying inventions of the 21st century. Unfortunately, those phone calls can do a lot more than disrupt your dinner to send you running to the phone just to hear about an offer for an extended warranty on your car. Using sophisticated spoofing methods and dogged persistence, they can swindle unsuspecting targets out of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, using nothing but a phone. In fact, according to data from Trucaller, Americans lost close to $30 billion to phone scams in 2020.

Technology has made it far too easy and cheap for scammers to place a huge number of robocalls in seconds. New robocall platforms can make up to 5,000 simultaneous calls a second for as little as a dollar. Even if only 10 of these phone calls have their desired effect on the targets, the scammers have pulled in a solid profit.

Here’s what you need to know about phone scams and how to avoid them.

Traffic pumping

According to federal law, rural carriers are allowed to charge wireless and long-distance carriers higher fees for calls to local subscribers. To earn a quick buck – or a few hundred – rural carriers partner up with chat lines, adult entertainment numbers and “free” conference call service providers, as well as other numbers that are based overseas. Their goal is to artificially inflate the call volume in the home area codes of the rural carriers so they, in turn, can bill the wireless and long distance companies an exorbitant amount of money and give the chat lines a kickback,too. This is known as “traffic pumping.”

The bad news for private consumers is that their wireless or landline provider will pass the higher cost structure onto them. Sometimes, the caller will be warned of a higher charge, but other times, the consumer will believe these calls are completely free – until the bill arrives.

Area code alert:

The 712 area code and the 218 area code are infamous for traffic pumping.

The one-ring scam

In this ruse, scammers use robocalling technology to call wireless numbers and hang up after only one ring. The scammers are hoping the target will be curious and careless enough to return the call. If they do, they will likely be calling a number in the Caribbean, which can cost them up to $30 a minute. A prevalent one-ring scam that originates in Japan brings that cost up to $50 a minute!

Whenever you receive a call from an unfamiliar number, it’s best to let it go to voicemail instead of picking up. Curious enough to return a one-ring call? First Google the number to see who the caller is. If it’s a scammer, you’ll likely find some warnings posted online when you look up the number.

Area code alert:
The FTC warns consumers about returning one-ring calls from these area codes:

• 268–Antigua and Barbuda
• 284–British Virgin Islands
• 473–Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique
• 664–Montserrat
• 649–Turks and Caicos Islands
• 767–Commonwealth of Dominica
• 809, 829, 849–Dominican Republic
• 876–Jamaica

When an unfamiliar number comes up on your phone screen, you’re better off waiting for a voicemail to determine if you have a legitimate caller before calling it back. You can also Google the phone number itself. If the number is a scam, chances are good that others will have posted warnings about it online.

Protect your phone

If the robocalls are driving you crazy, there are steps you can take to limit the amount that reach your phone. First, place your number on the Do Not Call list. You can also reach out to your phone service provider to ask about robocall blocking functionality they may offer, though you may need to pay for this extra service. Finally, consider using a robocall-blocking app, like Hiya, YouMail or RoboKiller.

Think twice before picking up the phone from an unknown caller, or returning a call from an unfamiliar number. Stay safe!

Banking With A Purpose

Much more than a catchphrase, our tagline is our passion, our reason why we do what we do. This is the impact of your membership with AGCU. Learn More About Banking with a Purpose

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YiPoA Youth Center

AGCU is honored to partner with our friends at YiPoA, Youth In Pursuit Of Awakening as they realize their vision to raise up a generation to love Jesus and live out the gospel.

Team AGCU was able to share a gift to help purchase a skid steer for construction of the YIPOA Center in Ozark, MO.  They plan to use this equipment to design and prepare riding trails and launch this God given vision into a reality!

The YIPOA’s ministry will include a recreational center for area youth with the mission of revival.

Josh and Erin Wirtmiller are the founders of YiPoA Ministry based out of Ozark, MO. Josh is a Developer for AT&T andCommunity Youth Pastor.  Erin serves as the assistant Youth Pastor and Event Planner.  Both have a heart for awakening students to

love Jesus & live out the gospel!  Pastor Josh and his wife Erin live in Ozark, MO with their son Kaiden and their daughter Kylee.

Learn more about YiPoA and their vision for Youth.

Banking With A Purpose

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I Pour Life  – Season Of Giving

I Pour Life is a nonprofit focused on developing people and providing them with the tools they need to become self-sufficient.

Starting on November 1st, join us in a Season of Giving. AGCU has generously started it off with a $10,000 matching gift. We believe that through your giving, we can support the addition of many youth in the LifeStrengths program in Missouri and fund our positive youth development program in Ethiopia. Our hope throughout this Season of Giving is that, as our youth are refreshed, you will also find refreshment through your generosity and gift.

Change A Life Through Your Gift Today

Your donation gives a hand up to individuals locally and globally to help them discover their strengths and become self-sufficient.

 

Each week in November we will be hosting a variety of different raffles that you can be a part of, all leading up to the global day of giving, #GivingTuesday! Stay tuned each week for details on each raffle and how to enter.

November 1st – 50/50 Raffle
November 7th – $100 Gift Certificate to Finley Farms
November 14th – 4 Tickets to Silver Dollar City
November 21st – TBD
#GivingTuesday – Tuesday, November 30th

Thank you for your continued support of our organization. We can’t wait to share the Season of Giving with you!

Banking With A Purpose

Much more than a catchphrase, our tagline is our passion, our reason why we do what we do. This is the impact of your membership with AGCU. Learn More About Banking with a Purpose

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Christmas Gifts to Teach Your Kids About Money

Give your children the gift of financial literacy this season

It’s important that you start coaching your children on the basics of financial responsibility early in their lives. Properly saving, spending, and investing money are crucial skills for all people to master — and the sooner you can teach them, the better!

Regardless of what age they are, your child can learn a lot from receiving a gift that encourages them to develop their financial competency. Even a low-priced gift can have a valuable impact on their future by strengthening basic financial skills. Here are some ideas for your holiday shopping list for the kids in your life.

A place to store their cash

Learning good financial habits starts with knowing how to properly save and track your money. For children who are just starting to receive an allowance and possess physical currency, Money Talks News blogger Brandon Ballenger suggests giving them a place to store their money.

“There’s the traditional ceramic piggy bank (which can be an art project too, if you pick a plain one),” recommends Ballenger in a Business Insider article, “but also ATMs for kids, money mazes, and cash registers.” Or, give your child the craft materials to make their own DIY savings box.

If your child is a teenager, they may be old enough to open a joint savings account with you. Give them some cash — or have them bring their own — and walk them through the steps of opening up a savings account to start depositing and withdrawing their money. You’ll need to be a co-owner of the account if they are a minor, but that will allow you to monitor their habits and provide guidance.

Money-themed games

Learning through play is an effective way to facilitate your child’s understanding and application of basic financial principles. On her website Mombrite, STEM education expert Betty Boiron shares a list of 10 great board games she recommends to parents who want to teach their kids skills like currency denomination recognition, counting money, making transactions, and saving for large purchases.

Of course, there are time-honored titles like Monopoly or Pay Day, but you can find even better games made for children and teenagers that have been published in recent years. Some that Betty recommends are Exact Change, Buy It Right, Money Bags, and Big Money.

There are also more complex games for teenagers on the market that challenge children to apply critical thinking skills to fictitious investments, making decisions that reap the most lucrative benefits. The classic game Acquire is still a great option, in which players make money by buying stock in, merging, and expanding corporations.

Educational toys for Christmas

Did you grow up playing with a toy cash register? Hands-on recreation and role-playing allow a child to familiarize themselves with money and practice basic concepts in tactile ways. The financial educators at Freedom Sprout recommend a variety of toys for children to practice money skills. These include sets of pretend money, a fake checkbook, and a toy cash register with a digital calculator on it. If your teenager is too old for such gifts, consider gifting them stock or opening a Roth IRA with them.

Whatever you decide to buy your child — or give to a friend’s or family member’s child — make sure you spend quality time alongside them as they use your gift. Toys, games, and books are useful resources for imparting knowledge and honing skills, but they’re not a substitute for attentive coaching and interactive instruction.

Banking With A Purpose

Much more than a catchphrase, our tagline is our passion, our reason why we do what we do. This is the impact of your membership with AGCU. Learn More About Banking with a Purpose

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