Eagle Eyes on Finances

Welcome to our POECU blog filled with insights, tips, humorous stories, how-to’s, inspirational ideas & more.

How do you Credit Union? I get prepared & stay prepared for storm season. (June, 23, 2026)

(by Jody Brooks, June 2026)

You know it’s going to be an unpredictable storm season when the first storm that earned a name, came just 2 weeks into the season! Tropical Storm Arthur thankfully didn’t cause any major damage other than some street flooding, but it did sound a new alarm for our area…literally! Tornado alarms were sounding off throughout the night. Some areas, (St. Charles Parish for example) had eight tornado sirens roar through the night in under 5 hours!! I ask you Louisiana, when did tornadoes become so prevalent here? Storm season always raises my anxiety especially after losing my house in one of the big ones. We can’t do anything to stop Mother Nature, but we can take steps to get ahead of her. Of course it’s important to have the food and the flashlights, but there’s another big F word in the room…Finances! It’s important to know how to access your money if we are closed. What if you need to know your balance? What if you need to know if transactions cleared while we’re closed? What if you’re evacuated and need to access your money and have no idea how shared branching even works? Ack! Who needs more to think about when you’re trying to cope with all the other chaos surrounding you?

When it comes to being prepared, we’ve got you covered with the “need-to-know” financial info at POECU Hurricane Preparedness.
Are you looking for something more than preparation information to make it through Hurricane Season? Let’s chat about a Personal Loan to get you the storm essentials like a generator, home fortification tools or the funds for an evacuation hotel. Hang on friends, we’ll get through this season together!

How do you Credit Union? I enjoy life as much as possible! (5/20/26)

(by Jody Brooks 5/20/2026)
Whooo whoo! It’s summertime and it’s time to add a little enjoyment to your life. Let’s be real, We work hard, we deserve to play hard too! For a lot of people, enjoyment means a relaxing vacation. The beach is always popular and so is cruising. I like to have fun in the sand, for a little white, but I’m more of a go-and-do kind of girl over a sit-and-read on a beach kind of girl. Give me NYC and some Broadway musicals any day, or a go, go, go amusement park trip. But I enjoy life in other ways too. Riding in a big Mardi Gras parade is one of my most favorite things I do all year. People say, but that is only for a few hours, one day a year. Actually, there are krewe events all throughout the year. Shopping is another major thrill. Shopping for my 13 nieces and nephews gives me a giddy happiness as I anticipate how much they’ll love what I found for them. But splurging on myself is a huge treat. That designer handbag that I keep telling myself I can’t afford. The jewelry that I keep telling myself I don’t need. Yeah, sometimes you just have to do it and treat yourself!

Of course, in this economy, none of that comes cheap. Pulling out a credit card sounds like a good idea…until I remember my interest rate. Don’t let that deter your big plans for enjoyment. Talk to us and see what we can do to find a better, more reasonable way to enjoy life. We can sit and run the numbers for a personal loan vs your credit card to see which would get to your little slice of happiness in the most reasonable way possible.

How do you Credit Union? I pass it down to my kids (4/17/26)

(by Jody Brooks, 4/17/26)
When I was a kid, I would occasionally hear my Mom say she had to go to her credit union. I had no idea what she was talking about, nor did I care because hey, I was a kid. I do remember her taking me to the (big name) bank and I’d sit and draw on the back of what I later learned was a deposit slip. She had some money at that other place because she was a teacher. That’s what grade school me knew.

Fast forward to college. My sorority sister and I are walking across campus headed to lunch and I stop at the ATM (of my big name bank) behind the student union. She’d say, “I need to pop into the Math Building to get money out at my credit union.” Ok, so remind me again why your money is in the campus Math Building. That’s where her checking account was. It’s where it had always been. She grew up with it that way. Her parents opened her account in her name when she was a little kid. Me, I had my cash in hand ready to go eat lunch. She took a little longer because her credit union teller asked how her classes were going, asked about our Sorority, and told her that she had seen her driving her new white car across campus earlier that week.

Fast forward again and where did we both end up working…in Credit Union Land! I wasn’t until then that I opened a credit union account. We joke a lot about those days when I barely understood why her money was in the math building. A tale of two friends - one who always received personalized service, expert financial advice, and really good rates on her car loans, and me who never knew I could have been a member of mom’s credit union from childhood.

Don’t let that knowledge slip past your kids (and immediate family). Start them young with our activity sheets (way better than doodling on the back of a bank deposit slip), let them watch our staff Savings Storytime videos, and earn money with our Learn & Earn Rewards. Check Out our Youth Account/Kid$tuff page for info.

How do you Credit Union? During tax season, I procrastinate and then I treat myself! (3/27/26)

(by Jody Brooks, 3/27/26)

Did you complete your taxes yet, or are you a procrastinator just like me? Fellow procrastinators, we are in pretty good company. According to the IRS, approximately 18-25% wait until April 1st to file (with another 1 in 5 of those waiting until the final day!). Even though we can’t actually do your taxes for you, we can take a little bit of the sting out of it for you with a special 20% discount with Turbo Tax. As a smart, savvy POECU Member, you automatically are a member of the “Love My Credit Union Rewards Program”. https://rewards.lovemycreditunion.org/ Get your Turbo Tax discount, and see what other discounts are available to you.

If you filed earlier in the year, kudos to you! If you got a refund, is it burning a hole in your pocket? You’re probably thinking that I’m going to tell you to use it to pay off debt or something totally un-fun like that, right? Well, then prepare to be surprised. Yes, of course, paying off debt and saving for the future are important, but so is treating yourself well and investing in your happiness. You’re not going to find many financial blogs that tell you that. If you’re sitting on big credit card debt with a higher interest rate than you’re comfortable with, then sure go ahead and pay down some of it, because in the big picture of life, it is going to keep more money in your pocket. But let’s be real for a moment, that extra savings on interest is not going to turn into a satisfying amount of cash right now…in the moment.

That’s why you should carve out some of it for something FUN first. Pick something that gives you happiness and fills your soul. Give yourself up to 25% and treat yourself! Whether it’s a vacation getaway, a refreshing spa day, tickets to a special sporting event or concert, the latest tech gadget or that designer handbag that you’ve passed in the store window for months. It’s ok to do it and treat yourself a little. You deserve it!

How do you Credit Union? I Reset It! (2/4/26)

(by Jody Brooks, 2/4/26)

If you’re anything like me, you just looked at the calendar and said, “Wait a second, does that say February?” Seriously, didn’t we just pop the champagne on New Year’s eve? Didn’t I just make my New Year’s resolution? I made it, already forgot it and left it behind in January. So, it may be too late to call it a New Year’s resolution, but it’s still early enough in the year to re-set my finances or at least freshen them up a little bit by taking stock of a few things.

Take a look at your checking and savings account balances. Seriously, take a look at a statement. Once upon a time, I used to balance all the way down to the penny but I haven’t done that in ages. Try this. Think about your account(s) and jot down a best guess of your current balance. Then look at your statement. (if you haven’t yet opted into estatements, you’ll have to do this the hard way and hunt for your envelope). Soooo, how close were you? If you’re surprised, I hope it was a pleasant surprise. If not, you have some work to do to re-set your finances but we can help with that.

Sometimes it’s a simple as reviewing those debit card purchases to see your spending patterns. Did you find recurring charges or app subscriptions you don’t even use? Cutting that cord isn’t painful. You didn’t even remember it so you’re not going to use it. You might be shocked at how much those quick stops for those on-the-go coffees, lunches, and snacks add up! Set a realistic savings goal. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Start with $10 per week. When it’s time to pop the cork on the champagne next New Year’s eve, you’ll have an extra $520 in your savings! Pretty cool, right?

If the DIY method doesn’t get you where you need to be, we got you. Come see us and we’ll sit with you and complete a FREE Financial Wellness Review to guide you though your Financial Re-Set. If re-setting calls for consolidating, we can put your debt on a diet to trim the fat. Oh hey, we just came full circle on that whole New Year’s Resolution Diet thing, didn’t we?

Can credit union be used as a verb? Absolutely! (1/21/26)

(by Jody Brooks, 1/21/26)

If someone were to say, “I’m going to the credit union”, they’re talking about a place. They’re using it as a noun; a place to compete financial transactions in person. While that is true, it’s not quite complete. There’s so much more to it than that. When people ask me, “Jody, where do you do your banking?”, my answer is “nowhere” because you see, I don’t bank, I credit union. If they ask, “How do you bank?” Again I say “I credit union”. Sure, it sounds a bit unusual and it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’s accurate and there’s no reason not to say it. A credit union is a place, but how you credit union is HOW YOU LIVE. We just need to re-define the word and change the narrative and POECU is up for the task.

So, how do I credit union? I OWN it (I’m more than just a customer), I DRIVE it (I see a new car in my immediate future), I ENJOY it (They’re the reason I can ride in my Mardi Gras krewe and throw all the good stuff!), and I RENOVATE it. (insurance only went so far when mother nature did a number on my house). And I’m not done because I’m still LIVING life and that means, I’m still credit unioning. So say it with me, “I credit union.” Maybe it will be next year’s pick for the new word added into the Mirriam-Webster’s dictionary. If six-seven made it in there, we should be a shoe in, right? You just watch, we’re starting something big over here!