April is an important month from a financial perspective. The deadline to submit taxes was April 15th (April 17th in Massachusetts and Maine due to holidays), which means April is also probably the month you need to pay any additional taxes owed or, ideally, receive your tax return! On top of tax season, April is also celebrated nationally as Financial Literacy Month. In this month's newsletter, we're sharing ways to responsibly spend your tax refund, delving into the differences between banks and credit unions, giving a fraud tip on sharing your information, and providing financial literacy resources in honor of Financial Literacy Month. 

8 Financially Responsible Ways to Use Your Tax Refund

Hopefully you've got a tax return coming your way this year. This unexpected infusion of cash can be exciting, and many choose to spend their refund on an extravagant purchase. While that may be fun in the short term, you can benefit yourself in the long run by learning how to invest your tax return responsibly.

April Fraud Tip: Beware of Scammers Asking for Your Digital Banking Credentials

Plain and simple: NEVER share your digital banking information with anyone. Financial institutions do not ask for this information, so if anyone is asking for your digital banking username or password, consider it a major red flag. You should also NEVER share authentication codes that are sent as a means of multifactor authentication. These codes are specifically generated for a secure login, and sharing it allows a scammer to log in as well. 

If you have shared these credentials or notice any suspicious activity, contact us at (800) 431-2754.

April Financial Education Resource

April is Financial Literacy Month, recognized nationally each year to increase public awareness of the importance of financial literacy and smart money management. As a credit union, promoting financial literacy is a core mission of USALLIANCE, which is why you can find helpful tips on our blog, social media, and in this newsletter! We also like to share other financial literacy resources, like this helpful collection of material from MyCreditUnion.gov. 

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