Best Life Podcast | Altra Federal Credit Union

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony speaks with Altra Federal Credit Union's Fraud Department Manager Crystal Clark to learn more about recognizing and avoiding potential scams and fraud trying to get at your accounts and your personal information. In their discussion, you'll learn about the rise of imposter scams, what the FBI is calling “The Phantom Hacker Scam,” and the worst kind of stuffing you can experience and that's credential stuffing. Below are some helpful links to learn more and how to recognize and report scams and fraud: Altra Secure ID, Report Fraud to the Federal Trade Commission, Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov)   

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, we discuss the growing and ever-present payment option for products and that is Buy Now, Pay Later. To learn more about what consumers should know about buy now, pay later, or BNPL, Tony speaks with Michelle Reinen, Administrator for the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection, which is part of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, or known as DATCP. Michelle and Tony speak about what consumers should know about the advantages and disadvantages of BNPL as a payment option, and how the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection helps Wisconsin consumers and small businesses in the state. More information and resources from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection can be found at datcp.wi.gov. Those with consumer questions or complaints in Wisconsin can also call the state's Consumer Protection Hotline at: 1-800-422-7128.

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony is joined by some of Altra's friendly and knowledgeable Financial Coaches to learn more about what they do to improve members' financial outlook and why they enjoy doing it. Lindale, TX office manager Nohemi Garza, Financial Services Representative Carol Finch, and Solution Specialist Team Lead Kirsten Wallace all take time to be on the podcast to educate about this great program. To learn more about Altra's Financial Coaches and to schedule an appointment, visit our website at altra.org or call 800-755-0055

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony is joined by Andrea Irvin and Amber Miller who are both Partner Experience Managers for GreenPath Financial Wellness. We discuss what student loan payments resuming means for borrowers, what options are available, like studentaid.gov and their Loan Simulator, and who to talk to if you're struggling to make it all work.So, if in your wildest dreams you'd like to tell student loans you're never, ever getting back together and would rather have a blank space where your student loan balance is listed, this is the podcast for you. More resources and education can be found at altra.org.

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony invites Jackie Urban, Credit Management Supervisor at Altra Federal Credit Union, to tackle the challenges posed by rising inflation and mounting credit card debt, with total US balances now surpassing $1 trillion. Jackie emphasizes the need to distinguish between needs and wants in a spending plan while promoting a thoughtful, frugal approach to spending. This episode also talks about recognizing the signs of financial strain, where to seek help, and highlighting the many resources at Altra, like our Financial Coaches in our offices and GreenPath Financial Wellness. This episode will guide listeners toward financial stability in these uncertain times.

Making the decision to purchase a vehicle can be a big decision, whether you're buying new or used, it's important to have all your information and research ready for your upcoming purchase. Since this is such a big topic, Tony speaks with Mark Rather, who is the Section Chief — Dealer & Agent Unit for the Wisconsin DOT - DMV - Bureau of Vehicle Services on this episode of the Best Life Podcast.

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, we welcome back Altra's VP of Deposit and Payment Strategies, Jennifer Cyert as she talks about the different ways Altra can help your savings grow. Whether you're saving up for an emergency or a special purchase, saving your money can be just as fun as spending – the hardest part is getting started. We hope this gives you the jumpstart you need to kickoff your savings for the New Year!Be sure to check out the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMUMDwYc_P2cscX454L_dg

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, we welcome back Altra's VP of Deposit and Payment Strategies, Jennifer Cyert as she talks about the different ways Altra can help your savings grow. Whether you're saving up for an emergency or a special purchase, saving your money can be just as fun as spending – the hardest part is getting started. We hope this gives you the jumpstart you need to kickoff your savings for the New Year! Be sure to check out the video version of our podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMUMDwYc_P2cscX454L_dg

A new year will soon be upon us, and a great way to get ready for 2022 is to put together a spending plan that will take care of your needs, create money to save, pay down debts, and accomplish your financial goals. Altra's Credit Management Supervisor, Jackie Urban, sits down with Tony discuss how to get started or reaccustomed with a spending plan. This episode has great, straight-forward advice to set yourself up for financial success in 2022.

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, we discuss how to make your money grow through investing and achieve your future financial goals. Tony sits down with VP of Wealth Management Sue Breyer, CRPC, for Altra Financial Advisors, and Brent Wohlers, CRPC, who is also a Financial Advisor with Altra Financial Advisors. To learn more about Altra Financial Advisors and access educational webinars and resources, visit https://www.altra.org/invest-insure/altra-financial-advisors

June is National Rose Month and we are learning more about Altra in the Rose Capital of America, Tyler, TX! Tony speaks with Brian Selph, Retail Market President; Esmeralda Molina, Retail Market Manager; Justin Davenport, Office Manager – South Broadway; and Daisy Phillips, Community Engagement Coordinator. We learn more about a couple of building projects, the services and technology you can find at our Tyler area offices, and how the Rose Capital of America is doing as we are starting to come out of the pandemic.

Every year, Altra gives back to the communities we're proud to serve by closing our offices for a day so our employees can volunteer at organizations in all of our areas. We call this day of volunteering Altra Gives Back Day and Tony Beyer sits down with Altra's Community Relations Manager, Shawn Hauser, to discuss how the day has changed over the last couple of years and its continued importance to nonprofit organizations. Also joining the podcast to speak about their nonprofit organizations and of the importance of volunteering are Mary Jo Burgess, who is the Executive Director for CASA for Kids of East Texas (casaforkidsofet.org), and Pat Stephens, President and Founder of the Rotary Lights in La Crosse (rotarylights.org).

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast we discuss everything Altra is doing for April, which is Financial Capability Month and Credit Union Youth Month. Tony welcomes back Altra's Youth Strategies Manager, Danielle Anderson, to discuss the different youth contests this month, a $20 match for new youth members, a new app that can help users earn while they learn, and also about Altra's Banzai Scholarship for high school students.

This month, Altra Federal Credit Union debuted a new tool to help our members measure their overall financial wellness. This month's episode is all about the Best Life Financial Wellness Quiz which can be found on our website at altra.org. The two-minute quiz lets quiz takers know what they're doing well, and what could use improvement in four key areas: Spending, Saving, Borrowing, and Planning. Lori Horstman and Cheryl Dutton, Altra's VPs of Member Experience and Marketing, respectfully, give us more information about the quiz and its importance. John Thompson, the President of Attune (attune.co), also joins the podcast via video to talk about how his company, along with the Financial Health Network (finhealthnetwork.org) helps organizations measure and improve financial wellness.

It is an understatement to say that Covid has had an effect on many current businesses and employers in variety of ways, many not exactly positive…but it's also worth noting that the pandemic has also led to a boom in new businesses being created. A recent study has shown that more than 4.4 million businesses were created in 2020. Tony Beyer speaks with two of Altra Federal Credit Union's Business Banking Relationship Managers — Emily Medvecky and Walt Smanski — to learn what new business owners need to know to get off to a successful start and how Altra can help.

With the cost of higher education rising, it's now more important than ever to take steps to make college more affordable. In this episode we look at ways to pay for, and how to save money, when it comes to going to college. We speak with Lyndsey Thomas who is a Financial Resource Coordinator at Western Technical College in La Crosse (westerntc.edu/financial-aid), Director of Strategic Partnerships at Student Choice (altra.studentchoice.org) Denice Burmeister, and Ryan Sperling along with Bo Bassindale who are both Financial Peer Mentors at It Make$ Cents (uwlax.edu/it-makes-cents) at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

April is Financial Literacy Month and it's also Credit Union Youth Month. While this April may look different than in years past, Altra has some exciting news and ways to help youth live their best lives including using dinosaurs to promote savingmoney, a new spend account with rewards, and a $10,000 scholarship for college. Altra's Youth Services Manager, Danielle Anderson, speaks with Tony to discuss what's going on around Altra in April.

A recent report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts highlights the high fees being charged by payday lenders. On this episode, Tony speaks with Altra Federal Credit Union's VP of Consumer Lending, Mark Tierney, to discuss alternatives to payday loans, as well as what to know when borrowing money.More financial resources and education can be found at altra.org.

As we start to turn the corner on the pandemic, and life begins to return to something that more closely resembles normal, it's more important than ever to support charities and nonprofit organizations that improve lives and also our communities. In this episode, we look at an app that Altra has partnered with called NetGiver, which makes sure all of the money you donate to a charity, goes to that charity or nonprofit organization with no fees! Tony speaks with the CEO of NetGiver (netgiverapp.com), Eric Berg, to learn more about it and how it helps our members and nonprofit organzations. We are also joined by Cheryl Dutton, who is the VP of Marketing at Altra; Shawn Hauser who is Altra's Community Relations Manager, and we also discuss the importance of donations and community support to nonprofits with Lindsey Hemker, who is the Development Manager at Spark Children's Museum (sparkrochestermn.org) in Rochester, MN.

Low interest rates have many wondering if now is the right time to purchase, or refinance their home? Tony speaks with VP of Real Estate Services Craig Sacia and La Crosse Area Market Manager Tara Mayberry on what members should know about the housing market, what to expect when buying or refinancing a home, and the importance of getting pre-approved to move quickly on your dream home!

The pandemic has many doing more online than they ever have before, whether it's working, shopping, or socializing. While technology and the internet have created many conveniences for our everyday lives, it's also created more opportunities for fraud and scams. Tony speaks with Ian Nicholson, Senior Information Security Administrator at Altra Federal Credit Union about how to keep your information, accounts, and finances safe while online.

Technology has changed the way we do many things in finance and one of the big changes we've seen in the past decade is the explosion and adoption of digital currency in the form of cryptocurrency. Altra's VP of Deposit and Payment Strategies, Jennifer Cyert, joins Tony for this episode of the Best Life Podcast to talk more about this exciting technology. We discuss some of the basics of cryptocurrency, what to know about blockchain technology, the advantages and disadvantages of this currency, and why May 22nd is commonly referred to as “Pizza Day” in the world of cryptocurrency.

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony sits with a familiar guest, the one that started it all, computer security expert Ian Nicholson from Altra Federal Credit Union. Tony and Ian talk about data breaches, password managers, password authenticators, securing your text messages, tinfoil hats, and Tony being OK with turning group text messages green for some users.

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony sits with a familiar guest, the one that started it all, computer security expert Ian Nicholson from Altra Federal Credit Union. Tony and Ian talk about data breaches, password managers, password authenticators, securing your text messages, tinfoil hats, and Tony being OK with turning group text messages green for some users.

Technology has changed the way we do many things in finance and one of the big changes we've seen in the past decade is the explosion and adoption of digital currency in the form of cryptocurrency. Altra's VP of Deposit and Payment Strategies, Jennifer Cyert, joins Tony for this episode of the Best Life Podcast to talk more about this exciting technology. We discuss some of the basics of cryptocurrency, what to know about blockchain technology, the advantages and disadvantages of this currency, and why May 22nd is commonly referred to as “Pizza Day” in the world of cryptocurrency.

A recent report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts highlights the high fees being charged by payday lenders. On this episode, Tony speaks with Altra Federal Credit Union's VP of Consumer Lending, Mark Tierney, to discuss alternatives to payday loans, as well as what to know when borrowing money. More financial resources and education can be found at altra.org.

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast we discuss everything Altra is doing for April, which is Financial Capability Month and Credit Union Youth Month. Tony welcomes back Altra's Youth Strategies Manager, Danielle Anderson, to discuss the different youth contests this month, a $20 match for new youth members, a new app that can help users earn while they learn, and also about Altra's Banzai Scholarship for high school students.

On this episode of the Best Life Podcast, we discuss how to make your money grow through investing and achieve your future financial goals. Tony sits down with VP of Wealth Management Sue Breyer, CRPC, for Altra Financial Advisors, and Brent Wohlers, CRPC, who is also a Financial Advisor with Altra Financial Advisors.  To learn more about Altra Financial Advisors and access educational webinars and resources, visit https://www.altra.org/invest-insure/altra-financial-advisors 

A new year will soon be upon us, and a great way to get ready for 2022 is to put together a spending plan that will take care of your needs, create money to save, pay down debts, and accomplish your financial goals. Altra's Credit Management Supervisor, Jackie Urban, sits down with Tony discuss how to get started or reaccustomed with a spending plan. This episode has great, straight-forward advice to set yourself up for financial success in 2022.

Every year, Altra gives back to the communities we're proud to serve by closing our offices for a day so our employees can volunteer at organizations in all of our areas. We call this day of volunteering Altra Gives Back Day and Tony Beyer sits down with Altra's Community Relations Manager, Shawn Hauser, to discuss how the day has changed over the last couple of years and its continued importance to nonprofit organizations. Also joining the podcast to speak about their nonprofit organizations and of the importance of volunteering are Mary Jo Burgess, who is the Executive Director for CASA for Kids of East Texas (casaforkidsofet.org), and Pat Stephens, President and Founder of the Rotary Lights in La Crosse (rotarylights.org).

This month, Altra Federal Credit Union debuted a new tool to help our members measure their overall financial wellness. This month's episode is all about the Best Life Financial Wellness Quiz which can be found on our website at altra.org. The two-minute quiz lets quiz takers know what they're doing well, and what could use improvement in four key areas: Spending, Saving, Borrowing, and Planning. Lori Horstman and Cheryl Dutton, Altra's VPs of Member Experience and Marketing, respectfully, give us more information about the quiz and its importance. John Thompson, the President of Attune (attune.co), also joins the podcast via video to talk about how his company, along with the Financial Health Network (finhealthnetwork.org) helps organizations measure and improve financial wellness.

With the cost of higher education rising, it's now more important than ever to take steps to make college more affordable. In this episode we look at ways to pay for, and how to save money, when it comes to going to college. We speak with Lyndsey Thomas who is a Financial Resource Coordinator at Western Technical College in La Crosse (westerntc.edu/financial-aid), Director of Strategic Partnerships at Student Choice (altra.studentchoice.org) Denice Burmeister, and Ryan Sperling along with Bo Bassindale who are both Financial Peer Mentors at It Make$ Cents (uwlax.edu/it-makes-cents) at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

As we start to turn the corner on the pandemic, and life begins to return to something that more closely resembles normal, it's more important than ever to support charities and nonprofit organizations that improve lives and also our communities. In this episode, we look at an app that Altra has partnered with called NetGiver, which makes sure all of the money you donate to a charity, goes to that charity or nonprofit organization with no fees! Tony speaks with the CEO of NetGiver (netgiverapp.com), Eric Berg, to learn more about it and how it helps our members and nonprofit organzations. We are also joined by Cheryl Dutton, who is the VP of Marketing at Altra; Shawn Hauser who is Altra's Community Relations Manager, and we also discuss the importance of donations and community support to nonprofits with Lindsey Hemker, who is the Development Manager at Spark Children's Museum (sparkrochestermn.org) in Rochester, MN.

June is National Rose Month and we are learning more about Altra in the Rose Capital of America, Tyler, TX! Tony speaks with Brian Selph, Retail Market President; Esmeralda Molina, Retail Market Manager; Justin Davenport, Office Manager – South Broadway; and Daisy Phillips, Community Engagement Coordinator. We learn more about a couple of building projects, the services and technology you can find at our Tyler area offices, and how the Rose Capital of America is doing as we are starting to come out of the pandemic.