Coach's Corner: Becoming Digitally Empowered | Arizona Financial Credit Union

Sixty-seven percent of Americans cite money as a significant cause of stress, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2015 Stress in America survey.

When I was a student with a full-time job, I can remember the anxiety that I would get worrying about my to-do list. You know – homework, rent, gas, car payment, etc. And running around to make sure I could get to my financial institution before they closed was exhausting.

Now, I am a full-time working mommy and wife, and my to-do list has changed significantly. What once was just “me” is now “we.” And managing all that comes along with that can become confusing and exhausting if you don’t have the right tools to help.

Thankfully technology, like me, has changed throughout the years and advanced. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather spend my time enjoying my family than worrying about a bill being paid on time.

Now don’t get me wrong, it was not an easy transition to become digitally empowered. I had my reservations with the efficiency and security like everyone else. I remember the first time I set up an automatic payment, I was frantically checking to make sure it went through. (To my surprise that day it did.)

Even as a tech newbie, I was impressed with just how easy it was to not only see my balance, but manage my credit card and transfer money if I needed to from the mobile app on my phone. Being digitally empowered has given me peace of mind, more time with my family, and confidence knowing that I can manage just about everything at the touch of my finger.

Join me in the fight to break the cycle of financial stress: become digitally empowered. Here are some great ways that Arizona Federal has made it easy to get started.

• Check your balance from your phone or Apple Watch™ with the mobile app.
• Pay your bills or set them up to be automatically paid through CU Online and with the mobile app.
• Deposit your checks whenever and wherever you are with your smartphone and our mobile app. It’s so much faster than getting into the car and driving to a branch.
• Transfer money between your accounts or to family and friends conveniently and securely.
• Looking for a loan? Apply on your mobile device right inside the app for a credit card, personal loan, vehicle loan or home equity loan. You can even check the status of your loan on the go!
• Want to earn some cash? Who doesn’t? Use Purchase Rewards to select which retailers apply to you and earn some cash back on everyday things you buy!
• Don’t forget you can securely log in using your fingerprint or “eyeprint” on most Android and Apple devices.

Everything we just talked about can be found in the mobile app or on the CU Online mobile web. But there’s more you can do from your phone. Like most busy individuals, I have misplaced my debit and credit cards at least once…okay maybe twice. Thankfully now with CardPower™, the crisis is averted! Think of it like a remote control for your card. Here’s how you can use this app:

• Turn your credit or debit card on or off right from your mobile device
• Place limits on where your card can be used
• Set up blocks for certain transactions and merchants
• Create spending limits on your transactions

If you still have questions or want some help getting started, stop into any Arizona Federal branch to speak with a financial coach. They’ll help you get set up and show you how using the apps can make your financial life a little bit less stressful.

Until next time,

Financial Coach Rachel