Purposeful Pennies is Lutheran Federal Credit Union’s home for practical, encouraging financial education. Here you’ll find lessons and resources designed to help you build healthy money habits one step at a time. Whether you’re paying down debt, growing savings, or just trying to make smarter everyday decisions, we’re here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Refinancing your home loan can be a smart move, but it depends on your goals, your costs, and how long you plan to stay in your home. This article explains when refinancing may make sense, how to calculate your break-even point, and what other options you may want to consider before making a decision.
Buying a home is about more than qualifying for a mortgage—it’s also about making sure the timing, motivation, and financial reality all line up. This post explores four important questions to ask yourself before buying so you can move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Helping teens build smart money habits now can set them up for success for years to come. From earning their first paycheck to learning how to save, budget, and set financial goals, these simple steps can help your teen grow in confidence and responsibility with money.
Paycheck withholdings determine how much money you actually take home each pay period—but many people don’t realize they can adjust them. Learn what common pay stub terms mean, how withholding allowances work, and how updating your W-4 can help you avoid surprises at tax time and keep more of your money throughout the year.
Stepping in to become a caregiver for someone you love can be meaningful and challenging at the same time, especially when that role also includes taking on their finances. And when your parent, spouse, or other family member dies, the work required to handle their estate can seem overwhelming for those who aren’t fully prepared – and even for many who are.
Credit scores are an area of personal finance that seem a lot more mysterious than they actually are. Many people believe that improving them is a matter of trial and error and, as a result, there’s a lot of “credit score advice” floating around that can end up doing more harm than good. Four common credit score myths have been rounded up and debunked here.
Confused by credit score advice? Learn the truth behind common credit myths—why on-time payments matter most, why minimum payments aren’t enough, how credit utilization works, and why keeping older cards open can help your score.
Credit scores don’t have to feel like a mysterious number—this post breaks down what a credit score is (typically 300–850), why it matters for loans, apartments, and even job decisions, and how the modern credit scoring system took shape with FICO becoming the most common model. You’ll learn what “good” looks like (and what can hurt you), plus the five key factors that drive most scores. It also shows you how to check your credit report for free, what to look for when you review it, and how simple habits can help you qualify more easily and pay less interest over time.