Advice + Support
Portadown Credit Union's Advice and Support Hub. Members can find a range of support tools and resources below.
Budgeting can make all the difference between healthy personal finances and spiralling debt - especially in times of economic uncertainty. Managing bills and payments can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to help.
Money Helper have an excellent free budget tool that helps keep track of your money and suggests ways to improve your finances.
Check out the budget tool here.
At Portadown Credit Union, we understand that sudden unforeseen changes in circumstances can affect a member’s financial wellbeing, especially in today’s unpredictable economic environment. With the ongoing rising cost of living expenses, PCU is here to support our community with tailored affordable plans. Members are advised not to over-commit themselves when borrowing or agree to unrealistic repayments.
Contact us on 028 3833 5104 and we will try to help in any way we can.
Problems with gambling can impact you in many different ways, affecting your health, relationships or could leave you in serious debt, amongst many others.
If you're worried about yourself or someone you know, NI Direct list a number of support networks available in NI. These can be viewed by clicking here.
Portadown Credit Union is reminding credit union members and the public at large to be vigilant when it comes to the security of their accounts and their personal information.
With increasing levels of fraudulent activity targeting the public, the Credit Union has provided guidance to help avoid scams.
- Be careful of unsolicited contact that appears to be from your bank or credit union requesting verification of account numbers and/ or passwords. Credit unions will NEVER request your full personal access code or password.
- Don’t assume an email, call or text is genuine because someone has basic information like your name or address. Fraudsters may use publicly available information to lure you in.
- Number spoofing (making it appear as if a call or message is coming from a genuine number) is becoming increasingly more prevalent and sophisticated. If in doubt about any call or text received, contact your credit union directly.
- Fraudsters are very good at making e-mails look genuine and have been known to set up elaborate and convincing dummy websites. Check the web address of a website carefully. It is safer to manually enter a web address into the address bar of your browser.
- If somebody contacts you out of the blue offering you money or an easy way to make money, it is probably too good to be true.
- If you have previously been a victim of a scam, then it is more likely that you will be targeted again. Please remain vigilant in order to protect yourself.
- Scams can take many formats. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Take your time to think things through and don’t feel pressured into making a decision that you might later regret.
Paula Larkin, Manager of Portadown Credit Union said, "Fraudsters and scam artists are increasingly sophisticated in their efforts to defraud unsuspecting people by tricking them into handing over their personal information. This includes passwords, security questions and answers, verification codes and other security information. We have seen an increased in such activity recently in line with scams across all sectors.
“We are keen to raise awareness of the issues and threats, and would like to remind our members, and the public that your local credit union will never contact them by phone or text, or by any other means to request account information. We would ask the public to never respond to such messages and contact their credit union immediately if they receive a suspicious communication.”
Our approach to money as adults is shaped by how we handle it as kids. By teaching children smart saving habits early on, we help them develop a strong sense of financial responsibility. It’s never too early to start!
Paula Larkin, Manager at Portadown Credit Union shared: “At Portadown Credit Union, we’re dedicated to financial education for everyone in our community. We want to make sure our younger generations grow up financially aware and empowered. Opening a PCU minor account is a perfect opportunity to encourage kids to start saving regularly and to open their first savings account with us!”
Paula added: “Saving with a credit union not only helps kids learn about money but also introduces them to the supportive, community-focused nature of credit unions. Our junior savers are the future, and we’ll be here to support them through life’s milestones, whether it’s for college, a new car, a wedding, or a home.”
We recommend encouraging young people to start saving a little each week or month, and they'll be amazed at how quickly their savings grow.
If you are a parent/guardian, you can open a minor saving account for the child, if they’re under the age of 16.
In order to open an account, you will need:
- Child’s long birth certificate
- Valid photographic ID of the individual opening the account e.g. passport or driving license
- Proof of address of the individual opening the account. This has to be physical proof dated within the past 3 months e.g. utility bill
Minor accounts can only be open in office and they will mature into adult accounts when the child reaches the age of 16. At this time, the 16 year old will have sole access to the account and the money held in it.
- Play!- Turn your living room into a shop and put some price tags on every day food items, as well as fun items like toys. Give them a calculator and a set budget that they have to stick to and send them off shopping. This is great way to teach them needs versus wants.
- Chore planning.- Ok, so maybe not the most ‘fun’ thing in the world! If they have new roller skates in mind then sit down with them and write out how many chores/tasks they would need to complete to reach their savings’ goal for the skates. They can track their progress out on a homemade chart for their wall. This will give them a great sense of accomplishment too.
- Open a Credit Union account- For children, saving money in their local credit union helps develop great habits and also teaches them the value of credit unions which are run by the community, for the community.
