Self-Help Shares

Buried in credit card debt? You're not alone. According to NerdWallet, in 2015 the average U.S. household with debt had $15,762 in credit card debt at an average 18% interest rate. Annual interest alone was $2,630, or more than $50 a week.

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Here are nine tips on how to climb out. Remember, though, there are no magical solutions.

Self-Help staff photo

Since our founding in 1980, serving rural families and communities has been a core part of Self-Help’s mission. Indeed, half of Self-Help Credit Union's branches and a quarter of its members are in rural North Carolina. Self-Help and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have partnered for the last 25 years to make loans more accessible for rural businesses. Here are some examples of this partnership, pulled from this new study of Self-Help’s rural lending history.

Eva Hines and her son enjoy their new home in Laurinburg, NC.

In the early 1960s, many families still stashed their savings in a jar or under a mattress. But that began to change in Scotland County, North Carolina when the textile industry moved in, bringing new jobs, new opportunities, and a new credit union for employees. Scotland Credit Association (the company avoided the word “union”) was formed in 1964 to serve local textile workers, and the great majority of them were members.

Over the years, Self-Help has made many loans to entrepreneurs involved in all kinds of enterprises. Here our senior loan officer in Wilson, North Carolina, Robin Hall, celebrates the success of an oyster farmer who is making a name for himself.

The number of decisions you have to make when buying a new car can be dizzying. And while many of them will depend on your individual needs and wants, there are some steps you should take no matter what to ensure you get the best deal.

Enjoy these photos featuring the dogs of Self-Help.

Last month, Self-Help closed on two loans totaling $8.6 million to help finance a permanent facility for Henderson Collegiate High School, located in Henderson, NC. The school may be in a small town, but it produces big results. Henderson Collegiate is the highest performing Title 1 school in the state.

This is our third round of financing for Henderson Collegiate, which was completed in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Building Hope, and the Charter School Growth Fund.

This week at Self-Help we released a new video that traces the history of Second Federal Savings & Loan, a bank serving immigrants on Chicago’s Little Village community since 1882.

Why are we telling the story of an old bank on the south side of Chicago?

Being able to bank or shop online is a great convenience, but you want to be sure you're protecting yourself before you hit “submit.” If the wrong people access your accounts, you might find yourself with a lot less money than you thought — and a lot of work to set things right. Here are six steps you can take to help make sure that doesn't happen.

Last week I was among nine summer interns in Durham, NC who spent a steamy summer afternoon volunteering for a local nonprofit called SEEDS. SEEDS maintains a two-acre garden classroom for young people ...