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To learn more about our Financial Wellness program, see Page 42 or visit us online at FinancialWellness. AACreditUnion.org. American Airlines Credit Union Federally insured by NCUA. SavvyMoney is a trademark of SavvyMoney, Inc. AACREDITUNION.ORG | 19 Your plan should include ambitions and goals both for the year and long term. Establish a specific number that you can realistically save each month. Spend smartly, practice impulse control and always live within your means. Along with establishing an emergency fund, increas- ing retirement contributions is hugely important. If your employer matches your contribution, make sure to put in at least that maximum amount. Auto- matically apply a percentage of a raise to your retirement account and you won't miss it. Work on reducing debt. Not relying on credit cards is only the first step — paying them and other account balances down is vital. Know what you owe and create a plan to eliminate it. "We try to tell people to work on your smallest balance first, whether it's your highest interest card or not," said August. "Because when you pay that small one off, you then have more money in your budget if needed, but you should apply it to your next balance." Grow your money pool . Bringing in more money can involve something as simple as negotiating a raise or getting a side job. In addition to retirement accounts, look into growth through investments; if you're already in the market, examine your mix to make sure it meets your current goals. But what is perhaps the most important step to reaching financial wellness? According to August, it's patience. "Everyone can benefit from financial wellness," said August. "But it's a process — it doesn't happen overnight. People fall off the wagon. Pick yourself up, work through your steps and keep going." BRIAN KEAGY is a regular contributer to and various travel publications. He's constantly finding ways to save for a rainy day. It's the sunny ones that are the issue. Knowing the score Complimentary credit monitoring is another tool available to Credit Union members. This online feature powered by Savvy Money® offers free access to your credit report and includes educational information on analysis factors that impact your credit score. The best part? Because you're pulling it yourself, it never affects your credit score. The score automatically updates every 30 days, but you can refresh your score frequently to see if it has changed. "One of the things to remember is that your credit score isn't only about borrowing money, it also affects things like insurance rates you pay — really every aspect of your life," says August. "You don't have to be in trouble. Keeping track of your finances and your credit score through these programs can benefit everyone." Make saving money a priority. "You have to think in terms of saving money first," August said. "If you're saving money while trying to reduce your debt, something happens and you have a financial need, you're using savings rather than going back to your credit cards."