If you're looking to learn how to plan for major purchases, there are a few different options:

• Financial Coaching: We have financial coaches at all of our locations. Let them help you get your money in order. Simply email JoinIn.email@cacu.com to make an appointment. Give us your full name and zip code and we can set you up with a financial coach near you.
• Financial Planning Workshops: CommunityAmerica is often out in the community walking people through the basics of planning for their financial future. From plugging budget leaks and digging out of debt to car-buying basics and how to read your credit score. Keep an eye out for upcoming workshops here.

If you need extra cash for this holiday season, we can probably help. There are a number of financial products that could be right for you:

• CommunityAmerica Visa Credit Card: Our low-rate credit card can provide a quick and easy solution at the cash register during the holidays. You can even easily apply online today. Click here.
• Unsecured Loans: No collateral is required, and it comes with either a fixed or variable interest rate, flexible terms and a low monthly payment.
• Special Loan Programs: If an unsecured loan isn't right for you, we have several other loan programs that could get you the money you need. Visit us today and together we can help.
• Holiday Savings Account: Our personal favorite. Start saving for next December by opening a holiday savings account this year. Put a few bucks in it each month, and fa-la-la-la-la, you'll have all the money you need for the holidays. Click here and get your Holiday Club account started today.

If you need a little extra cash this holiday season, your best bet is with us. As one of our members recently said, "At a bank, you're an account holder. At CommunityAmerica Credit Union, you're a member. It's truly a difference." We hope we can make a difference for you this holiday season.

In the beginning of 2011, four families participated in Financial Makeover. We helped these families collectively add more than $30,000 to their savings accounts and reduced their debt by the same amount. It wasn't magic. It was work. Hard choices were made. Old routines were changed, and the end results were impressive.

And while the attention and notoriety went to these four finalists, there's another story here. Six runner-up families took on the same challenges, made similar sacrifices and grew into better money managers without the motivation of the spotlight or prize money. Together they saved $40,870 and reduced their debt by $67,395. CommunityAmerica employees took on the Financial Makeover challenge too. Collectively, they saved $12,793 and reduced their debt by $19,908. Combine these impressive numbers with the original contestants and you have some pretty remarkable results.

Increased Savings: $82,842
Debt Reduction: $118,036

Helping people help themselves. It's exactly what the Financial Makeover program is all about. And while you can follow our new season of contestants at cacuFinancialMakeover.com, CommunityAmerica would rather you stop watching and start doing. Take your own steps toward a better financial future today. Through the help of the credit union's coaches, you can learn better spending, saving and investing habits.

And here's the good news. The coaching that the Financial Makeover participants receive is available to anyone who walks through the door, free of charge. True, you might not end up with a giant novelty check, but you will receive financial lessons that will benefit you for a lifetime. And every contestant would tell you that the wisdom you will gain is Financial Makeover's real grand prize.

Want to talk to a Financial Coach? You can visit any branch or simply email JoinIn.email@cacu.com to make an appointment. Provide us your full name and zip code in the email and we can set you up with a financial coach near you.