We received this information from our friends at Chippewa Animal Hospital and thought our pet-loving members would appreciate us passing it along…

Lights, decorations, good food... every year, as we celebrate the holidays, we fill our homes with seasonal cheer for ourselves and our families. However, what may seem beautiful and harmless to us may pose hidden dangers to our pets. Don't let an emergency spoil the festivities! Below are some common holiday hazards for dogs and cats and ways to prevent them.

Sleigh bells ring, are ya listening? Well, let’s hope you’re listening or you just might find yourself as a hood ornament on that sleigh.

Yes, you need to consider safety even around the holidays, maybe even more so as many people’s minds are filled with more sugarplums than common sense. To keep the “happy” in “Happy Holidays,” be sure you keep your thoughts on the safety of you and your family. Here are some things to consider.

So your checking account is at a bank—like the U.S. MegaBank of Wealthy Stockholders… That’s okay, we won’t hold it against you. But your bank keeps adding more drama (and cost) to your relationship with more fees. Again? Well, keeping their stockholders happy is job one. Unfortunately, keeping YOU happy is job two … maybe even three or four. Don’t keep playing second fiddle to those huge entities out there in financial space. Break up with your bank! That’s right, cut the ties. Ditch the deviance. Move on to someone who will appreciate you and treat you with respect. And hey, we know just the credit union!

If you’re a smart consumer, you shop around. You compare prices at a number of different stores. You check ad fliers for sales. You don’t make the purchase until the conditions are favorable to your budget. But have you ever just come out and asked for a better price? Have you ever haggled? With many stores underperforming in sales, there’s never been a better time to seek better pricing on your favorite items. Retailers have grown tired of blowing dust off merchandise that’s been sitting on the shelves for too long.

But before you stride confidently into your favorite retailer ready to negotiate the deal of the century, keep these points from Bankrate.com in mind:

The calendar points to vacation time. Kids are on summer break. Many of us will be heading to our favorite vacation destinations. But the reality of the situation is, most of us will have to return. We’ll go back to work. We’ll go back to school. But there are those of us who will not return to the tedious day-to-day schedule of real life—retirees. They’ve set their alarm clocks for the last time. Their vacations are permanent.

Retirement. It’s a time we all dream about and take the necessary steps to help provide for. But is retirement everything we think it will be? Truth is, much of who we are is related to our jobs. We make many of our friends through work. Our jobs give us a sense of purpose and pride. Once that big part of our life is gone, how do we fill the important void it leaves? We concern ourselves with retirement planning, but how about retirement living?

Graduates, welcome to the real world, the place with full-time careers and bills and timeclocks. But don’t worry, it’s not all as ominous as it may sound. Chances are good you’ll have some money in your pockets now. And every once in awhile, you’ll have that glow from a job well done. It’s the usual yin and yang of life.

Now as we all know, some jobs are better than others. Heck, some jobs are way better than others. Maybe it pays more. Maybe you get to travel. Maybe your boss is Will Ferrell. What we’re going to list for you here are careers that have been rated very highly for 2011 by U.S. News in relation to job-growth projections via the Labor Department. Below are the top three careers for each career category.

Things have been crazy busy here at Vantage Credit Union lately as we launch new programs and services designed to help enhance your financial life. Plus, we have a number of important events coming up that we don’t want you to miss. So what’s new? Plenty! And in case you missed it the first time, here’s a quick recap!

NEW SERVICES

PurinaCare® Pet Insurance
Pet owners spent $53 billion on pet care in 2009, and those costs aren’t going down anytime soon. Hey, people love their pets. In fact, just this week, stltoday.com had a story on this very topic! That’s why we introduced pet insurance through PurinaCare. And if you’re a Vantage member, you receive a discounted rate!