Author: Cathy Carpenter

About The Author

Cathy Carpenter is the Senior Vice President of Lending at HRCCU and has over four decades of experience in lending. Cathy started her career as a teller at HRCCU and worked her way up the ranks, allowing her to work closely with the community to assist with obtaining mortgages, auto loans, and more.

adult male wearing round black glasses holding a credit card in one hand and his cellphone in the other making an online purchase

Pros & Cons of Credit Cards

For many of us, credit cards feel like an important step in becoming a financially independent adult — especially for young adults coming of age. And there’s no shortage of options for those who want or need to borrow funds, whether it’s for a specific purpose, vacation, or to help supplement income. “Credit cards have… Read more »

a house made from stacked coins and two creased one hundred dollar bills resting on the coin stacks to form a roof

Renting vs. Buying a House

Your friends are buying homes, your kids want a yard with a pool, and you want your own office space. But is it time for you to buy a house? Purchasing a home is one of the biggest decisions an adult will make in their life, and potentially one of the most stressful times. So,… Read more »

Why Interest Rates Fluctuate

If you’ve taken out a mortgage, auto loan, or even own a credit card, there’s a good chance that you understand the fundamentals of interest rates. You borrow a certain amount of money that you will pay back over an agreed upon time period. Now, because the creditor or financial institution is loaning the money,… Read more »

Social Security, Explained

When you get paid, there are 2 programs that you pay into as mandated by the federal government: Medicaid and Social Security (also known as FICA). There’s no doubt that you’ve noticed this pulled from your paycheck every pay period, and of the two programs Social Security is by a significant margin the more expensive,… Read more »

Home Equity vs. Refinancing: Which is Right for Me?

Home ownership has a lot of perks. You can make renovations and stylistic changes at your leisure, drastically change the layout, and even re-do the backyard completely. You do not have to rely on a landlord to make house repairs, and, in the long run, it’s a better investment than renting. (But you’ll need to… Read more »

3 Reasons to Take Out a Home Equity Loan

If you’ve been a homeowner for a number of years, there’s a good chance that you’re eligible for a home equity loan. But even if you are eligible you may be asking yourself: “Why would I take out another loan?” A home equity loan has quite a few benefits that are worth investigating. Does that mean you… Read more »

Leasing vs. Buying a Car

When looking to buy a car, sometimes the range of different financing and vehicle options can be difficult to parse through. Do you want to lease or buy? Do you want to take out a loan or buy a car outright? Making these decisions can also be largely dependent on how flexible your income is… Read more »