As we start to turn the corner on the pandemic, and life begins to return to something that more closely resembles normal, it’s more important than ever to support charities and nonprofit organizations that improve lives and also our communities. In this episode, we look at an app that Altra has partnered with called NetGiver, which makes sure all of the money you donate to a charity, goes to that charity or nonprofit organization with no fees! Tony speaks with the CEO of NetGiver (netgiverapp.com), Eric Berg, to learn more about it and how it helps our members and nonprofit organzations. We are also joined by Cheryl Dutton, who is the VP of Marketing at Altra; Shawn Hauser who is Altra’s Community Relations Manager, and we also discuss the importance of donations and community support to nonprofits with Lindsey Hemker, who is the Development Manager at Spark Children’s Museum (sparkrochestermn.org) in Rochester, MN.

Low interest rates have many wondering if now is the right time to purchase, or refinance their home? Tony speaks with VP of Real Estate Services Craig Sacia and La Crosse Area Market Manager Tara Mayberry on what members should know about the housing market, what to expect when buying or refinancing a home, and the importance of getting pre-approved to move quickly on your dream home!

The pandemic has many doing more online than they ever have before, whether it's working, shopping, or socializing. While technology and the internet have created many conveniences for our everyday lives, it's also created more opportunities for fraud and scams. Tony speaks with Ian Nicholson, Senior Information Security Administrator at Altra Federal Credit Union about how to keep your information, accounts, and finances safe while online.

Technology has changed the way we do many things in finance and one of the big changes we’ve seen in the past decade is the explosion and adoption of digital currency in the form of cryptocurrency. Altra’s VP of Deposit and Payment Strategies, Jennifer Cyert, joins Tony for this episode of the Best Life Podcast to talk more about this exciting technology. We discuss some of the basics of cryptocurrency, what to know about blockchain technology, the advantages and disadvantages of this currency, and why May 22nd is commonly referred to as “Pizza Day” in the world of cryptocurrency.

In this episode of the Best Life Podcast, Tony sits with a familiar guest, the one that started it all, computer security expert Ian Nicholson from Altra Federal Credit Union. Tony and Ian talk about data breaches, password managers, password authenticators, securing your text messages, tinfoil hats, and Tony being OK with turning group text messages green for some users.