Support Small Business Saturday

Celebrate Small Business Saturday by supporting the local business owners in your area. Founded in 2010 by American Express and National Trust for Historic Preservation, Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to shop local to help small businesses thrive.  

Why Support Small Business? 

Strengthening the local economy

By shopping with local small businesses, more of your money stays within your community. Your contribution is helping create jobs, foster growth, and build a resilient local economy. 

Personalized service

Small businesses tend to offer more personalized experiences that large stores can’t match. When visiting a small business, you’re often face-to-face with the owners, unlike larger corporations. The owners and employees can often get to know you by name, providing personalized service and recommendations. This sense of connection can create a stronger, more vibrant community.  

Supporting innovation and creativity

Small businesses tend to offer unique products and services you might not find at chain stores. Whether it’s handmaid gifts, local goods, or boutique items, shopping small helps encourage creativity that strengthens your community. Stop by your local farmers market or flea market to learn about the fantastic small businesses in your area! 

Protect Your Finances While Shopping at Small Businesses  

Fraud and scams tend to increase around the holidays. During the biggest shopping weekend of the year, be sure that you are protecting yourself and your finances from fraud. 

Monitor your bank statements

During the holiday season, regularly check your bank statements to catch any unauthorized charges early. It’s important to keep track of your receipts, including the date and amount of your transactions, this holiday season. In some instances, parent companies can be listed on the transaction details. For example, if purchasing a product on a Square device, it might say Square rather than the business name on your statement message. You should be able to quickly Google to verify if it is a fraudulent transaction or not. Monitor your account activity frequently to ensure everything is correct. 

One way to stay ahead of the curve is by enabling transaction notifications on your mobile device. By doing this, you will receive either a banner notification, email, or text message every time your card is used. You’ll be able to stop fraudulent transactions from escalating in real time.  

You can customize your AAGCU alerts to send you emails or SMS alerts for balances (i.e. if the balance on an account is less than a specified amount), withdrawals (i.e. withdrawal over a specified amount), periodic balance alerts, debit card transaction alerts, and more. This not only is convenient so you can stay informed about your accounts, but it is great fraud prevention. 

To set this up, click the three horizontal lines at the top of the app. Scroll down to “Settings” and select “Alert Settings”. There you will find alert options where you can set up your account specific alerts. 

In online banking, find this feature by selecting “More” on the left toolbar, select “Alert Settings”, then toggle to “Account Specific Alerts”. 

At AAGCU, we monitor your ATM and Debit Card transactions for potentially fraudulent activity. If we suspect any suspicious activity, you’ll receive a phone call or email from our fraud department. You will also receive a text alert from our automated fraud detection system as well.  

Note: Texts from our fraud alert system will come from 23618.  

Verify vendors before buying

If shopping small online, be sure to verify its legitimacy before making a purchase. Scammers can set up fake websites to steal your personal information or money. Be sure to check if the website starts with https:// and has a padlock symbol in the search bar to confirm it’s secure.  

Be Wary of Fraudulent Offers

Scammers target at higher rates during the holidays. If an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. Always verify sources before clicking links and entering payment information. 

Conclusion  

This Small Business Saturday, take a moment to support the local businesses that make your community unique. Not only will you help stimulate the local economy, but you’ll also be supporting the passions and creativity of your community!