Weekly Update 01/10/26 – 01/17/26

 01/10/26 – 01/17/26

My week has been dedicated to my new job. I have finally reached the point where I am doing real programmer-type work. I have been reviewing the FACTS code to understand how their credit card processing software works and how we can use that code to integrate our own credit card system. I have found this to be educational work, and it has taken up most of my time this week. This was also the end of the first pay period of the new year, so I turned in my timecard and am looking forward to getting paid next week.

I also spent some time redeveloping my budget. I like budgets, but somehow I lost my old template and had to rebuild it. I now have a solid template in place, including the ability to set up payments based on a percentage of net pay, fixed dollar amounts per month, and amounts set aside each month for recurring expenses such as bills that are paid every other month, every three months, every six months, and annually.

Part of my new financial plan includes moving my checking account from Bank of America to IQ Credit Union. Bank of America is only paying a very small interest rate on my checking account, something like 0.005%, while IQ Credit Union is offering 5.00% on the first $20,000, as long as I have direct deposit and use my IQ debit card at least 12 times a month.

I have not been impressed with the service at IQ so far. They do not offer some of the bells and whistles that Bank of America provides, such as Zelle and email alerts for my checking account. In addition, for the first 30 days they place a 14-day hold on deposits. Still, with a 5.00% interest rate, I am willing to live without the extras. One odd detail is that they also opened a savings account for me, but that account only earns 3%.

I hope you are all doing well, and that 2026 is going smoothly so far, already almost one-twelfth complete.