Personal Finances

There are so many benefits to having a checking account. Manage your money and day-to-day spending by opening a checking account. Keep reading to learn about the top benefits of owning and operating a checking account! What is a Checking Account?  A checking account is a transactional account which is typically used to make everyday transactions convenient. The funds in your checking account can be accessed by check, cash withdrawal, debit card, deposits made at our branches, or remote Read More

Deposit insurance is one of the biggest pros of having an account at an FDIC-insured bank. An FDIC-insured bank protects your money in the event of an unlikely bank failure. Keep reading to learn the benefits of being covered by an FDIC-insured bank.  What is FDIC Insurance?  FDIC insurance is a significant benefit of putting your money in a bank that is FDIC insured. “The standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.” Read More

As the weather gets cooler and summer becomes fall, it’s important to tighten up your budget, especially before the holidays. Don’t let the busyness of fall and back-to-school lead to overspending or big money mistakes. Maintain your budget this fall by reading up on the 10 most common money mistakes to avoid.   1. Not Setting Your Fall Budget  A huge mistake we all tend to make during the fall is not adequately planning out activities – especially Read More

Teaching a teen to save can sometimes be a struggle, as they do not necessarily understand the benefit. Whether your teen is years away from getting a job or heading off to college, teaching them the benefit of saving now and how to effectively do so will hopefully help them avoid learning tough lessons later in life. Enjoy these tips on how to effectively teach a teen to save!   Make Saving an Expectation  Learning about saving is one thing, but implementing it as Read More

We’ve all heard it is good to have a high credit score, but many people do not know what a credit score is. That is ok, we are here to help! Having a good credit score is a lifeline for your future. It is very important to know what a credit score is, how it can be positively or negatively impacted and why it is so important to everyone. Take a few minutes to brush up on your knowledge of credit and how you can obtain a good credit score.  What is a Credit Score?  Credit scores Read More

How you start saving in your 20s is crucial, so do your future self a favor and start now. Here are some hacks to get smart about finances for yourself or to share with someone you know in their twenties.    What You Need to Know About Spending    Your twenties are such a fun stage of life but can be very expensive if you are overspending. It is important to track how much you are spending on needs, expenses and fun. It is important to nail down how much you are Read More

Summer may be a few months away but planning to save now will ensure an awesome and affordable experience. The best tip for booking a vacation is to plan well in advance – start your planning process here by reading up on a few suggestions to make your summer vacation seamless and inexpensive.  Book Flight Tickets in Advance  Planning in advance is the most important tip for a successful and budgeted vacation. Nail down where you are going and when. Purchasing airline tickets Read More

Are you struggling to get an emergency fund in action? It can be hard to understand the depth of what to start with, monthly contributions and how to build it up. An emergency fund is essential for unforeseen circumstances, a drop in income and all the chaos life can throw at us at any point. Most financial advisors suggest having enough in your emergency fund for 3-6 months’ worth of expenses based on your personal situation. The more you can build your emergency fund, the better!   1. Read More

  Financial education has always been a weak area within education. Talking about money and understanding money management, debt, loans, interest and credit is rarely laid out to people until they get to college or graduate from high school. That’s why we wanted to start the conversation on how to talk to your kids about money, so they are better prepared for the real world.     Talk About Money Young   When you are having money conversations with younger Read More

Just by glancing at a single number, lenders can determine how financially responsible you are and decide whether to lend you money or not. Your credit score determines other important things like interest rates as well, which is why it’s so important to make sure your score is good. If you don’t have the greatest credit score, here are some basic ways you can improve it.      Check Your Credit Score Frequently   Just like you should be monitoring your Read More