New Year’s Resolutions for Your Finances

The beginning of the year is filled with New Year’s resolutions. This year, why not focus on enhancing your financial well-being? Create a Budget Spending and saving habits can fluctuate over the years. When was the last time you sat down and created a budget? Even if it has only been a year since you […]

Debit Card Safety This Holiday Season

For a payment method that has been around since the late 1960s, debit cards have remained a trustworthy form of transacting for American consumers. According to the J.D. Power 2024 Debit Card Satisfaction Survey, 72% of customers say they use a debit card at the point of sale, as compared to cash, credit cards, and […]

How to Redefine Retirement in Your 50s

Age 50 is a major milestone. Not only does it mean you’ve lived for half a century, but it also comes with some key advantages that can ensure you are saving enough for retirement. If you want to retire at 65, you only have 15 years left at age 50 to make sure you have […]

Protect Your Business From Check Fraud

Whether you are a small business or serve thousands of customers a day, taking steps to fight check fraud is vital to keeping your organization safe. The Treasurer’s Guide to AR Payment Optimization estimates that 40% of all business-to-business (B2B) payments in the United States are made via check. As long as payments continue to […]

Consumer Check Fraud Safety

Over the past few years, check fraud has been on the rise, with an uptick in cases more recently. According to the Iowa Bankers Exchange, Suspicious Activity Reports for check fraud increased by 201.2% from 2018 to 2022. Nasdaq’s 2024 Global Financial Crime Report revealed that in 2023 alone, check fraud led to $21 billion […]

Loving Your Aging Family Member Well

Aging is a part of life, but it can be hard to watch your loved ones get older. One way you can walk alongside them is by watching for signs of elderly financial abuse. Elderly financial abuse is a crime that deprives older adults of their resources and independence by taking advantage of their finances […]

Set Yourself Up for Financial Success in 2024

What are your goals for 2024? Do you have a big trip planned? Is one of your kids starting college this year? Are you nearing the age of retirement? There are so many big life moments that need financial backing. Start planning next year’s finances now in order to start off on the right foot. […]

The Gift of Holiday Budgeting

When it comes to the holidays, it can be easy to ignore the planning and budgeting aspect of the giving season. By creating and maintaining a holiday spending budget, shortening your store-bought gift list and using smart shopping tips and tricks, you can make it through the season in the green. Create a holiday budget […]

Spooky Scams and the Ghouls that Run Them

This October is the 20th annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As cyberattacks become more common, the first step in keeping yourself safe is remaining vigilant and staying up-to-date on current cybersecurity trends. Being informed on how scammers have been accessing information and infiltrating networks gives you the edge in identifying them. Here are a few scams […]

The Basics of Elderly Financial Exploitation

What is Elderly Financial Exploitation? According to the American Bankers Association, people over the age of 50 control over 70% of the nation’s wealth. Unfortunately, in recent years, scammers have targeted the older population—specifically those aged 60 and above—through various types of fraudulent tactics, also known as elderly financial exploitation. These criminals use tactics such […]