When it comes to paying your monthly bills—a chore that we all dread—you do have choices.  There are three simple options.  You can pay in person with cash or a check, use the tried-and-true method of mailing a check or pay your bills online using some form of electronic bill payment and presentment (EBPP).  When deciding which option is best for you, it is important to understand the risks associated with each choice and the ways to reduce these risks.
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While all financial transactions involve some form of risk, it is generally assumed that paying your bills in person involves the least risk.  Yet most people opt out of paying bills this way due to the amount of time and effort it takes to find the payment office and drive across town during business hours.  That leaves you with two options—paying either by check or online.

​If you have a credit card, a deposit account, or a loan, at some point in your life you may have an issue with a lender, financial institution, or credit card company. Sometimes the company is liable and sometimes you are, but regardless of who’s ultimately responsible, the process of pursuing a resolution could test the patience of a saint.

​A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that authorizes another person or persons to handle your financial, legal, and in some cases your health matters.  This can be a very helpful document if you are unavailable - for example if you are traveling abroad and have a loan closing to attend.  A POA can be critically important if you become disabled and need someone to act on your behalf - for example manage your finances, pay taxes or authorize medical treatments.

​"Pay it off every month!” That is what your parents always told you when you first started using credit cards. “Pay it off every month and you won’t get bad credit.” If your goal is to save money on paying interest then this might be the ideal approach. However, this won’t keep you from getting bad credit. If your goal is to improve your credit score then you may actually be hurting your credit rating by paying it all off every month.

The possibility of the average consumer becoming a victim of a data breach grows with each new advancement in the electronic age.
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A data breach occurs when sensitive or confidential information—driver’s license numbers, medical records, Social Security numbers, bank or credit card account numbers—is stolen, copied or used by an unauthorized person.

​Millions of Americans are struggling to pay their bills in this very difficult economy.  If you are, know that you are not alone.  You may find yourself searching for answers to your problem after seeing ads from lenders, debt counselors and debt settlement companies?  So which alternative is best?  In reality, there is no magic wand that is going to work for everyone in every situation.

April is National Financial Literacy Month and your community bankers encourages parents to take this opportunity to teach your children the importance of financial responsibility. By making financial education a family priority, children will learn the importance of budgeting, saving, investing and using credit wisely.  The path for financial success starts in the home and children learn best by watching the example their parents set.

"Not happy with your bank?  Changing banks isn’t as complicated as you’d think.”

Recent high profile fee increases by Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other large institutions have more people than ever answering “yes” to this question and contemplating a change in their primary banking relationship.
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A survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates found that two of every three bank customers have considered moving their money.  So what’s stopping them?  The perception that firing your bank and moving to a new institution is just too difficult.

It seems like yesterday when we were taking down the Christmas tree and putting away the holiday decorations.  Now, in a few weeks, we’ll be putting up the Christmas tree and taking out the holiday ornaments.
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The holiday season also means shopping for those special gifts for friends and family and we may sometimes over-spend.  Then in January when the bills start rolling in, reality strikes and we regret spending so much money and promise ourselves that we will not do that again.

​Americans become victims of identity theft each year, as crooks steal names, Social Security or credit card numbers and use them to commit fraud or other crimes.  That personal information is as good as gold to criminals and they will go to any means to get it.