Debt

Nobody wants to be consumed with worrying about their finances. Debt for most people is a fact of life. Unless you have a stroke of luck with the lottery, or a Daddy Warbucks, you are probably unable to pay cash for life’s most important purchases: a car, house or your college education. The goal with debt is to take on good debt that will provide opportunities and income advancement. Bad debt is purchasing items with no return on your investment, with their value quickly depleting. Bad

Magic is one type of entertainment that will never go out of style. Whether it’s David Blaine and his shocking stunts, or newly famous films such as Now You See Me, this classic art has proved to truly stand the test of time. While BANK may not be the best at slight of hand, we do have a few savings tricks up our sleeves! See if you can understand the steps to these financial stunts and make your fiscal success appear out of thin air.   Make your money disappear (into your savings!) Before

Getting your taxes done early not only takes one more thing off your to-do list but further allows you to start planning for the future. Working with your tax professional, determine how much your family may receive this year from a tax refund. No matter the amount, we recommend putting it towards your financial goals for the year. Here are some great strategies we’ve tried to get the best bang for our buck:   Max out your 401(k) or Traditional IRA contributions. If you

As of 2015, the average American with credit card debt owes $15,762 – and that’s just credit. Auto loans, student loans, and mortgages add thousands of dollars and years of repayment to your personal finances. However, debt doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Once you have made the commitment to work towards financial freedom, follow these steps from Iowa State Bank to begin eliminating those personal debts. Establish an emergency fund immediately. Unexpected

After tying the knot, finances can be a tricky subject, but they are an absolutely necessary discussion. As Dave Ramsey says, “If you can talk about money, you can talk about anything.” Getting your finances put together takes some decision making, but here are some basic guidelines to get you started. Be transparent with one and other. Begin the conversation with sharing each of your individual financial states, and the goals you have for where you want to be in the coming

When you come home from a dinner at the local restaurant, you set your leftovers in the refrigerator. You haven’t eaten them within three days so you toss the rest. If you did that twice a month, you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars each year. Iowa State Bank is always looking for ways for you to save money, so in today’s blog we are going to point out little money wasters that could be adding up. Paying interest on credit cards. We understand that sometimes, it is inevitable