General

A dream is just a dream until a plan is created and executed. It can be a challenge to know where to start, as some days the expenses seem to come in faster than you can keep up. It’s time to take a step back, think about what you want for your life and begin building that future today. How to Set You are probably familiar with the concept of goal setting in your everyday life. Often, they take on the form of dreams, like someday having a vacation home in Hawaii or being able to complete

In the world of social media, everything nowadays is online and public for all to view. With the numerous updates we face every day, it’s important to keep yourself up-to-date on what social networking sites share to others and how you can limit those settings. Protect yourself online with these simple tips to start! Be Cautious When Adding Friends Being constantly bombarded with friend requests and follows slowly weakens your cautiousness. You begin to accept more people without really

Whether in bustling cities or the rural Midwest, community banks improve lives in the communities they serve. This seems to be a popular notion across the nation, as can be seen by their large local support. According to the ICBA, community banks make up 96 percent of all banking institutions in the country. They are successful because they work and are a positive light in the community. You take great care when it comes to choosing a financial institution that you trust. If you haven’t

Now that we’ve welcomed a new year, we must also begin welcoming new saving habits. Setting reasonable resolutions isn’t always the easiest, which is why BANK wanted to offer some simple ideas to start. Begin promoting your financial positivity by picking one or two of these savings resolutions to implement for the rest of the year! Make extra mortgage payments Making your minimum payments on what you owe is completely fine. However, try stepping up your game by increasing the amount

We all know this one - use different passwords and switch them up periodically. While this is a helpful tip to avoid being hacked, there are some questions you may still have on cybersecurity. Luckily, BANK offers a few answers to your existing questions. Question: How can I protect my personal information from an attack? Answer: Be sure that your antivirus program is up-to-date. When it is time to renew that software, do it. Don’t wait around thinking it will be okay for a few weeks.

In a 2016 study, it was found that 43% of students do not track their spending while 58% said they do not save money every month. From that, it is shown that 7 out of 10 students are stressed out about their finances. It can be quite the adjustment for students to transition from high school to college. This new stage of your life can be filled with many mixed emotions and late night adventures. In just a matter of time you are living in a brand new environment, meeting new people, taking new classes

So you think you’re all set for your first day of classes. Backpack, books, IPad and smartphone in hand - you think you have everything you need for success this semester. However, learning proper cybersecurity habits are just as important to your college success as the friends you make or the assignments you accomplish. You’re well acquainted with technology and internet scams, and think you are far off from being duped or scammed online. However, technology is ever changing which

Say ‘I Do’ to savings and “no” to debt on your big day. Weddings can grow out of control and expensive in no time when the planning begins. That’s why it's important to learn savvy ways to save before you walk down the aisle. Luckily, BANK offers a few creative ideas to trim your wedding budget. Cut the Cake Many couples now are ditching the idea of cake and doing mini cupcakes or a donut bar. Find something that fits your quirky personality and go that route.

You recently completed one of life’s highest achievements, graduating from college. Now that you are beginning this new chapter in your life at your first fulltime job, you likely have not thought about paying your student loans off yet. Although there is a six month grace period before you have to pay the loans off, the time is quickly approaching. Iowa State Bank is taking the time today to write about how you need to prepare to pay student loans off. Preparing to pay student loans: Communicate

May is Older Americans Month and Iowa State Bank wants the older citizens in our community to be aware of the scams that are out there and how to be financially aware. Your best weapon against financial fraud is educating yourself about common scams. We want to help you learn about how to protect yourself from financial fraud and scams during Older Americans Month. Scams and fraud targeted at senior citizens to be aware of: Reverse Mortgages- Reverse mortgage scams are becoming more common