Protect Your Home from Mother Nature [INFOGRAPHIC]

Mother Nature can do some major damage to your home (and your bank account) if you don’t take the necessary precautions. You can protect your home and save money by keeping the elements at bay.

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What Are 30-Year FHA Mortgage Rates? If you are considering applying for an FHA loan to purchase a home, you may be wondering, “What are 30-year FHA mortgage rates?” If you want to find out what the current average 30-year FHA mortgage rates are, the most accurate way to find out is to visit your local First Bank and ask about our FHA mortgage loans. Determining 30-Year FHA Mortgage Rates Securing a good 30-year FHA mortgage rate depends on a few different factors, including: How much you can put forth as a down payment Whether the loan is fixed or adjustable-rate If the loan is adjustable-rate, your margin Your credit history and current finances What is an FHA Mortgage Loan? The recession experienced in the last decade caused a dip in the housing market. This downward trend of the housing market has led to an increasing popularity of FHA mortgage loans. But before you shop around for what all the current 30-year FHA mortgage rates are, it’s important to know exactly what FHA loans are. An FHA loan is a mortgage that is insured by a government agency called the Federal Housing Administration. By purchasing mortgage insurance, borrowers are often able to secure low interest rates under more flexible qualification requirements. A few key facts about FHA mortgages include: Down payments for an FHA loan can be as low as 3.5%. This is well below the traditional down payment of up to 20%. FHA loans allow for sellers, lenders or builders to contribute to the closing costs on the buyer’s behalf. The lender must be FHA-approved. First Bank is an example of an FHA-approved lender with 30-year FHA mortgage rates. Mortgage insurance is required. This protects the lender from loss as a result of a default and is what opens the door for low down payments and interest rates. Visit Your Local First Bank Today If you want to know what 30-year FHA mortgage rates are, contact your local First Bank representative. Use a loan officer finder to locate a First Bank loan specialist near you and set up a consultation. If there’s no First Bank loan officer near you, simply fill out our online application and a mortgage specialist will contact you to address your needs.* *Loans subject to credit approval. ——— 2 min read

5 Ways to Protect Your Home for Hurricane Season Summer is hard to beat with the warmer weather, longer days, family vacations, and backyard parties. But if you live anywhere near the coast, summer means more than beaches and barbecues. You also need to prepare for hurricane season. 3 min read

Three Tips to Building Your Emergency Savings Trying to stay on top of your finances and budgeting for monthly expenses can be stressful, especially when unexpected car repairs, job related issues, or natural disasters occur. We want to make sure that you are fully prepared in case any unexpected life altering events happen and fortunately there’s a way you can do so. Starting to build your emergency savings can help you when you find yourself in a bind. Emergency savings, or an emergency fund, allows you to build a savings buffer, so that you do not have to worry about how to pay for unforeseen financial emergencies. If you don’t know where to start with saving for emergencies, here are a few tips to help get you started. Create a budget. Creating a budget helps you estimate how much you are spending. You can adjust a budget to show how much you are spending on a monthly or weekly basis. This helps you visualize where your money is going and how much of your income you have left over after paying bills. Having a budget can also help you determine wants vs. needs. Determining needs over wants can free up more money from things that aren’t necessities. Determine how much to put into your emergency savings. Money experts recommend having three to six months’ worth of expenses saved in your emergency savings. However, once a budget has been created and you see how much extra income you have, you can decide how much is reasonable to put into an emergency fund. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like you aren’t saving enough initially. Everyone’s situation may vary and as you become more comfortable saving, adjustments can be made. Determine where to keep your emergency fund. Figuring out where to keep your emergency savings is completely up to you, but make sure to keep it in a place that is easily accessible. A few options for savings are a savings account, checking account, or certificate of deposit. No matter which option you choose, we have associates ready and available to help get you started. Find your local branch today and start getting your savings in order. Want to continue learning how to make your money go further? Take 3 min read

Bank Accounts for Businesses in South Carolina Do you own a South Carolina business? Are you looking to start one? There are a number of reasons why South Carolina is a great state to do business. And First Bank* is here to provide the bank accounts, tools and services you need to succeed. The Palmetto State has several First Bank locations – with branches in Anderson, Blacksburg, Charleston, Cheraw, Columbia, Dillon, Florence, Greenville, Greer, Latta, Orangeburg and Rock Hill. We offer a variety of business checking and savings accounts as well as a collection of financial services to help you better mange your business. Find the First Bank location nearest you, and open a business bank account today. First Bank Business Checking Accounts in South Carolina We offer business checking accounts to fit the needs of any business, of any size. Compare the list below to choose the one that best works for your business. Business Essentials. WalletHub named this account one of the “Best Bank Accounts for Small Businesses” in 2014. Business Essentials is perfect for small businesses or self-employed individuals with small transaction volume. Business Interest. An upgrade from Business Essentials, this account comes with all the same basic features but allows you to accrue interest. Community Checking. The perfect account for nonprofit organization and community groups. Business Advantage. If you’re looking for a fundamental account that allows for higher transaction volume, Business Advantage may be right for you. Commercial Analysis. Larger businesses have bigger needs and might benefit from our Commercial Analysis. This option comes with custom programs for business needs on top of all the basic features of Business Essentials. First Bank’s Business Savings Accounts in SC Our collection of business checkings accounts is complemented by our three business savings accounts. Compare the three options in the list and table below. Business Savings. With no minimum balance required to start earning interest, our Business Savings account is perfect for small startups looking to find a foothold in the market. Money Market. More aggressive business owners might look to our Money Market option, which allows for six withdrawals every month free of any First Bank fees.† Certificates of Deposit.‡ Our FDIC-insured CDs typically come with a guaranteed, fixed interest rate to allow for a 10 min read

Protect Your Home from Mother Nature [INFOGRAPHIC]

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