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Read These Articles on Personal Financing

Personal Finances 2 min read

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Knowing your finances is the first step to properly managing them and to ensuring you are in good financial standing. But how do you get started?

Reading personal financing articles can be a huge help when it comes to understanding financial management. That is why First Bank offers a Financial Education Center full of articles with advice on everything from buying your first home to making your first investment.

Personal Financing Articles

Check out the following articles on managing your personal finances:

Articles on Buying a Home

Saving Money

Investing

When browsing personal financing articles, remember that your financial situation is unique. You should always discuss your financial and investment opportunities with an experienced banking professional before making significant financial decisions.

First Bank* is a local community bank with banking professionals who can help you make sound decisions. Contact your local branch for personal financing advice today.

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Four Different Types of Services | Banking A bank’s job is to provide customers with financial services that help people better manage their lives. As technology advances and competition increases, banks are offering different types of services to stay current and attract customers. Whether you are opening your first bank account or have managed a checking account for years, it helps to know the different types of banking services available. This ensures you get the most out of your current financial institution. Deciding which services are most important can lead you to the bank that best fits your needs. Different Types of Services | Bank Accounts Individual Banking—Banks typically offer a variety of services to assist individuals in managing their finances, including: Checking accounts Savings accounts Debit & credit cards Insurance* Wealth management Business Banking—Most banks offer financial services for business owners who need to differentiate professional and personal finances. Different types of business banking services include: Business loans Checking accounts Savings accounts Debit and credit cards Merchant services (credit card processing, reconciliation and reporting, check collection) Treasury services (payroll services, deposit services, etc.) Digital Banking—The ability to manage your finances online from your computer, tablet, or smartphone is becoming more and more important to consumers. Banks will typically offer digital banking services that include: Online, mobile, and tablet banking Mobile check deposit Text alerts eStatements Online bill pay Loans—Loans are a common banking service offered, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some common types of loans that banks provide include: Personal loans Auto and boat loans Home equity lines of credit Home loans Business loans Better Banking Services from First Bank If your current financial institution doesn’t offer the services mentioned above, you may not be getting the best banking service possible. At First Bank, we are dedicated to helping our customers get the most out of their money. That is why we offer different types of banking services to meet a variety of needs. To learn more about our banking services, visit your local branch today. *Investment and Insurance Products are NOT Bank Deposits, NOT FDIC-Insured, HAVE NO Bank Guarantee, NOT Insured by any Federal Government Agency, May Go Down in Value ——— Sources: http://www.stockmonkeys.com/what-services-do-modern-banks-offer-4BTIGOI3/ https://localfirstbank.com/business/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/smart-phones-are-revolutionizing-consumer-banking-habits/ https://localfirstbank.com/locations 2 min read
How Much Should I Have in Savings at Age 35? How much money should you have in your savings account at the age of 35? It largely depends on when you started saving, your income and lifestyle, and whether you carry consumer debt. Savings for Adults in Their Mid-Thirties You might have heard friends, parents or financial advisors at local banks advise you to follow the 50/30/20 rule. If you follow this rule, you’ll break up your income in the following manner: No more than 50% of your income should go to required expenses, such as shelter or food. No more than 30% can go towards the wants in life, such as your gym membership or cable. The final 20% of your income should to towards savings, retirement and paying off debt. Some experts explain it another way and recommend that your savings should equal your salary by age 35. Still another way to approach savings is by using this guide from CNN Money. According to this, 35 year-olds should have saved the following, depending on their income: Income Estimated Amount in Savings $40,000 $60,000 $65,000 $97,500 $90,000 $135,000 $115,000 $172,500 However, this isn’t necessarily the case for many Americans, especially those with consumer debt or who didn’t get a job until later in their 20s. The savings goal at any age is simply to save so that you have an emergency fund, can pay off debt, and are able to invest. Now is the Time to Start Saving for Retirement Once you begin saving, it’s important to begin investing your wealth to let your money grow. This can be done through stocks and bonds, job promotions and salary increases, or even buying the apartment you’ve been renting. Your investment options should begin small and increase the more you save. Additionally, you should be making regular contributions to your IRA or 401k, whichever your company provides and matches. There’s no single answer to how much savings you should have by age 35. Ultimately, it comes down to your own unique budget and contributions. To learn more about savings at any age, contact your local First Bank* today. Our financial advisors can speak with you about your savings and help you plan for retirement. ——— Sources: CNN Money: http://money.cnn.com/gallery/retirement/2015/09/01/how-much-do-i-need-for-retirement/2.html CNBC: http://www.cnbc.com/2014/02/10/qa-were-in-our-30s-how-much-should-we-be-saving.html Investment and insurance products and services are offered through Osaic Institutions, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. 3 min read
Interior of house under renovation Renovating Before Moving In? Ask These Questions! Every project is different, of course. But before you close on your property and start looking for a sledgehammer, make sure you know the answer to these 6 questions. 3 min read
Image for tile. Tips to Freshen up Your Budget First Bank Clients: Are you using your MyMoney tools in online banking? MyMoney Manage your budget, track your spending, and modify your debt payback plan - all from your First Bank online banking account. Learn how Start with your (e)mail. Do you have a system for keeping your mail organized and sorted? Credit card and loan statements, bank statements, bills, and receipts can pile up quickly. An organized mail area in your home is the first step in keeping track of your bills and expenses. Bring that cleaning momentum into your email inbox and organize your e-statements too. If your email inbox is piling up, it might be time to clean it out. Here are a few email cleaning suggestions. Tally up your monthly expenses. You can use paper and a pencil, a spreadsheet, or budgeting software. Choose a method you are most comfortable with and get started. If you search for budgeting templates in Google, you’ll find a seemingly endless number of options. A template similar to this option from Microsoft is a good starting point for logging your expenses in a spreadsheet. Check in with your automatic and recurring transactions. Many utility providers, subscription services, and credit cards offer automatic payment options. Autopay enrollment is a great way to ensure you won’t miss a payment, but it can become easy to lose track of where your money is being spent. If you like the convenience of automatic payments but want to keep a better eye on those transactions, consider enrolling in Bill Pay. At First Bank, our Bill Pay system allows you to manage all of your payments from one place. Learn more about First Bank Bill Pay here. Predict your variable expenses. Examples of variable expenses are food, gas, clothing, pet care, prescriptions, etc. that change each month. These are more difficult to pin down, but there are a number of ways to do it. You can either look into the past and add up expenses from each spending category, or you can track those expenses moving forward in real time. Whichever your preference, having a strong understanding of how much you should be spending on non-fixed expenses each month will give you a more accurate picture of your discretionary spending. For a list of common personal budgeting categories, click here. Refine your debt repayment and savings goals. It’s hard to choose between prioritizing debt repayment or saving for the future. While you want to avoid paying unnecessary interest and penalties on your debts, it’s also important to have an emergency savings fund so that you’re less likely to incur more debt when unexpected expenses arise. Many experts recommend having enough saved to cover 3-6 months of expenses. First Bank offers a number of savings account options so that you can keep that money separate from your checking account. Did you know that First Bank credit cards offer $0 balance transfer fees? Here is a helpful calculator to see if a First Bank credit card is right for you. If you’re struggling with making your debt payments, you’re not alone. Our bankers understand that circumstances can be tough and everyone has a different financial story. We want you to feel comfortable talking about you finances and confident in creating a successful path forward. Please reach out to your local First Bank and we’ll do what we can to help you get back on track. Use your discretion. With recent cost of living increases, your typical discretionary expenses are most likely also increasing and could be throwing off your budget. Depending on your debt and savings goals, you might want to readjust your discretionary spending to allocate more for debt payments and savings deposits. MyMoney: Your First Bank Advantage If you’re a First Bank client, log in to your online banking account and explore the Financial Tools section (also known as MyMoney). This service will create a budget snapshot for you. To ensure accuracy, you’ll want to link all of your active banking accounts and customize your spending categories. Find MyMoney instructions here. One of our favorite ways to use MyMoney is to select the ‘Trends’ tab and view your monthly trends by category. You’ll have a nice breakdown of each expense category with the amount spent shown per month. 4 min read