Make the most of your money
Teaching Children About MoneyWhether to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or the children of close friends, one of the most important things you can teach is how to manage money and invest for the future. The Three-Jar Allowance To learn how to manage money, children need some money to manage. Typically this money comes from from an allowance or …
50/30/20 Rule The 50/30/20 rule is a practical rule of thumb for individuals who want a budget that is easy, yet effective, to implement. It offers guidelines for enjoying your income while putting savings on autopilot. Humans are fallible—sometimes we just need guidelines. If you struggle making sense of a sea of budgeting systems and mobile apps, consider the 50/30/20 …
On the other hand, you may not need the money right away. Then your goal is figuring out the best way to continue to take advantage of the potential for tax-deferred growth. Most plans offer a number of alternatives, and it’s smart to investigate what they are. While you don’t have to decide until you’re actually ready to stop working, …
There are pros and cons to each method. Your choice will be based on various financial considerations, driving habits, and personal preference. Buying a used car is appealing to many people. Used cars are less expensive up-front, and they have the added benefit of not depreciating drastically when they leave the lot. Because you are buying a used car and …
Update: The Lake Havasu City, AZ branch will re-open on Monday, July 20th, with regular business hours. We look forward to seeing you. Update: Due to limited staffing, our Lake Havasu City, AZ branch is currently temporarily closed. Please check back for further updates on when this branch will re-open. Almost all your banking can be done online or by …
Start by defining your goals. Consider where you want to live, the features you’re looking for, what you can afford, and a realistic date for having the money you’ll need. Then apply your knowledge to making this key decision. The actual amount you’ll spend to buy a home depends on the part of the country you live in and the …
The nature of fraud is to deceive, so it’s often difficult to recognize when you’ve gotten involved in a fraudulent situation. Unfortunately, getting out of the resulting mess can be made more difficult by the false, missing, or misleading paper trails that fraud may leave in its wake. If you have to give out your name, credit card number, or …
Shopping with a credit card is a snap, but shopping for the card that’s right for you is another matter. Ask yourself these questions: The answers can help you choose a card that will help you use credit at the lowest cost. Not all credit cards are the same. With traditional credit cards, such as our VISA cards, you can …
If you plan ahead, you can make decisions that will reduce or at least postpone the tax you owe. The only catch is that you usually need to get everything taken care of by December 31. As anyone who has ever filed taxes knows, tax season is in high gear from January to April. In January, you’ll get a tax …
And, the truth is people can be laid off any time. When companies merge or are acquired, the work force may be downsized. Or business may just be slow. If that happens to you, do you know how you’d manage financially? It’s smart to think about the bills that would have to be paid and whether you have an emergency …
