Denied a Business Loan? Here’s What You Should Do Next April 17, 2025 If you were denied during the business loan process, don’t panic — you’re not the only one. Nearly 20% of all small business loan applications are rejected due to several factors, like insufficient business or personal credit history. While being denied may seem like a setback, it’s an opportunity to set your business up for… Read More
3 Things You Should Know About Business Lending Fraud April 16, 2025 When applying for small business loans, it’s important to thoroughly examine your options to ensure they are safe and legitimate. A LexisNexis© report found that small business lending fraud increased by 13.6% year-over-year, with 64% of respondents anticipating the problem worsening each year. As lending fraud becomes more common, business owners should learn how to… Read More
Beware of Text Messages or Calls Appearing from Your Bank April 16, 2025 The scam. Over the years, there have been a growing number of “spoofing” attempts being made in the financial industry, including on FirstBank customers. Fraudsters are using falsified caller ID numbers — or what appears to be legitimate text messages — to trick FirstBank customers into providing sensitive information. These scammers act as bank representatives… Read More
When Tragedy Strikes, FirstBank Shows Up April 15, 2025 During some of the most life-changing events, it’s the small gestures that help lift weight of the world off your shoulders — even if it’s only temporary. See how FirstBank set out to make an impact by helping a customer in need with an “Act of Goodness.” The incident. Monday, February 17, was the day… Read More
5 Smart Ways to Use Your Tax Return March 17, 2025 Did you know household debt reached $17.5 trillion towards the end of 2024? While a majority of this debt is due to housing and mortgage costs, nearly $2.74 trillion was associated with credit card debt and auto loans. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck and facing rising costs, one significant way to make a… Read More
3 Tips for Navigating the Evolving Business Landscape April 16, 2025 New business opportunities are emerging in the wake of the so-called Silver Wave or “Silver Tsunami,” each referring to the mass retirement of baby boomers — individuals born between 1946 and 1964. With, 53% of business owners planning to sell or transfer business ownership within the next decade, this societal shift is creating new opportunities… Read More
Money Mule Scams Are on the Rise: Here’s What You Need to Know April 15, 2025 Did you know social media has become a major playground for money mule scams resulting in a $1.4 billion loss? Money mule scams are a way for criminals to conceal the source of their funds, typically garnered through illegal activities like fraud, identity theft, drug trafficking, and more. One common tactic is recruiting people to… Read More
6 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Business from Check Fraud April 14, 2025 Did you know 63% of organizations experience check fraud? According to an AFP® Payments Fraud and Control Report, checks are considered the most vulnerable payment methods susceptible to fraud. That’s because checks contain significant sensitive personal information like bank account and routing numbers, physical addresses, and signatures. While checks are clearly the most susceptible to… Read More
6 Ways to Protect Yourself from Check Washing April 13, 2025 Have you ever lost a check in the mail or sent one that was never received? It’s possible the check was stolen and used for check washing. Check washing is when fraudsters use chemicals to wash the ink off a check and alter the payee’s name or dollar amount. The United States Postal Service reported postal inspectors recover… Read More
6 Mobile Banking Alerts to Help Manage Your Money April 10, 2025 A recent American Bankers Association (ABA) study found that more than half of surveyed Americans use mobile banking as their preferred banking method. With mobile banking’s growing popularity across multiple generations, monitoring your accounts with alerts can help you master your finances. Here are six alerts you should incorporate into everyday banking: 1. Projected Balance Alerts:… Read More
4 Estafas Relacionadas con el Reembolso de Impuestos y Cómo Evitarlas April 9, 2025 En 2024, el Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS, por sus siglas en inglés) reportó cerca de 300,000 casos^ de robo de identidad, lo que resultó en un estimado de $5.5 mil millones en fraudes de impuestos. Mediante varias estafas engañosas, los estafadores se enfocan en contribuyentes durante la temporada de impuestos para robar sus datos,… Read More