How To Spot A Scam & What To Do: Technical Support Scams

FirstBank is excited to announce a four-part series on scams: “How To Spot A Scam & What To Do.”  So follow along as we highlight common scams, how to identify them, and what to do. First up: technical support scams. The Situation: While logging into online banking you receive a pop-up message that something is wrong… Read More

Get Out of Debt: Top Tips to Pay Off Student Loans Fast

They say college is the best years of your life. In a blink of an eye those years are gone and you’re walking up to accept your diploma. Pictures and memories will be your only reminder of those great years. Well those and crushing student loans. While you could pay minimum payments every month for… Read More

Five Interesting Facts about American Money

Cheddar, doubloons, big-ones, ‘the almighty dollar’; cash goes by many names. From bullet sized silver blobs in Thailand to the giant Rai stone-money on the island of Yap, money has been a medium of exchange between people for thousands of years. So how did we end up with copper-nickel rounds and green cotton-paper with the… Read More

Seven Bad Financial Habits You Need to Break Right Now

Human beings are habit-creating machines, craving any mental or physical shortcut that lets us focus on higher-level thoughts, such as what’s for lunch or developing theories about Netflix dramas. Still, every person who is good at money learned good habits, which means you can, too. “What we know from lab studies is that it’s never too late… Read More

Side Jobs that Can Make You Extra Cash

“Mo money, mo problems,” a popular song lyric popularized by the Notorious B.I.G (Biggie Smalls) in the ‘90s, laid out the problems inherited as one’s cash supply grows. But, what if your problem is a lack of money to begin with? Certainly no one, not even Biggie Smalls, is arguing that there are somehow less… Read More

What Dogs Can Teach Us About Saving

Dogs. The very name conjures up thoughts of adorable puppies, tear jerking movies, and fond nostalgia for owners. They’re cute, they’re fluffy, and they’re a man’s best friend (women seem to love them, too!). While we wouldn’t advise you to take financial advice from your dog (insert puns here…”de-paw-sit”), we can point out where Fido… Read More

Five Tips to Avoid One of America’s Most Costly Scams

Wire Fraud. Picture this: You’ve saved $75,000 — your entire life savings for a down payment on a new home. You spent months looking and finally found your dream house. Your offer’s been accepted, your mortgage approved and closing day is set. You’re over the moon. Before you close, you’re emailed wire instructions on where… Read More

Four Easy Ways to Help Manage Overdrafts

No one likes insufficient funds notices and the hefty overdrafts that come with them. Overdrafts can create setbacks and unnecessary financial strain that cause us to channel our inner groundhog – hiding at their very sight. Luckily, you can rest easy with these four simple tips to help prevent  them. 1. Sign up for Online… Read More

How to Master Your Finances in 2017

  A new year brings a chance to start fresh with just about anything. If your midnight toast included a resolution to improve your financial health, here’s how to make it happen. Get on a budget To get ahead, it’s important to know where you stand and to create a plan with realistic goals such… Read More