TABOR Refund Checks: What You Need to Know Eligible Colorado taxpayers are beginning to receive—or have received—a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) refund check in the amount of $750 for single filers and $1,500 for joint filers. Some of these checks are made out to multiple payees who are not joint parties on a FirstBank account. These are commonly referred to as “multiple-party”… Read More
Card Fraud is Soaring: Here’s How to Protect Yourself According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) most recent study, consumers reported nearly 400,000 credit card fraud cases in 2021, resulting in losses totaling over $180 million. While card fraud is an unfortunate reality for many, with some preparation and vigilance, you can prevent becoming a victim. Here’s where to start. Secure Important Documents Your… Read More
5 Credit Boosting Hacks You Should Know Credit reports can have a massive impact on your life. You may know that lenders pull credit reports when considering loan approvals, but did you know that landlords, and even employers, may be looking at your credit report to understand how you handle responsibilities? So much depends on having a good credit history and score… Read More
A No Brainer: Save More for College with a Smart Choice College Savings Account Keeping up with the rising cost of higher education may seem daunting, but a CollegeInvest Smart Choice College Savings Account (CSA) can help make saving for college easier. FirstBank and CollegeInvest are offering several added incentives to make the most of your college savings. What is a CollegeInvest Smart Choice CSA? Also known as a… Read More
5 Ways to Avoid Overdrafts Insufficient funds notices and overdraft fees can be an unnecessary strain on your finances, but with some planning and these five strategies, you can help avoid them. Here’s how: Sign up for Account Alerts Most online banking services offer email or even text message alerts to warn you of low balances. An alert can notify you when… Read More
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from Elder Financial Abuse In recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Month, we’re outlining some warning signs to watch out for so you can protect yourself and those you love. What is elder financial abuse? The U.S. Justice Department defines elder financial abuse as any improper use of an adult’s finances and property, either without their consent or through manipulative… Read More
How to Budget for the Big Day Weddings are beautiful celebrations of love, but they can cost a pretty penny. In 2021, the average wedding cost was $34,000, leaving some couples to wonder if it is possible to have their dream wedding without compromising their financial future. Fortunately, there are endless ways couples can get creative while planning their wedding to uncover… Read More
Do You Want Less Debt? These Simple Strategies Could Help Debt is something most folks tackle at some point. In fact, consumer debt rose to nearly $15 trillion in 2020. That’s why using credit wisely is so vital, and the goal of today’s article is to provide a short guide to help you better manage debt. Understanding what kind of debt you have is… Read More
Building and Managing Credit Effectively The ability to effectively manage your credit is a key component of financial literacy and the purpose of today’s article is to briefly shed light on a few credit essentials. What is credit, and why is it important? Before we get into what factors make up a credit score, it’s helpful to grasp why it’s… Read More
Stop Doing These 8 Things This Earth Day Earth Day is April 22nd, and in honor of the special day, we’ve compiled a list of eight things you could stop doing to be more environmentally friendly while saving some cash. 1. Stop receiving paper statements One of the simplest ways to reduce your climate impact is to switch to paperless statements. According to… Read More