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
Quick and Easy Financial Checkup: Are you on Track to Meet Your Goals? Like many people, you may have started this year intending to spend less and save more. And like many people—80 percent, in fact—you’ve probably already broken your New Year’s resolution. That’s okay; there is still enough time to reevaluate your goals and get back on track. Reassess Your Goals But before you recommit to your… Read More
FirstBank Gives More Than $10,000 in Gift Cards Ahead of Arizona Gives Day FirstBank is ‘giving it forward’ in honor of Arizona Gives Day, April 5-6, 2022. Two Valley FirstBank locations hosted a mock customer appreciation event, complete with treats, a prize wheel, and a visit from the Phoenix Suns Gorilla. Bank visitors were encouraged to spin a prize wheel for a chance to win pens, keychains,… Read More
What You Need to Know to Help Avoid a Business Email Compromise Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a cybercrime scam where an imposter attempts to access critical business information or request payment in order to defraud a company. Cybercriminals send emails that appear as though it is coming from a vendor, trusted business partner, or a trusted source within the company. BEC Examples The following are common… Read More
How to Stop Online Scammers Shopping trends are changing, and a record number of consumers are making their purchases online. As more people turn to tech for their shopping needs, the scammers are quickly following suit. A 2021 TransUnion survey found that digital fraud attempts in the U.S. rose 17.1 percent from the same time the previous year. That means millions of… Read More
What the New $600 IRS Tax Law Means for Zelle Users There have been recent questions and concerns about the American Rescue Plan Act – a new IRS tax law, requiring certain payment networks to report $600 or more in total payments received for goods and services in a calendar year. Our goal is to provide clarity on how this new law may impact individuals and… Read More
19 Surprising Habits That Could Make You Wealthier, Healthier and Happier “Act as if what you intend in life is already a reality.” Pretty powerful words when you think about it. After all, people that exercise good visualization and habits, usually manage to succeed in the face of failure, according to several scientific studies. This might explain why “faking it till you make it” has some… Read More
Scams are one thing you don’t want to unwrap this holiday season Every day, thousands of people fall victim to phishing scams —fraudulent emails, texts, and calls from scammers. The Federal Trade Commission’s report on fraud estimates that American consumers lost a staggering $1.9 billion to these phishing schemes and other fraud in 2019 — and the ongoing pandemic has only increased the threat. Moreover, the online shopping surge during the… Read More