Ten Easy Ways to Save Money During the Holidays The holidays are a special time for giving, and this year, consumers plan to spend an average of $819 on holiday gifts. But when the holidays come to an end, the new year all too often ushers in a big stack of bills. Last year, Americans with holiday debt added an average of $1,054 to… Read More
How OtterBox Built a Successful Business and Celebrated Culture from the Ground Up Several years ago, FirstBank conducted this interview with founder, Curt Richardson. Since OtterBox is celebrating its 20th anniversary, we thought it was fitting to re-post this article. Congrats OtterBox on 20 years of success. Innovation. Passion. Accountability. Given OtterBox’s commitment to its core values — or “Ottertude,” as they like to call it — it’s… Read More
How to Get Financial Responsibility To Stick With Your Kids With summer just around the corner, don’t let the “school’s out” mentality rule your tweens. Instead, take this time to teach them about something valuable beyond the classroom: financial responsibility. Craig Kaley, the author of Money Athletics: Your Game Plan to a Financially Fit Tween, stresses the importance of financial literacy at a young age,… Read More
Five Ways to Take Control of Your Student Loans Congrats, Grad! That can be the most exciting and terrifying phrase for a college graduate after collecting a diploma. On one hand, the years spent neglecting sleep on a questionable diet, while trying to maintain a balanced lifestyle are over. On the other, it’s time to find a job and begin the adult portion of… Read More
A New Approach to Spring Cleaning: Five Ways to Tidy and Tighten Your Finances Spring cleaning isn’t restricted to just the kitchen, garage or that overflowing junk drawer. It can also have a positive affect on many facets of your life, including your finances. Considering money tops the list of the biggest stress inducers in America today, cleaning your expenses can help you declutter, de-stress and may even help… Read More
How Changing the Way You Think Can Improve Your Financial Luck Several years ago, the only commercial flight out of the Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico was cancelled. As disgruntled passengers sat around cursing their bad luck, one man had an interesting idea: he decided to charter a private plane for $2,000 to Puerto Rico and charged impatient travelers $39 per head. Before people started boarding,… Read More
Six Tricks to Stress Less About Money and Sleep More 62 percent of us worry about money so much it regularly impacts our sleep, according to a national survey by CreditCards.com. This means that two out of three people are laying awake at night thinking about their finances. When you consider that sleep deprivation can impair your judgment, lead to high blood pressure, weight gain… Read More
14 Things to do for Yourself on February 14th Like it or not, Valentine’s Day is approaching. But there is no need to sulk if you’re single. In 2017, the average customer was predicted to spend $136 on gifts, which is about $18.2 billion total across the U.S. If you don’t have a sweetheart to spoil on Valentine’s Day, here are 14 inexpensive (or… Read More
Four Steps You Can Take To Improve Your Credit Score Your credit score is something you don’t think about until you really need it. Maybe it’s when you’re standing in line for the new iPhone and find out you’ll be required to pay a deposit because of poor credit. Cue sad face emoji. 😢 While it may be tempting to sign up for another store credit… Read More
Seven Tips To Help You Land That Job This New Year There is a mountain of job postings saved in your inbox; you are swimming in rejection emails and your motivation is slowly fading. You’re not alone. According to Forbes, the millennial unemployment rate is 12.8 percent, more than double the national average of 4.9 percent. Luckily, if you’re in the market, the New Year may… Read More