Blog
Business owners, come up with a financial plan for your retirement
The problem with saving for retirement is that there’s no way to know exactly how much you need to put away.
The secret to building a strong small business community
Family is a big part of life for community oriented business owners (COBOs).
The importance of keeping personal and business accounts separate
It can be tempting for entrepreneurs to merge their personal and business accounts, but this decision could spell disaster if your company goes under.
Creating Your Financial Plan
Creating a financial plan may seem like a task for only the very wealthy. But anyone with goals for the future, such as buying a house or saving for a child’s education, will benefit from having a plan to help reach those objectives. Successful financial...
Breaking down the formula for improving your small business’ cash flow
The formula for improving your cash flow is a simple one.
Setting up an annual financial plan for your business
Putting together a financial plan for your company will help ensure you’re prepared to fund operations and generate income.
In the Valentine’s spirit, plan your financial future as a couple
At this time of year, love is in the air. Many couples are focused on pushing out all the stops to make their Valentine’s Day offerings the best that they can be, and personal finance can often fall by the wayside.
Don’t overlook succession planning
According to a 2009 study conducted by The Family Firm Institute, fewer than one-third of family-owned small businesses make it to the second generation, approximately 15 percent to the third and just 3 percent to the fourth and beyond.
Keeping up with your company’s cash flow
Money goes in, money goes out. Make sure your business checking account is up to the challenge.
Local economies are good for residents’ health, study finds
According to a study by sociologists at Louisiana State University (LSU) and Baylor University, communities with a greater concentration of locally-owned small businesses have healthier populations compared to areas that rely on large companies for industry.
Chamber of Commerce survey: Outlook bright for local economies
A recently released United States Chamber of Commerce study revealed that although the national economy continues to falter and many small business owners believe the country is on the wrong track, the outlook is better for local economies.
Wise Moves for Young Families
Once you have children, a new sense of responsibility takes over. With a small person depending on you, you want to do what’s best for your young family. Here are a few wise moves to consider. Begin with a Budget To get your budget started, find out where your...
Clean Up the Clutter
If piles of financial documents have taken over your home, it’s time to clean up the clutter. Here are a few ways to clean your financial house. Get Organized Sort through the piles and arrange documents into groups. For example, put all your tax records into...
Making a Plan and Checking It Twice
Want to give yourself a really valuable and lasting present? How about a financial plan? Promise yourself that once the holidays are over, you’ll take time to thoroughly review your finances — and come up with a strategy for reaching all your goals. Begin...
ARE YOU READY?
A Checklist for the New Year The start of every new year brings the promise of new beginnings. It’s a time to think about setting new goals and resolving to do new things. If one of your resolutions for 2012 is to find new and better ways to manage your finances...
Presents for the Future
Would you like to give your children or grandchildren different kinds of gifts this holiday season? Financial gifts never go out of style. Some ideas: Stock or mutual fund shares. Your gift may spur a lifetime interest in investing. The “kiddie tax”...
Avoid Credit Hangover
First United Bank & Trust is kicking off the 2011 holiday shopping season with tips to manage holiday spending and avoid a post-holiday credit hangover. “Consumers spreading holiday cheer should keep in mind that January bills are only a month away,”...
Curbing Credit Card Debt
You’re certainly not alone if you’re carrying more credit card debt from month to month than you’d like to be. Breaking the cycle is rarely easy, but the benefits of wiping burdensome debt off your personal balance sheet can be huge. Here’s how...
Money Market Funds
How Much Do You Know About Them? Looking for an investment that’s highly liquid and presents very little risk to your principal? A money market mutual fund* may be a good choice. Money market mutual funds typically invest in high-quality,...
Using Home Equity Financing
Using the equity you have in your home to secure a loan may be a tax-wise method of financing or refinancing some of your personal and business expenditures. Here are a few home equity-borrowing techniques that may save you tax dollars. Financing Personal...
School’s in Session:
College Savings Plans Your children or grandchildren may be tiny tots today, but they’ll be off to college before you can say “Where’s the money coming from?” If your long-term investment goals include financing a child’s education,...
Making Room for Personal Financial Management
Are the demands of a successful career cutting heavily into the time you have available for non-work-related tasks like managing your personal finances? If you are unable to give your investments, taxes, and other financial affairs the attention they require, the...
My Bank Mobile is here!
Now you can do your banking when you need it! Access your financial accounts anytime, anywhere, with your mobile device. We use the latest mobile banking technology to protect your account and identity. My Bank Mobile makes it easy to take care of your...
Save Your Spare Change
A cup of coffee here, a candy bar there. A magazine, a soda, a DVD or video game rental. Have you ever thought about how much you’re spending on little things? Paying out a few bucks a day may seem like pocket change — until you start adding it up. Bean...
An Education in Saving for College
Does it seem like you need an advanced degree to figure out the best way to save for your child’s college education? Before you hit the books, we can help you sort through a variety of investment options, each with its own pros and cons. 529 Savings Plans...
Money Talks . . . So Should Couples
New lovebirds often spend hours talking. They share stories from childhood, funny anecdotes from high school and college, and their future hopes and dreams. But, unless a couple has talked about money, they don’t completely know each other. Many couples avoid...
Speed Up Saving
Speed Up Saving While Slowing Down Spending Do you find that money pours out of your checking account and only trickles into your savings account? If stemming cash outflow each week is difficult, consider strategies to help you decrease spending and increase your...
College Student and – Landlord?
Don’t laugh! It may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. As college housing costs continue to rise, you may want to check out the housing market in the town where your child attends school. Buying a house in a college town can provide your child with a place to...
Financial Tips for the Newly Single
If your marriage has ended and you are single again, make sure all your financial arrangements reflect your new status. Here are a few tips to help get your new financial life off to a good start. Tip #1: Change Your Beneficiary. A divorce generally has no automatic...
Online Resources for Consumers
Consumers of all ages are increasingly turning to the Internet for help with managing their finances, but knowing where to go online for reliable, practical money tips can be challenging. That's why the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has compiled a "Top 10"...
Couples and Money
Ask some couples how often they discuss financial issues, and you could be greeted by blank stares. Ask those same couples how often they argue about money, and you might get an earful. According to family counselors, finances are a major source of disagreement...
Education Fund on Empty?
If you don’t have enough money saved to send your high schooler to college, don’t give up hope. You still may be able to get your college planning back on the road again.
Better Than a Crystal Ball
As you welcome the new year, you’re probably not thinking about the many ways that life could take a turn for the worse. But it could. An illness, a natural disaster, or an unexpected financial setback are only some of the events that could disrupt your life and...
Home Renovations that Don’t Pay
Some improvements are likely to increase your home’s value. However, others may actually decrease potential buyers’ interest in your home. So, put away your toolbox until you know more about projects that typically don’t pay. Too Much Improvement...
Education Insurance
If you have read the papers or listened to the news lately, you are probably well aware that the cost of a college education keeps rising — generally, at a rate higher than the rate of inflation. A private college that would have charged $12,000 per year for...
6 Steps to Better Finances
Pick up a magazine and you’re bound to find a plan for improving something — eating healthier, losing weight, clearing clutter, you name it! But here’s a plan that can really make a difference. Follow the steps and you’ll be on your way to a...
Find a Penny, Save It Up
When the economy is turbulent and the costs of the items you buy every day are rising, it may seem impossible to save more for your long-term goals. Yet making a few changes to your daily routine may help you uncover some money you could start saving instead of...
A Gift Worth Giving
Giving a gift of life insurance may be a solution.
Get on Track with a Spending Plan
Have you ever felt like you’re walking on a treadmill with your personal finances — doing a lot of work but not getting anywhere? If so, you may need a spending plan to get back on track. A spending plan is a tool for prioritizing your financial goals and...
Higher Education = High Debt?
For many families, the path to a college degree is paved with debt. As tuition has increased at more than twice the inflation rate for the past decade, more parents and students are borrowing money to pay the costs of a higher education. The average student loan debt...