Have you ever received a call from someone pretending to be from a business, bank, or government agency, but it turned out to be a SCAM? These are called “imposter scams”, and they are one of the fastest growing and most devastating schemes out there today. Read on to learn more about imposter scams...

There are various types of savings accounts to consider when preparing for financial stability, regardless of where you are in your personal or professional life. Consistently setting aside a portion of your income is important to prepare for the unexpected. Accumulating a nest egg enables you to...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released a report of the top reported consumer frauds of 2022. The most frequently reported frauds involved imposter scams, with the vast majority of the fraudsters having contacted their victim by phone call or text message. Imposter scams can take many...

Seeing your child graduate is an emotional experience, and you’ll feel some nostalgia for their younger years. The right family financial guide can help give your new grads what they need to set themselves up. Read more on how you can set them up for success. If you're a parent, a family financial...

Building and sticking to a robust financial wellness checklist is the best way to assess your situation. Are you looking to review where you are with your finances? Wary of your financial fitness and how you stack up? Use this list to check your financial health today. The start of a new year is the...

If you get an SMS message supposedly from your bank about a fraud alert, be wary. The scheme tries to scare you into believing the scammers are representatives of your bank. An automated SMS message will appear on your phone, claiming to be a fraud alert from a banking institution. It’ll then ask if...

Home improvement projects can be sizable undertakings. Whether trying to sell or just looking to spruce things up, the financial commitment can get as steep as the project itself. Have you considered using your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to tackle your next home improvement project? Your...

If you’re finding it difficult to manage multiple payments and feeling overwhelmed, consolidating your debts into a single loan with one monthly payment might be the solution. Debt consolidation is a strategy to streamline your finances and alleviate the burden on your bank account. What Is Debt...

Deposit Your Next Check With Your Phone Making a deposit with your phone is an easy process and will save you a trip to the bank. But, if you have never done this before it may be a bit intimidating. At First Bank & Trust, a division of HTLF Bank, we want to make this process as easy as possible for you - it's as simple as...

Spending Money Now to Benefit Your Future No matter what your plans are for your life, you don’t want money to get in the way of achieving your goals. As such, you may want to consider investing your money during each stage of your life to make your aspirations are more attainable. Going to School...

Avoid Using Your Savings For the Unneeded Things Sometimes there’s not enough room in the budget for extras. Perhaps you have your eye on a new pair of shoes, are eager to upgrade your living room with a new couch or you have to be the first in your friend group to possess the latest gadget. If you...

Does a Home’s Value Go Up With a Bathroom Renovation? Deciding what home improvement projects to invest in can be tricky. You don’t want to pour money into a renovation or remodel that won’t pay off when you go to sell. If you’re eager to increase your home’s value, consider starting in a small, but...