Blogs

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, connecting us with our friends, family, and community. While social media platforms offer countless opportunities for communication and engagement, they also present risks that users need to be aware of, particularly when it comes to social engineering and scams. Read on so you can protect yourself from social engineers on social media. What is social engineering? Social engineering is the manipulation of our natural human tendency to trust what we see and who we interact with. On social media platforms, these attackers manipulate their...

Knowing and understanding your finances is important. The system you use to manage them should be straight-forward, but without a primary checking account it can be a challenge to complete many essential financial transactions easily. A checking account is used for day-to-day banking, including depositing your paycheck, withdrawing cash and paying bills. There are various types of checking accounts to consider. The right fit depends on what you want your checking account to do for you. Here are some types to choose from: Standard checking account: Typically, standard checking account types are...

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 build wealth for long-term goals such as buying a home, retiring, or funding your child's college education. It is beneficial to understand that each savings account type has unique uses, advantages, disadvantages, and interest rates. How Much Savings Should You Have at Different Stages of Life...

Summer travel is around the corner – here are some tips from Minnesota Bank & Trust, a division of HTLF Bank to keep your accounts safe so you can enjoy the sun and focus on family fun. Don’t bring anything you don’t need: Leave checkbooks and checks at home, in a locked safe. Use cash or credit cards for purchases. Also, go through your purse or wallet and remove any cards you won’t be using, as well as receipts. Put deliveries on hold: Put your mail on “postal hold” stating you wish to have your mail held at the post office for a period of time. This also goes for regular deliveries, like meal services or coffee delivery...

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 forms, including posing as government agencies, well-known companies, your bank, and even a family member or friend. These scammers impersonate someone else to gain access to personal information or trick victims into making cash payments. The FTC received reports on over 5.2 million cases of fraud...