Blog

Retirement: Have You Considered an IRA?

January 23, 2019 Putting money into an IRA helps you save for retirement and get tax breaks at the same time. While there are several types of Individual Retirement Accounts, you’ll most commonly hear about ‘Roth’ and ‘traditional’ IRAs. Read more...

October is Cybersecurity Month

October 1, 2018 October is Cybersecurity Month, and we embrace any chance to talk about better practices when it comes to keeping yourself and your information safe online. The fact is, we put more and more of our personal information online every single day. We share our locations and personal info on social media. We increasingly use services like online banking. There is more information about us available online than we likely realize, which is why we need to be increasingly careful to safeguard that information. Here are some quick ways to do that! Read more...

How to Have Your Important Tax Information Ready and Organized

August 16, 2018 It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s TAX SEASON!! Here are some of the emotions associated with tax season: stress, confusion, stress, anticipation (of a good refund), stress, disappointment (when your refund isn’t what you hoped it would be), and stress! Read more...

How to Manage Bills

August 16, 2018 There are a few things that can be counted on in life. Death. Taxes. Superhero movies. And bills! Everyone deals with bills. After high school, no matter where you find yourself in life, there’s a very good chance you have bills pay. Read more...

Tips for Travel

August 16, 2018 June is National Safety Month, and if you visited the blog last month, you know that we were celebrating graduating seniors! Well, many recent grads take the time right after school has ended to experience the wide world before settling down.  It can be so easy to get caught up in the thrill of exotic locales and unfamiliar destinations and neglect some basic safety measures that are so important.  So, here are some tips on how to travel safely this summer! Read more...

Tips for Nailing Your Job Interview

August 16, 2018 It’s job hunting season. That means lots of applying, filling out work histories, and hopefully lots of interviews!  This can easily be the most daunting part of the entire job-hunting process.  Don’t worry – we have you covered with some important job interview tips. Read more...

Money Tips for Graduates

August 16, 2018 You’ve just graduated; maybe from high school or college. Congratulations! That’s a huge achievement! Take a minute and feel good about what you’ve accomplished. Ok. Feel good? Great. Because the rest of your life is now ahead of you, and it’s important that you start planning for it. You are very likely about to experience more freedom and independence than you ever have before, and that can be thrilling and terrifying in equal measures. But preparedness can help with that! So let’s take a look at some ways to get ready to start the rest of your life. Read more...

Tips for Small Businesses

August 16, 2018 Affiliated Bank has relationships with so many great small businesses, and we are thankful for every single one! We love getting to play a part in the growth and prosperity of our community, and we are so grateful that these businesses have chosen to partner with us! Read more...

Pros and Cons of Credit Cards

August 16, 2018 There are few forces in personal finance as polarizing as credit cards. Depending on who you ask, that little piece of plastic is the only way to get by in the modern world, or it’s root of all of society’s problems and will soon plunge us into the apocalypse.   As with most things, the truth is somewhere in the middle and, depends on how mindful you are about your habits.  Credit cards can be a boon to spending, investing, and even saving, or they can lead to serious financial problems that can quickly spiral out of control.  None of this information is terribly groundbreaking, but it can be beneficial to take a brief look at the pros and cons of credit cards. Read more...

Five Ways to Save When Shopping

August 16, 2018 Shopping, whether it’s for your weekly groceries, new clothes, or even a new house or car, can be just as fun and rewarding as it can be stressful and draining. It’s a biological fact that we feel good when we buy new things - it’s just how we’re wired. That rush of dopamine following a big purchase is your brain’s way of telling you that you did a good job and that this new thing will improve your life in some way. However, that rush can often be accompanied by a wave of dread, as you look at the state of your bank account and wonder who has been spending all your money. Here are some ways you can be prepared the next time your wallet is burning a hole in your pocket. Read more...