01/26/2022
7 Tips for Buying a Vehicle from a Private Seller
Regardless of whether you find car shopping a thrilling or horrifying experience, you are probably looking for the best deal that you can find. Buying from a private seller potentially allows you to get a used vehicle at a lower price but doing so comes with some additional risk and work. Here are a few tips to ensure your car buying experience has a happy ending.
12/22/2021
How to Start an Emergency Fund
Knowing how to prepare for an emergency or season of uncertainty is never easy, but it is always worthwhile. Having money set aside in an easily accessible savings account for an emergency can remove a little of the stress when traversing a difficult time.
Building an emergency fund may seem overwhelming especially when finances are tight. It is okay to start small. There is no timeline for how quickly it must grow. Simply getting started is the most important step.
Click here to learn how to get started.
11/24/2021
Financial Prep for Your College Life
Dreaming of independence and freedom after high school is part of the high school experience. As graduation approaches, how prepared do you feel to manage your financial life? It is never too late (or early) to start developing financial skills for life after graduation. READ MORE
Dreaming of independence and freedom after high school is part of the high school experience. As graduation approaches, how prepared do you feel to manage your financial life? It is never too late (or early) to start developing financial skills for life after graduation. READ MORE
2/14/2022
Buying Land at Age 19
Buying land doesn’t make the short-term goal list for many high school students, but it did for Trey Grubbs. It trumped fast cars, ATVs, and a traditional post-high school education. And at age 19, Trey checked that goal off his list when he invested in 10 acres of undeveloped land in Southeastern Indiana.
5/20/2022
Why You Need a Loan Officer before You Need a Loan
Kayla Luhrsen’s journey towards home ownership began long before she considered purchasing her first home. It began by building a relationship with a banker and growing her financial knowledge.
“When you’re serious about wanting to purchase your first home, make an appointment with a loan officer,” said Kayla. “They will tell you what you need to do to be able to purchase a home. They will help you understand your debt-to-income, down payments, and any other pertinent information about buying a home.”
11/03/2022
Designing a Small Business
Creating a business run from home may seem like an impossible dream. Haley Bascom challenged impossible thinking. Her passion for interior design and desire for a flexible schedule allowing her to be at home with her kids led her to open Haley Bascom Interiors LLC(Opens in a new Window) earlier this year.
"I always thought I would have to work in an office in a city or urban setting. I never imagined living in a rural setting, raising my kids, and doing what I love from home."
02/23/2023
When Love Stinks - Romance Scammers' Dirty Lies
Romance scammers break your bankers’ hearts. They take advantage of your desire for love, belonging, and affection for one thing – your money.
These thieves are master storytellers and emotional manipulators. They are targeting individuals of all ages in our communities – your neighbor, your child, your elderly parent, or even you.
4/7/2023
20 Things Kids Need to Know for a Healthy Financial Life
Imagine understanding how money, loans, and credit works before ever having to use them. Could it be possible to empower future generations to utilize money as a tool that benefits their lives rather than a stressor that causes pain and struggle?
Knowing when and how to start teaching kids about money can be challenging. It is recommended to introduce the concept of money as early as age three.
5/1/2023
Protecting Yourself Online: 7 Easy Ways to Protect Yourself
Living in the digital age has many advantages. It can also make us vulnerable to fraud, identity theft and other scams, but with a education, awareness, and action, we can protect ourselves.
Keep your computers and mobile devices up to date. Turn on automatic updates so you receive the newest fixes as they become available.
03/8/2023
Debit Card Safety: Shopping Online
Debits cards are handy; although we recommend using a credit card for all online purchases. Debit card fraud, as a result of online use, is higher than in-person debit card transactions.
If you choose to use your debit card online, take the following actions to limit your risk.
01/15/2023
How to Protect Your Parents from Financial Scams
When a scam artist called Cameron Huddleston's mom to tell her to wire money in order to claim a prize, Huddleston had to intercept the calls. Her mom, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, was convinced she had to wire the money as soon as possible.
Here are some steps fraud experts suggest taking to protect your parents and other older adults you care about from falling victim.
12/10/2022
Credit Cards vs. Personal Loans
Most people need (or want) to make a purchase at some point that is more than the cash they have available. Do you wait until you have the money saved, pull out a credit card, or go to the bank for a personal loan?
When should I use a credit card? When should I use a personal loan?
10/24/2022
4 Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early and Save
The desire to own our homes free and clear is financially healthy. Many benefits arise when paying a mortgage off early. And while paying off your mortgage early may seem like a daunting task; it is more realistic than you think with just a little discipline.
8/1/2023
The Power of Reinvesting in the Community
Reinvesting in your community sounds great, but how does one really put that into action?
If you’ve ever wondered if it matters where you deposit your hard-earned money, let me assure you it does.
7/1/2023
What is a Health Savings Account?
A Health Savings Account, HSA, is a tool that employees and employers have to improve their health care options.It is a tax-advantaged way to accumulate savings for medical expenses.
Most banks and even some insurance companies offer HSAs to their customers. Before opening your account, make sure you ask if there is a minimum amount needed to open the account and what fees you may be charged. Friendship's HSA accounts have not account fees or recurring charges.
06/01/2023
The Most Rewarding Careers Are in Banking
Younger employees today receive career advice that often includes a suggestion to ‘follow your passion.’ It sounds very logical, and after all, who wouldn’t want to be passionate about what they intend to do for the rest of their life?
9/1/2023
When It is Safe to Use and Not Use Mobile Payment Apps
The scammers are doing their best to pick your wallet again. This time the fraudsters are using peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile payment apps including Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App to steal our money.
Digital payment methods are not all created equal for fraud prevention and protection. P2P apps are especially risky when not used for their designed purpose. These apps are created by third-party vendors (not banks) to simplify financial transactions between people who know and trust each other.
10/1/2023
Safeguarding Against a Cyberattack
As fraudsters evolve their techniques to find new ways to prey on consumers and small businesses, community banks like Friendship State Bank have continued to serve as our customer’s first line of defense by following industry standards and procedures to protect electronic systems, data applications, and networks from interference.
Our staff also undergoes routine cybersecurity training to spot and thwart attacks, but another essential weapon in the fight against cyber threats is an educated consumer.