Do you keep a budget or track personal spending? Do you have professional help in managing your finances? These are some of the top things to consider in your personal financial planning. Read on to learn the top 5 personal finance questions you should ask.

First Security Bank & Trust hosted their 5^th Annual Community Development Forum on March 29, 2018 at the Muse Norris Center at North Iowa Area Community College.

After a recent visit to Amy’s Food Pantry in Rockford, our Video Bankers wrapped up their February Banking Outside the Box initiative. Employees at each of First Security’s 13 offices worked together to collect non-perishable food items. With the help of customers, who dropped items in our collection bins in each office, we donated over 700 items (which amounted to more than 2,000 servings of food) to Amy’s Food Pantry in Rockford.

"Free" Trial Offers? 
(Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information)

A chance to try something out for free? What have you got to lose?

According to the Internal Revenue Service, more than 70 percent of the nation’s taxpayers received a tax refund averaging nearly $3,000 in 2017 and will get a similar amount this year.

It’s that time of year — tax time. It’s also a great time to get up to speed on tax-related scams. Here are two ways tax scammers might target you and what you can do about it:

From mid-December until Christmas, our Video Bankers, Jessica Hartwell, Sara Titus, and Kendra Thomas, spent three days delivering poinsettias with their coworkers at our Nora Springs, Riceville, Manly, and Charles City locations. They were able to visit local businesses, care centers, and individuals that give back to their communities with gifts of poinsettias to spread joy and appreciation this holiday season.

December has been a busy month full of shopping, gift giving, and fun for our Video Bankers’ Banking Outside the Box initiative!

For many people, it is important to take time during the holiday season to give to those who are in need. Donating to your favorite cause can be fulfilling, but it’s important to ensure that your gift reaches the intended source. Follow these tips to become a savvy charitable giver this holiday season:

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... to buy toys and gifts for children. Here are some very basic tips to consider before and after purchasing a new toy, to be sure you are making safe choices for the children in your life:

Introducing Billi and Zion! Billi Kraft, Video Banking Supervisor, has been a part of video banking since the beginning in June of 2015. For November, First Security has decided to partner with PAWS Humane Society in Charles City to help spread awareness of animals available for adoption, all in efforts to find fur-ever homes before the holidays. 

Introducing Sara and Magic! Sara Titus has been a part of our Video Banking team for almost a year. Immediately when arriving at PAWS, Sara fell in love with the young kittens and the idea of fostering animals. For November, First Security has decided to partner with PAWS Humane Society in Charles City to help spread awareness of animals available for adoption, all in efforts to find fur-ever homes before the holidays. 

As consumers step up their online shopping leading up to the holidays, it’s a prime time of the year for identity theft. While you are busy snagging hot deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thieves are phishing for your information.

Introducing Sydney and Simba! Sydney Keifer joined our Video Banking team in early May to work the evening shifts. She was anxious to begin our Banking Outside the Box volunteer activities. She was by far most excited to get to spend her day with kittens! For November, First Security has decided to partner with PAWS Humane Society in Charles City to help spread awareness of animals available for adoption, all in efforts to find fur-ever homes before the holidays. 

Introducing Kendra and Buddy! Kendra Thomas joined our Video Banking team in early September and was immediately excited to begin our adventure, “Banking Outside the Box”. For November, First Security has decided to partner with PAWS Humane Society in Charles City to help spread awareness of animals available for adoption, all in efforts to find fur-ever homes before the holidays. 

Today is the kick off for Banking Outside the Box, a campaign meant to highlight our Video Bankers and their involvement in the communities they serve.

Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. In 2016, there were 15.4 million victims of identity fraud in the U.S., according to Javelin Strategy and Research. First Security recommends following these tips to keep your information – and your money – safe.

Kurt Herbrechtsmeyer, president and CEO of First Security Bank & Trust in Charles City, has been elected chair of the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA) for 2017-2018. Herbrechtsmeyer began his term as chair during the IBA Annual Convention, September 17-19 in Des Moines.

Changes in the rules for Automated Clearing House (ACH) credits and debits will go into effect September 15, 2017. Once these changes begin, virtually all types of electronic payments for both credits and debits may be processed on the same day that they are originated. This will speed up the payment system, which is a great benefit when you are receiving a payment. However, this also means that when you are making a payment, it will now clear faster.

Read more for examples of same day payments.

8 easy ways to get more out of your money in less time 

Doing more in less time; you know that's how technology can help you work smarter. But do you realize you can use it to bank smarter, too — and get more out of your money in a lot less time?

The television commercials make it look so easy; parents tearfully wave goodbye as their child sets off on their journey to college. Then, when the child is out of sight, those same parents excitedly race off to transform the child's room into a playroom or reading retreat.

That's the scripted version. The reality is quite different. 

As new college students across the nation head back to school, they face a new reality of financial responsibility. Living away from home comes with many temptations, but indulging too much can do serious harm to a student’s credit history.

Tornados. Floods. Wildfires.

Mother Nature’s extraordinary powers of destruction leave survivors struggling to put their lives back together.

Once you start receiving your first paychecks after graduation, knowing how to spend or save your money wisely can be tough. While you may be able to do your banking with just a few taps on your phone, managing money well is much more complicated. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency received more than 400,000 complaints in 2016 from consumers reporting they were victims of impersonation scams. One of the most common is called the “Grandparent Scam,” which uses impersonation tactics to deliberately target and exploit older Americans.

Ah, spring! It's the season of renewal, when we can count on longer and brighter days, the return of baseball and the urge to get the house in order. That goes for many people's financial houses as well. Spring is a good time to comb through your personal finances and ensure that you're managing your budget, credit cards, investments and insurance in the best possible way. Here's how to get started.

Hardwood floors. Sleek new appliances. Back yard landscaping. If you own a home, chances are you have a pretty good idea about the steps you can take to improve it. But did you realize you can freshen and improve another aspect of your home? You can make over your mortgage by refinancing.

Human beings are habit-creating machines, craving any mental or physical shortcut that lets us focus on higher-level thoughts, such as what’s for lunch or developing theories about Netflix dramas.

Bad money habits are more difficult to steer out of than other automated behaviors like driving a car. Why? Financial peace of mind is a much more subtle reward than the satisfaction of navigating a half-ton piece of metal through city streets without death or injury.

Still, every person who is good at money learned good habits, which means you can, too. “What we know from lab studies is that it’s never too late to break a habit. Habits are malleable throughout your entire life,” Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” told NPR.

Tax season is underway, and that means your tax refund—and your identity—are in play for identity thieves out to make easy money.

The weeks leading up to April 15 – tax deadline day – are often vulnerable ones for consumers, as W-2s and tax returns containing their personal information circulate over the internet and through the mail.