News - Page 20

VisionBank will have a Secure Shred truck available and free to the public at our Boone, Huxley, and Ogden locations on the morning of Saturday, April 2nd. To help us practice safe social distancing, please place the items you'd like to have shred in the trunk of your vehicle, we'll take care of the rest! 

Looking to do something romantic for your significant other this Valentine’s Day? Forget the box of chocolates and roses (okay, maybe not the chocolate). Raising your credit score to match your partners might be the most romantic gesture. Why? Because it could be the key to a more stable relationship.

Setting a financial goal is easy. Attaining that goal is the hard part. Here are some ways to make the road to your financial goal as smooth as possible.

Consumers are vaguely aware of the ins and outs of credit freezes, and that might be a bad thing. A recent study found that while 75 percent of Americans know of the credit freeze process, 71 percent said they’ve never given it a try. Here is what you should know about an effective financial tool.

The time might be right to refinance your mortgage. Mortgage rates are still right around three percent, and that’s low enough to save many people lots of cash. In one recent report, there were 11 million American homeowners who could lower their mortgage by .75 percentage or more. The same study found that of those eligible for lowering their mortgage rate, the average savings worked out to about $279 per month. Here’s everything to consider about refinancing.

Eighty percent of people fail to actually achieve their New Year’s goals every year, according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s not surprising that the number is high — but does it have to be that high? Not where you’re concerned, particularly if you’re making a resolution that involves your money.

The end of 2021 is coming. That means it’s time to address your 401(k). You want to make sure you’re getting the most value out of this retirement account. Here are some moves to make before 2022 arrives.

Did you resolve to slim down your spending or beef up your savings this year? About 41 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but less than 72 percent are kept through the first week (and less than half are maintained after six months). Why do we fall off the wagon? We’re either too ambitious (one resolution at a time is best) or lack a clear-cut strategy. Translating your goal into an actionable plan (and breaking it up into achievable benchmarks) should make long-term success more possible. Here are some financial resolutions to consider and how to go about them week-by-week.

When you are in a funk, it’s human nature to seek ways to make yourself feel better. For most people, buying something is scientifically proven to give your brain a little boost… at least for a few minutes.

With so much angst already at play, how can we do the holidays without going overboard?

They say money and friends don’t mix, and there’s certainly some truth to that. However, life isn’t always black and white. One day you might find yourself in a situation where you are pondering lending money to a loved one. If that happens, consider the following before going through with the transaction.