Press Release: Beecher, IL. (May 6, 2025) — First Community Bank and Trust (FCBT) and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) encourage Americans to reinvest in their local community by shopping with small businesses during National Small Business Week, May 4-10, 2025. Small businesses account for two out of every three jobs added to the economy.  “At the center of our commitment to fostering local prosperity is empowering small businesses,” says Cameron Ohlendorf,
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Alerts on all types of accounts, not just your bank account, can help protect both your personal information and your money. They notify you when expected and unexpected activity occur. First eAlerts and My Cards debit card controls at First Community Bank and Trust are easy to set up and customizable to best fit your needs. You can choose to receive account activity alerts in up to three different ways, ensuring you stay informed in real time. These alerts provide instant notifications about
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This article was written by Jen A. Miller and featured in the Independent Banker Magazine. Artificial intelligence has streamlined spear phishing, a kind of cyberattack involving emails, video calls or other forms of communication facilitated by fraudsters posing as a trusted colleague, boss or organization. Here’s how community banks, like First Community Bank and Trust, can hit back. In 2023, an employee of multinational design and engineering company, Arup, thought he was just doing
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Spring is here! While most of us focus on cleaning out the closet or freshening up our homes, it’s also the perfect time to take a step back and tidy up your finances. A financial spring cleaning not only helps you organize your money but also gives you the opportunity to assess your goals and set yourself up for a successful financial year. Here’s how you can spring clean your finances in just a few simple steps. 1. Review and Update Your Budget Spring is the perfect time to reassess
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Press Release: Beecher, IL. (April 1, 2025)—First Community Bank and Trust (FCBT) and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) are celebrating Financial Literacy Month in April by encouraging Americans to take control of their financial future and learn fiscally responsible habits that can benefit them at every age and stage of their financial journey. 27% of Americans report that “just getting by financially or finding it hard to get by” describes them completely or
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This blog post was written by Beauceron Security. Romance scams are among the most psychologically manipulative forms of cyber fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans reported over $1 billion in losses to romance scams in 2023, making it one of the costliest types of consumer fraud. Given the right circumstances, any person can fall prey to these scams as they tap into powerful aspects of what it is to be human. Being vigilant to these scams can protect
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This is an excerpt from the Visa Business and Economic Insights for February 2025. For more in depth information regarding this article, download the entire report here. Our regional forecasts indicate that all U.S. regions outperformed our economic growth expectations for Q4-2024. The pace of job creation accelerated in the final two months of the year, leading us to upwardly revise our employment growth estimates for the South and West. As a result of stronger hiring and two additional rate
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In the course of daily operations for every small business owner, there will likely come a time when a trusted professional resource is needed to provide sound advice that ultimately benefits the business. These benefits may come in the form of cost savings, generating sales growth, investment solutions, minimizing tax liabilities or potential liability issues. That’s why every business, from sole proprietorships to corporations, should have a trusted Resource Team in place.     Probably
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This blog post was published by Chis O’Shea from SavvyMoney Hub. What to know about child identity theft. Believe it or not, child identity theft is a big deal. According to a study, from 2021 to 2022, 900,000 children were the victims of identity fraud, with kids under seven the most likely targets. Let’s take a look at this issue and find ways to prevent it from ever happening. Signs of ID Theft There are some ways you can tell if your child has been the victim of identity
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This blog post was published by Jean Chatzky from SavvyMoney, with reporting by Casandra Andrews. Follow these fraud prevention tips to help protect seniors from losing their savings. It seems like scammers never sleep. Criminals are constantly coming up with creative ways to steal money from unsuspecting people, especially older Americans. Each year, millions of elderly adults in the United States fall victim to financial frauds, suffering $3 billion or more in losses, according to the FBI. A
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