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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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 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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This article was written by Chris O’Shea from SavvyMoney. How to prioritize an emergency fund or retirement savings. Having a well-stocked emergency fund is important. But so is saving for retirement. How do you know which one to focus on? Well, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you should know. An Emergency Fund is Important An emergency fund is extremely important. If something unexpected happens, you don’t want to be completely unprepared. When deciding on
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This article was written by Jean Chatzky from SavvyMoney Hub. Goodwill deletions and other tips for boosting your credit score.  Do one thing: Make sure you are reviewing your credit reports regularly to ensure that the information is accurate. After all, you can’t fix what you don’t know about. When it comes to our credit scores, it pays to know where you stand at all times. After all, the higher your score, the more you can potentially save on mortgage rates, car
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This blog post was published by Jean Chatzky from SavvyMoney Hub, with reporting by Casandra Andrews. Discover where you are on the road to financial wellness with these tips and tools. Improving Your Financial Health is Possible. How we handle our finances can be seriously stressful.  Stress Over Finances. This truth applies not just to you — it impacts millions of Americans daily. A March 2024 survey found that nearly half of U.S. adults (47%) admitted that money harms
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For more in depth information regarding this article, download the entire report here. What is the Beige Book? The Beige Book is a Federal Reserve System publication about current economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. It characterizes regional economic conditions and prospects based on a variety of mostly qualitative information, gathered directly from each District’s sources. Reports are published eight times per year. What is the purpose of the Beige Book? The
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Happy New Year all! We hope you enjoyed the holiday season with family and friends. In our previous commercial blog post, we discussed how to apply for a small business loan and what the application process involves. Today, given that it is the beginning of a new year, we will discuss how to develop a budget. The budgeting process varies depending on the size and needs of your business. For larger entities, you will likely work within your accounting software and with your accountant. For smaller
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For more in depth information regarding this article, download the entire report here. This article was written by Brodie Oldham, Vice President of Commercial Data Sciences from Experian Business Information Services. Beyond the Trends is a quarterly report written by Experian Business Information Services. The report offers a unique view of the small business economy based on what we see in the data. With up to date information on over 33 million active businesses and how they perform from a
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