Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month – A Banker’s Story
September 15 – October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic history is an integral part of American history. Over the years, numerous influential figures from Spanish-speaking populations and Latin America have made significant contributions across various fields, including education, entertainment, sports, and politics. This is why we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in the […]
Anticipating the Fed: How Will a Rate Drop Affect You?
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is scheduled for September 17-18. During that time, the Fed is expected to reduce rates for the first time since March 2022. Beginning in March of 2022, The Federal Reserve Board (“Fed”) implemented a strategy of interest rate management designed to reduce inflation and slow down our national […]
Fighting Sweetheart/Romance Scams is a Team Effort
Romance scams are one of the numerous money-mulling sources of feed for criminals intending to fund terrorism, laundry proceeds from drugs and human trafficking. This type of scam is an intricately operated business aiming to allure, “financially groom,” and eventually deplete their victims of their money. By adopting fake identities online, highly trained individuals dedicate […]
The 3 U’s of Elder Abuse: Urgent, Unsettling, and Unexpected
*June 15th is Elder Abuse Awareness Day One thing we can all hope to do is to live a long life and enjoy our elder years. Many will save their whole life to prepare for retirement. Unfortunately, this nest egg puts a target on the back of many of our loved ones. Elder financial abuse […]
Helping Small Businesses Grow – A Community Banker’s Story
As a community banker I am trained to listen carefully to neighbors, friends, relatives, and contacts wherever I go, for an opportunity to help. Help can come in many forms – lending a hand with yard work, helping someone repair their car, preparing a meal for a family in need, or a million other ways. […]
Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft
Each year, identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), over 800,000 ID theft reports were filed in 2023. Over half of those reports related to credit card or bank fraud. NDBT recommends following these tips to keep your information – […]
Making Intelligent Financial Business Decisions
It seems everyone is talking about the economy these days. During the recent holidays, I had family members ask me where I thought interest rates were headed in 2024. Earlier in 2023, it was all about inflation. Who knows what the hot topic will be this year. In general, I try not to set firm […]
Empowering Communities: The Merits of Community Banking
When I was young, the dream of owning my first car ignited a sense of ambition within me. My father encouraged me to start my journey with a simple act – open a savings account at my local community bank, Security State Bank in Lubbock, Texas. Fueled by this determination and commitment, I deposited my […]
Hispanic Heritage Month – Homeownership
Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the many contributions and achievements the Hispanic and Latino communities have contributed to the United States. It allows us to reflect on our culture, family, values, and our successes as a people. It is also used as an avenue to think about the ways our community can continue to […]
The Home Buyers’ Process: Preparing to Buy
September is National Mortgage Professionals Month* You may be buying a home for the first time, or it has been a while since you have gone through the experience. Either way, you may not be completely clear on the current home-buying process, so let us set the correct expectations and transparency for the home buying […]
