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By Joan Honeycutt The days of summer are fading fast, but for many central Illinois residents, that isn’t all bad news.  For some, the hot, sunny days of July are hard to beat.  Yet with its cool relief from the heat and spectacular views, autumn is also a beloved season in central Illinois.  The kids

By Steve Wedig Many working Americans are already sold on the idea of HSA’s.  HSA’s (which stands for health savings accounts) are a great way to cut down on healthcare costs.  Contributions to an HSA can be deducted from your taxes and any interest that is accrued in the account will also be tax free. 

By Mary Lukow Student loan debt has become an epidemic in our country today.  The total student loan debt weighs in at over 1.2 trillion dollars.  Students exiting college with a burdensome debt load may find that it complicates life and keeps them from making choices like buying a house or starting a family.  Many

By Tom Cleary Money doesn’t grow on trees.  It doesn’t just appear in your bank account or arrive on your doorstep.  You work hard for the money you have, and you don’t want to just throw it away.  Having to pay overdraft fees may make it seem like that’s exactly what you are doing.  No

By Andrea Eldert Everyone needs a place to live.  While you can spend a few nights on a friend’s couch, it’s not a permanent solution.  The question that remains is whether to rent or buy your home.  The answer, however, is not a simple choice.  Rather, it depends on you and where you find yourself

By Cindy Cabbage As the breezy days of spring melt into the balmy days of summer, you may notice that your energy costs are on the rise.  Air conditioners are notorious for consuming large amounts of energy so when the weather turns hot, cooling bills will increase.  Few of us are ready to turn off

By Craig Gocken For any small business, managing cash flow is a major concern. Even if sales and profits are good, cash flow may still suffer due to the timing of inflows and outflows of cash. However, cash flow for a farming operation can be even more susceptible to changes in certain conditions. These are

By Joan Honeycutt Today it seems like everyone is concerned with security.  Keeping your assets safe requires more than just locking your doors at night.  Identity theft and debit card fraud are serious threats that result in financial loss and significant inconvenience.  Because these issues are so serious, Federated Bank is always on the look-out

By Andrea Eldert Everything is more difficult the first time you do it.  This includes the first time you buy a home.  You’ve never been through the process so you don’t know what to expect.  Without any previous experience, you don’t know what mistakes to avoid.  You probably aren’t even sure what kinds of questions

By Steve Wedig Are you a planner?  Do you give thought to every possible future circumstance and devise a strategy for handling it if it should occur?  If you are a small business owner, it is very likely that you are a decent planner at the minimum.  Starting and running a small business takes a