Blog

By Matt Clark In this day and age, you cannot be too careful. Thieves and hackers are always looking for a way to enrich themselves at your expense. It is good to be a little cautious, trying to avoid those activities that would put you at risk for fraud. So you may be wondering: What

By Joan Honeycutt We have officially entered the Christmas season. It is a season that many of us look forward to – the shopping, the gift-giving, the festive gatherings, the extra time spent with family and friends. Unfortunately, this is also the season of increased charity scamming. It is sad to say that it is

By Steve Wedig Bookkeeping may not win any award for favorite leisure activity, but it is an important and helpful component of running a business. Even if you’re not a natural-born accountant, with a right understanding of what is encompassed by bookkeeping and how accurate bookkeeping can give you a competitive advantage in your business,

By Domi Garcia Halloween can be a lot of fun. Candy, costumes, and staying out past dark. What more could any kid ask for? But as adults we know that even on a night that is meant to be filled with good friends and happy times, it is still necessary to use common sense and

By Matt Clark, President of Federated Bank If you are like most people, your days are full, your to-do list is long, and your life is complicated. The reality of that statement drives us to constantly look for ways to reduce effort, save time, and be more organized. If you want to do all three,

By Craig Gocken Processing payroll is a necessary component of the administration of nearly every small business. So if everyone is doing it, it must be “no big deal,” right? Well, yes and no. It is commonplace, and many businesses figure it out and have no real problems. On the other hand, it is not

By Tom Cleary, Vice President Chebanse Facility Ready or not, October 1st will be here before you know it. And this year that date will mean more than just chilly weather, colorful leaves, and football games; it will be the date that the EMV card becomes the standard for security in merchant processing. If you

By Mary Lukow, Assistant Manager, Chebanse Facility It is never too early to teach your kids about finances. Now I’m not advocating that you try to explain how to calculate compounding interest to your 2-year-old. That is not a worthwhile endeavor! However, once you’re past the toddler stage, any child can learn some basic financial

By Joan Honeycutt, Vice President Onarga Facility A lot has changed over the last 20 years. Even the way we do simple tasks like paying our bills and balancing our checkbooks looks a lot different than it did in 1995. While that is true for much of the population, it may not be true for

By Cindy Cabbage, Assistant Vice President Loda Facility Are you looking to get away for some summer fun but don’t want to spend the time or money to travel too far? The good news is that you don’t have to! Fortunately, Illinois has some great places to visit no matter what you think makes a