Get Money-Smart With Resources to Guide Your Financial Wellness

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FFL University

Wherever you are on your financial journey, whatever goals you want to meet, FFL University supports you. Take our 30-second assessment to generate a personalized playlist of educational videos.

Featured Resources:

Banking

Banking guidance for financial wellness.

What is Financial Therapy?

Money is a sensitive and personal topic for most people, and it can evoke strong emotions and often be a source of stress and anxiety. Struggling to pay bills, pay…

Considering a Financial Caregiver

Getting older comes with a lot of unique challenges. One such challenge is a decline in mental abilities. When you’ve had an aging parent who has experienced a decrease in…

How a Smart Home Can Save You Money

Smart homes have become increasingly popular due to their convenience, comfort, and security benefits. However, one of the most significant advantages of having a smart home is that it can…

Why Your Credit Utilization Ratio Matters

Credit cards have become an essential and ubiquitous tool for purchase transactions and managing finances. While credit cards have several benefits, it’s best to use them with care because poor…

Safe Practices for Mobile Banking

Although mobile banking is relatively new technologically, its popularity has skyrocketed. Offering a convenient way for people to access their bank accounts and perform transactions on the go, it’s no…

Bump-Up CDs vs. Step-Up CDs

The main attraction of a certificate of deposit (CD) is its fixed interest rate. Opening a CD in a bank or credit union allows you to lock in an interest…

Avoiding Tax Penalties

Avoiding Tax Penalties Mistakes are common when filing and paying your taxes. In such a case, it’s best to know what types of penalties you can incur and how to…

    Home Ownership

    Financial tips to help make homebuying easier.

    Should You Refinance Into a Shorter Term Mortgage?

    When mortgage rates are high — and in December 2023, the rate for a 30-year mortgage loan was at 6.66 percent, while the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage loan was at 6.06…

    15-Year vs 30-Year Mortgages

    What makes more sense financially for you, a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage or a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage? Both loan types come with their positives and negatives. So how do you determine…

    Fixed Rate vs Adjustable Rate Mortgages

    You are ready to apply for a mortgage. Your question? Should you take out a fixed-rate loan or an adjustable rate? As with most mortgage questions, there is no one…

    Additional Financial Home Buying Obligations

    You have found your dream home in the perfect neighborhood for you and your family. You have even determined that you will be able to afford the monthly mortgage payments…

    Buying vs Renting a Home

    Does it make more sense to rent than to buy? That has been a long-running debate in this country. However, the question is flawed: There is no correct answer. There…

    Down Payment Strategies for First-Time Home Buyers

    The idea of buying a first home is exciting. However, coming up with a sizable down payment can feel like an impossible task. That is especially true when many lenders…

    Home Affordability

    You are ready to make the jump from renting to buying a home. That is good news. The National Association of Realtors’ latest report for 2023 states that the median…

      Financial Planning

      Plan for your future with these insights.

      What is a Mutual Fund?

      When you want to build a diversified portfolio of assets within a single investment, try using a mutual fund. Mutual funds are a form of investment frequently used by long-term…

      Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

      Working in government service or for a non-profit organization might qualify you for the public service loan forgiveness program (PSLF). However, to fully qualify, you’ll also need to have made…

      Employer-Sponsored Repayment Programs

      Certain companies and government agencies offer benefit programs as part of their employment to assist employees in paying off their student loans. Employers can offer employees up to $5,250 as…

      Diversifying While Investing

      Diversification is an investment strategy that combines a wide variety of investments in a portfolio to reduce risks associated with investing. By combining different kinds of assets in a portfolio,…

      Investing in Stocks

      Investing in stocks can be an exciting and potentially lucrative way to grow wealth. Stocks represent ownership in a company, and their value can rise or fall based on various…

      Investing in ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds)

      ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, are an excellent way of investing in the securities markets. ETFs include a basket of securities to trade on the stock exchange, like mutual funds. They…

      How Much Do You Need to Retire?

      Most people know that you need to save money for retirement. However, how many people know how much money they need to save? Do you? According to the 2022 Retirement…

        Security

        Best practices to protect your identity and finances.

        Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

        Identity theft remains a serious issue in the United States. How serious? According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, 233.9 million records were exposed so far to identity theft in…

        Protecting Yourself Against Medical Identity Theft

        When someone hears the words “identity theft,” they immediately think of a stolen name or even social security number, but no one thinks about medical identity theft. The usual culprits…

        Protecting Your Family Against Child Identity Theft

        Child identity theft is nothing short of heartbreaking. Unfortunately, many victims of this crime only find out about it when they are older and need essential services, such as student…

        Identity Theft and Fraud

        Ready to test your personal security knowledge? You’ll have ten multiple choice questions to answer. Click on each question to reveal the question and multiple choice answers. After you’ve completed…

        Steps financial institutions take to combat identity theft

        Federal law requires banks, investment brokers, mutual funds and other creditors to adopt identity theft prevention programs. This is the Red Flags Rule, so-named because its central feature requires financial…

        8 Tips to Protect Your Identity

        Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. In 2017, there were 16.7 million victims of identity fraud in the U.S., according to…

        Shopping Safely Online

        Online shopping has become increasingly common in recent years as a convenient alternative to going out to stores. However, the time and energy you save by shopping online could be…

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          Family Finances

          Practical advice for teaching your children (at any age!) about money management.

          Retirement & Savings

          Learn the ins and outs of saving for retirement. 

          Budgeting 101

          If you follow these five easy steps, creating a budget that works for you does NOT have to be scary!

            Interested in Business Banking Resources?

            Navigating the world of business is easier when you have resources and tools at the ready.