Personal

The Small Bank Advantage: Service over Services

Looking for a new banking relationship? Choose wisely. Financial institutions are not “one-size-fits-all.” Ask yourself: What are you looking for in a bank? Dig deeper. What services are important to you? Most all banks offer similar products and services. But that’s...

Making Resolutions Stick in Seven Steps

New Year’s Resolutions are made to be broken. We resolve to save more. Spend less. Quit smoking. Get fit. Instead of sticking with those lofty goals, we stink at them. Half of us make resolutions. But a week after the ball drops in Times Square, a quarter of us have...

A HELPFUL GUIDE TO SNAGGIN YEAR-END DEALS ON CARS

The car dealership that intimidates you throughout the year is more like Santa than the Grinch during the holidays, gifting the ride on your wish list at a big discount courtesy of manufacturer’s rebates and hard-to-pass-up finance deals. But does this wisdom ring...

Outsmart Old Man Winter with Home Improvements

Did you hear the dismal forecast? The vaunted Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a torturous mix of above-normal precipitation and below-normal temps this winter. Is your home ready for the frigid onslaught? It’s estimated 30 percent of your heat and, in turn,...

Have you saved enough for retirement?

A number of online savings calculators demonstrate how much your savings will be worth in the future. Just plug in your current savings, how many years you plan to save, and average annual gains and -- thanks to compounding interest -- you see how your savings grows...

How to outfox the grocery store, and save

Our efforts to save $$$ on groceries -- from racking up points on our loyalty cards to clipping coupons -- may be futile, unless we know the tactics employed by retailers to get us to part with our hard-earned dollars. When we’re aware of these tactics, we respond...

Energy audits: Your guide to saving green via being green

Our utility bill$ have reflected what has been an unseasonably cool spring so far. And there may be no sign of relief (from Mother Nature) as an unseasonably balmy summer may be around the corner. But relief from these costly bills is closer than you think … and you...

Simplifying Saving for College

Whether you’re returning to college or saving for a child’s education, know that embarking on a savings planright now is a cost-effective way to pay for college. By investing, it’s estimated you’ll pay less than half what your counterparts relying on loans will pay...

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