Staying Cyber-Safe
Posted On: October 16, 2024 by Home State Bank in: Community, Personal Banking
At Home State Bank, we are committed to the security and safeguarding of your financial assets. While we have the state-of-the-art systems in place to prevent cybersecurity on our end, cybercrime doesn’t happen in one place.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To keep your financial assets safe from hackers and scammers, follow these tips:
Always Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA). This adds a second layer of defense that criminals have to work/guess...The New Age of Phishing
Posted On: May 21, 2024 by Home State Bank in: Community, Personal Banking
What do Email, Text, social media, and Online Messaging all have in common? They can all be used to share memories from around the world, but they can also be used to distribute phishing attacks. The new reality of phishing is that they are using a multipronged approach; they are now reaching your social media feed, text messages, and phone calls.
Social Media/Trusted Platforms
We all love to connect with friends and family – be aware that attackers are leaning on those...
5 Steps to Prepare Your Graduate for College
Posted On: May 13, 2024 by Home State Bank in: Personal Banking
High school graduation is quickly approaching and so is another chapter in their financial journey. College is a great opportunity to continue developing good money management skills for when they graduate and head into the workforce full time.
At Home State Bank, we’re passionate about educating about financial responsibility and opportunities. As we approach this fun milestone, we want to share some tips for parents to send off your student to college to...
5 Budget Blunders to Avoid
Posted On: April 1, 2024 by Home State Bank in: General, Personal Banking
Budgeting is an important and valuable financial tool to use when managing your money. The long- and short-term benefits of budgeting also make it a popular tool for those setting goals, both small and large.
Budgeting is only as effective as you make it. While it doesn’t have to be overly complicated, there are some important steps that can cause blunders rather than benefits.
Setting Unrealistic BudgetsThose who don’t...
4 Ways to Spring Clean Your Finances
Posted On: March 6, 2024 by Home State Bank in: Personal Banking
As we quickly shift into Springtime, this time of year motivates many to participate in spring cleaning.
But Spring cleaning doesn’t have to stop with your old clothes, shoes, and emptying out that junk closet. Often overlooked, your finances should be added to your spring cleaning to-do list to ensure you’re on track with your goals and making life easier for yourself.
How do you spring clean your finances? Let’s take a look!
Consolidate Accounts....Save Now, Enjoy Later
Posted On: January 22, 2024 by Home State Bank in: Personal Banking
Savings can be difficult, and nothing reminds us of this more than when the holiday season hits or we’re trying to save for a well-deserved vacation.
While intentions are always good, making sure to set aside the money can be the challenging. Not to mention the length of time it may take you to reach your savings goal.
At Home State Bank, we understand these challenges and wanted to make it easier for you to save. That’s why we created the Christmas and...
Dedication to Financial Literacy
Posted On: August 4, 2023 by Home State Bank in: Community, Personal Banking
When it comes to financial literacy, Home State Bank is dedicated to bringing awareness and hands-on experience all year round to our customers and our whole community. While Home State Bank offers financial literacy support within our walls to our customers, we also want to
ensure everyone in our community has the opportunity to learn lifelong financial skills, such as how to manage, save, budget, and invest their money wisely.
Progress Through Partnerships
We’re...
How to Spot IRS Scams
Posted On: March 18, 2023 by Home State Bank in: Community, General, Personal Banking
Tax time is upon us, a sign that phishing season has begun.
The IRS states that scams may differ in themes, but generally, they have two traits:
They appear to come from a known or trusted source, such as a colleague, bank, credit card company, cloud storage provider, tax software provider, or even the IRS. They tell a story, often with an urgent tone, to trick the receiver into opening a link or attachment. VISHING (Phone Phishing)Criminals continue to make aggressive...
What Is FDIC Insurance?
Posted On: February 9, 2023 by Home State Bank in: Community, General, Personal Banking
You’ve likely seen the FDIC logo and heard of it but what is it actually and how does it work?
FDIC stands for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The FDIC is an independent agency of the U.S. government that protects depositors (that’s you) against loss if an FDIC-insured bank should fail or close. While it is not common, it can happen. Understanding how FDIC insurance works is important.
It’s an added security for your money should something happen to...
Love is in the Air for Scams
Posted On: February 6, 2023 by Home State Bank in: General, Personal Banking
Cyber attackers are opportunistic, and with Valentine's Day right around the corner, you can expect to see an increase in threats related to socially engineered relationships.
Virtual lunch dates, wine tastings, and chat rooms have created an easy way to put ourselves into a space where we cannot truly see the person on the other end of the keyboard. In addition, many people now use online dating applications and social networking sites to meet people with common interests.
In...