Fall is the perfect time to give your home and yard a little TLC before Old Man Winter moves back in! We’ve compiled a simple, and easy DIY checklist that will make your Winter more pleasant and hopefully prevent any surprises from popping up! Even if you choose to hire a repair person to tackle these To-Do’s it’s still a good investment and can save you from potential headaches down the road – and some big expenses. Continue reading “Fall maintenance tips to keep your home in tip top shape”
Building equity in your home, the difference between a home’s fair market value and the outstanding mortgage balance, is every homeowner’s goal. After all, it is the whole point of buying a property vs. renting it. Home equity is valuable savings, but it can also be a valuable finance tool. Continue reading “The do’s and don’ts of using the equity in your home”
If you haven’t heard about National Preparedness Month, which was started in 2004, now it the perfect time to learn about it and implement some of the key principles within your business. Even though the whole month of September is designated as National Preparedness Month, that doesn’t mean you should only revisit your emergency plans at that time, it’s a yearlong endeavor that takes some organization and teamwork. Even with warnings from the news and weather channels, you still never truly know when disaster will strike and the severity of the situation. Continue reading “September is National Preparedness Month. How is your business preparing?”
If you own your own business, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll need a credit card to charge expenses. But should you get a Business card instead of using a Personal one? The basic function of the cards work the same – you’ll have a credit line, interest rate, and earn certain perks based on the card you choose. However, there a few differences to take into consideration before sending in that credit app. Continue reading “Business card or Personal credit card – which should you use for your business?”
It’s one of the most memorable days of your life, and for some, one of the most expensive (student loans and mortgages aside!) – it’s your wedding day! From the proposal up until the Big Day, it’s a lot of planning and celebrating and making sure your wedding day is just as magical as you’d envision since you were 5 years old. But at 5 years old, you had NO IDEA how expensive it all was. So, how can you have an amazing wedding without starting your marriage ten of thousands of dollars in debt? Easy – a wedding budget. Continue reading “How to plan a wedding on a budget”
If you’ve purchased a home in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that the mortgage underwriting process has become more robust and detailed compared to the early 2000’s. Making sure you dot all your i’s and cross all your t’s is an important part of making sure your mortgage application moves through the underwriting and approval process smoothly. So, it’s important to understand what underwriters are really looking at when they review your application. They are trained to spot financial mismanagement, and they are very detailed when it comes to reviewing your finances before approving or denying you for a home loan. Continue reading “Mortgage Underwriters – What they do and how they review your application”
This is a question we get asked a lot at Litchfield Bancorp and it’s actually a very common question regardless of whom you bank with. Protecting the customer plays a huge part in why ATM and spending limits are imposed. Should your debit card happen to be lost or stolen, you wouldn’t want the fraudster to be able to clean out your entire checking account. Continue reading “Why does my Debit Card have spending and ATM limits?”
Whether you are a business owner, a salesperson, or a customer service representative, you’ve probably figured out that people hear, speak, and understand information very differently. Not surprising since every person is unique, BUT even though people make purchasing decisions very differently, they do it for the same reason. They either buy to gain pleasure or to avoid pain – that’s it! HOW they come to those decisions and work through the process is determined by their personality. To build those lasting relationships with customers and be able to close a sale, you must be able to read them and understand how they think and digest information. Continue reading “Want to increase your sales? Learn how to read your customer’s and their personality type”
With the overwhelming amount of DIY magazines, television shows, websites, and Pinterest boards, at some point you’ve probably decided that at least one room in your house needs remodeling. It’s hard not to get inspired by some of the unique and beautiful designs that you see, not to mention the improved functionality or space that you might gain. But what you don’t see behind the magazine pages or edited from the tv episode is what REALLY to expect from a home remodel. Remember, no matter how amazing the finished product looks or how much value is added to your home – you still have to live through the remodeling process – which for some may be daunting! Continue reading “What to expect during a home remodel”
If you are a parent who has children involved in extracurricular activities and sports, you may already be aware of the skyrocketing increase in the cost of these programs. The costs for everything from music classes, to sports, to dance has seen a 3% to 10% increase according to Backpack Index. Continue reading “Keeping up with the rising costs of Youth Activities and Sports”
