Banknotes

According to the Pew Research Center, roughly three-quarters of all families have more than one child. Therefore, advice about saving for college should include scenarios that require supporting multiple children on the road to higher education.

By: Bridget Krueger, Business Banker

As a lender, I see everything from startup companies to established companies.  When it comes to applying for a business loan, there are five things that every owner should do to secure the best loan.  It’s important to show banks that lending to you is safe and advantageous for you and the bank.

By: Adam Marshall, Vice President- Trust Officer & Portfolio Manager

You've identified your goals and done some basic research. You understand the difference between a stock and a bond. But how do you actually go about creating an investment portfolio? What specific investments are right for you? What resources are out there to help you with investment decisions? Do you need a financial professional to help you get started?

By: Colleen Tressler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

Natural disasters and weather emergencies are in the news. Whether it’s the devastating wildfires along the West Coast, the relentless rains and flooding along the East Coast, or tornado strikes in the Midwest, it’s heartbreaking to see people lose their homes and businesses. But it’s despicable when scammers exploit such tragedies to appeal to your sense of generosity.

Effective July 30, 2018, Credit Sense is available to you through online and mobile banking. Credit Sense is a free service offered to help you understand your current credit score. Access your Credit Report Score Card, receive credit monitoring alerts, and learn how you can improve your credit. Also, Credit Sense helps you see ways you can save money on new and existing loans with us. Learn more about Credit Sense below.

By: Dan Savage, Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer

An important gift to your family and yourself is to create thoughtful order in your financial life, and that includes providing for the proper care and administration of your estate…during your lifetime and upon your death.  The ultimate benefit is peace of mind.

For many university students, freshman year is their first time living away from home and making daily spending decisions without much supervision or guidance. It may also be the first time they have access to their own credit card or use a debit card regularly.

Some of the best advice we’ve heard on this topic came from a college orientation presentation: 

“Live like a college student while you’re in college so you don’t have to after you graduate!”

Our college financial planning experts will tackle some of the most common mistakes families make and offer tips for handling this transition smoothly (or at least with fewer bumps in the road!).

Employee email addresses have also changed, effective July 27.

Our website address conversion is complete, with the official domain name changing from www.crossplainsbank.com to www.SBCP.bank on Tuesday, July 24.

Please note that employee email addresses will also change to reflect the new website address, using the format: firstinitiallastname@sbcp.bank.

By: Mark DeBiasio, Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer

We have all heard of the benefits of shopping local, well that holds true for obtaining financing for your home mortgage needs as well.  In today’s extremely tight housing market, bidding wars are common. You may be competing with many potential buyers and any advantage that you can garner may be the difference between inking a deal on a home or going home empty.  Many real-estate agents agree that using a local lender is best.

By: Jeff Supple, Vice President and Trust Officer

Do all of these describe you?

• You are over the age of 70.5
• You have Traditional IRA assets
• You used to itemize your deductions but will not anymore because of tax reform
• You give to non-profit organizations on a regular basis

If you fit this profile you can take advantage of Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA.  Since the standard deduction nearly doubles ($24,000 for married individuals filing a joint return) for the tax year 2018 many individuals will not be able to deduct contributions that they made in the past.