It's Never Too Late to Take a New Approach to Managing Your Money

While any physician will tell you that your health and physical fitness are very important to your livelihood, it’s also vital that you don’t overlook your financial fitness. Many people don’t spend nearly enough time focusing on this area, but a well-thought-out plan can make all the difference. For example, at our Bank, we have many caring banking professionals who specialize in evaluating your current situation with regard to your finances, and who can recommend a game plan to help you achieve your goals.

Maybe your goal is as simple as buying a newer vehicle or avoiding the trap of living from paycheck to paycheck. There’s no need to be too hard on yourself for past mistakes you have made with regard to your money. Spend time thinking about the promise of the future, not any setbacks you may have experienced in the past.

Now, let’s take a look at several key areas.

Saving money. If you find it difficult to save, you aren’t the only one. The good news is that there are ways to make saving much easier. For example, our Bank can help you set up an automatic savings plan so that a certain amount is transferred to a savings account for you each month. Even if you took the time to save less than $100 per paycheck, you’d be using your money wisely so you can buy something on your wish list in the near future, or be better prepared if some unexpected expense arises.

Budgeting. If you take the time to track your spending habits for a month, you may be very surprised to see how much you may be spending on fast food, entertainment, or unnecessary expenses. Taking a little time to put it all down on paper can many times be an eye-opener, and it can also be fun to see just how much you can trim the total dollars you have going out every month.

Trimming your debt. It’s really easy for credit card debt to stack up, and you may not see any end in sight especially if you’re stuck with high-interest rates on your balances. We have Personal Bankers at CNB who can provide you with solutions to consolidate your debt and pay it off much more quickly with a specific plan in place.

Getting a handle on your day-to-day activity. It’s no fun to open the mailbox and be greeted with overdraft notices. Through such services as text banking or mobile banking, you can set up alerts so you will know when your account balance falls below a certain amount. Then, you can transfer funds to avoid the expense and embarrassment that comes with returned checks and overdraft fees. Through online banking, you can also save money on the postage that it takes to mail your bills. In addition, you can set up important alerts to avoid the additional expense that comes with late fees on your accounts.

No matter what your stage in life, seeking valuable advice from a caring banking professional can make all the difference in your road to financial success.