Author Archives: Forbin Admin

The Digital Age: Social Media Security for Parents

The rise of digital communication has been a tremendous benefit to all ages. It has changed the way we communicate and the expanse of who we communicate with. With all of the doors this technology has opened, it has created an increasing burden on parents to shelter and protect their kids in ways they’ve never had to before.

Nearly 75 percent of teens have or have access to a smartphone and 92 percent go online daily.  71 percent utilize more than one social networking site. With figures as high as these, parents want to be aware of the stakes and safeguards for their children.

Communication

Most experts agree that having open communication with your kids is one of the best security measures you can take. Let them know from an early age what is and isn’t acceptable. Remind them of these values by having consistent conversations with them about their social media habits. Creating an open space for them to speak honestly will help to establish reciprocal trust. This will also enable you to be on the alert of there is cyber-bullying happening.

Educate

While it may seem like your kids know more than you when it comes to technology, that doesn’t mean that they understand the responsibilities and risks that come with using social media. Remind them that there is such thing as “too much information” and what is posted online is forever.  Even when sites like Reddit which give the users the ability to remain anonymous, there is always a way to find out who they are. Alert them of potential scams, legal accountability and to refrain from completing questionnaires or giveaways, as most of them are seeking access to their personal information. The “don’t talk to strangers,” adage should still hold true online. Kids need to be aware of phishing scams and that they are a target because of their age.

Precautions

There are ways in which you can safeguard your children. Update their privacy settings frequently and make sure they create strong passwords and share them with you. Depending on the age, it would be wise to only let them have access to the computer when adults are around. Facebook has a minimum age restriction (13) for a reason. It can get tricky when it comes to mobile devices, but establishing a cut off time for electronics is a good way to safeguard their nightly web surfing. Only 55 percent of parents limit their child’s screen time. With parental assistance programs like Net Nanny and Mobile Watchdog, you are able to monitor internet usage without having to constantly look over their shoulder-something nobody likes!

Involvement

Finally, one of the best ways to keep your children safe is like any other hobby they are interested in – get involved! It is critical that parents become familiar with the social platforms their children are using. Even if you are not tech-savvy, get those apps downloaded and follow your kids! Awareness and education will keep you prepared for knowing the risks your children face in the digital age.

Giving back in the New Year: Practicing Selflessness

Many individuals have goals and resolutions they are striving for this year. They are fostering hope for a better tomorrow and realize they need to add or dilute some of their habits in order to have the life they envision. Many, if not most, of these resolutions fail for lack of motivation. In fact, only about 8 percent of individuals end up sticking with their resolutions and that could be attributed to the type of goals made.

A majority of resolutions are self-focused. Very few of them strive for the betterment of others, which could be one of the underlying reasons for failure. While it may not be for lack of trying, goals crafted that solely benefit the self, have less success than those that are others-oriented. Although, practicing selflessness can indeed improve your own happiness and household economy in other ways.

Tax Deduction

When you decide on a charity, you want to be sure they are reputable. Check out Charity Navigator to find out if you should be giving to a certain organization. Giving to these organizations may enable you to deduct from your income tax if you itemize deductions. Be sure to do your research before giving if you would like to take advantage of this benefit.

Better Money Management

Deciding on giving monetarily to a cause will encourage you to monitor your budget. Don’t have a budget? Now you have another reason to make one! Do you need to make cuts elsewhere to excessive spending? Having cause to review your monthly statements can only help your finances. Come see us at Timberwood Bank to set up an automatic withdrawal to your savings account for your giving; we want to make it easy for you! When you are able to focus your attention to those in need, you are investing in yourself emotionally and financially.  Even if you are only able to give your time through volunteering, it may give rise to gratitude for what you have; decreasing your desire to purchase items you do not need with money you do not have.

What Goes Around Comes Around

Although your primary goal in helping others isn’t to help yourself, getting involved can create opportunities for you and even your children. People in need will remember those who helped them at their lowest. Maybe someday you will be in need of a favor and they will happily assist you. It enables you to make connections with others, which can help you to better establish yourself professionally.  Is your child socially anxious? Kindness has been shown to reduce social anxiety and can help set your children on a stable track for the future including scholarships and job prospects.

In whatever capacity you have to give and whatever your goals may be for the new year, selflessness will branch off to help you, your community, finances and family. What better resolution is there?

 

Web Security for Small Business Owners – What You Need to Know

It’s a typical day for a local real estate agent, until the click of an email threatens the entire business. Large corporations, small businesses and as shown in recent days, not even the government is immune to cyber attacks.

Why it’s Important

If you’re a small business owner, you may think you are too small for cybercriminals. However, the opposite is true as they don’t particularly care about the size of the data, but the value. If you have customer’s contact information, health data, credit card information or intellectual property- they want it now. Did you know that 43 percent of cyber attacks target small business, and that normal hacks to operations cost an average of $955,429 to recover? It’s of the utmost importance that your customers feel they can trust you with their information and that you follow through on that trust. Cybercrime is becoming the world’s largest business, and here is what you can do to protect your business -even if you don’t have a lot of room in your budget for security measures.

1). Tight Communication

You may not have the ability to provide each of your employees with their own technology devices, which means they may use personal devices for company use. This can open you up to many potential risks. You may want to create guidelines for using these devices and ensure that they are regularly updating passwords and following through on security updates. Fax is still the most secure form of communication in the business world-don’t be afraid to still utilize this!

2). An Action Plan

Create a simple security plan and share it with all of your employees, so they know that everyone is responsible for protecting data. It is worth the investment to hire an IT consultant to be monitoring your protocols, but if you cannot do that at this time, designate a current employee to oversee this. They should be informed, oversee basic security requirements and ensure the requirements are updated and used. 60 percent of businesses don’t survive a security attack. For the longevity of your business, it is incredibly important to take this seriously. Use the FCC’s helpful Cyber Planner here.

3). Strong Passwords, Patching & Encryption Software

Most business stay ahead of the game by simply creating secure passwords and patching their systems. Patching fixes security vulnerabilities with bug fixes and improving performance. Hackers can easily crack into your business through a weak web or email server.  As a small business, setting up a Virtual Private Server would be a terrific option combined with encryption software. So even if a hacker was able to get into your system, they wouldn’t be able to decipher the material. An additional layer of security for clients would be to adopt Paypal or Square for protecting your customer’s financial information.

4). Educate

Unfortunately, most security breaches are due to a negligent employee or contractor. This reiterates how important it is to hire people you trust. Although you may not be able to thwart off every threat, educating your employees about cyber security either through weekly articles or full courses will help to better protect your growing small business. These practices should be integrated across all areas of your operations as well as having a response plan if this does occur. Remember, nobody is safe from Cyber crime.

 

Dreamin’ of Summer- Saving for Your Next Vacation

The monotony of the day to day can get you down in the season of cold and gray. However, that beach on your screensaver doesn’t have to be an esteemed fantasy if you are ready to take some action. You can turn your ideal vacation into a reality by starting to save and plan that getaway now, before travel season hits in full.

Create a Budget

If you are thinking about a vacation, you are definitely going to need to establish a budget to keep your spending in check. Some budgeters swear by the 50/30/20 rule. This is a simplified budget where you allot 50% of your after-tax income to necessities, 30% for wants and 20% for savings. Adjust this as you need. We all know that adding kids into the mixture of vacations increases prices exponentially, so you may want to increase savings, and see what you can go without.  See if you can even tap into a Grandparents Travel Grant.

Set Up an Account

Stop by Timberwood Bank to speak with one of our Personal Bankers about options for savings accounts. We recommend setting up an automatic withdrawal to come from your account each month, or asking your employer to put a portion of your paycheck into a different account. For a majority of people, if the money is there, it will get spent, so having an automatic savings will keep you on track of your goals.

Decide How Much You Need

Get a grasp of how much your vacation will cost you. That means calculating hotels, food and flight. However, don’t forget the expenses you will still have while traveling. You will still have your normal bills and you may need to pay a local kid to get your mail or a business to board Fido. Divide this amount by the number of weeks until your desired vacation date.

Go the Extra Mile

When calculating this all out, don’t be dismayed. This vacation can be attainable for you, as long as you stick to the process. It just may not be in the exact time frame you desire. Keep yourself motivated by listening to music, looking at pictures and eating food reminiscent of your destination. Go the extra mile to scrap for savings everywhere you can. Clean out your closets and post them for sale. Start a change jar or carpool to work. You will be surprised that by putting in the extra effort your savings can increase fairly quickly as your spending depletes and scrappiness grows. Best of luck, and please let us know how we can help you reach your goals at Timberwood Bank!

Grocery Boot Camp – Shopping Healthy on a Budget for Two

Buying groceries, healthy eating and budgeting are three challenging tasks that many people struggle conquering altogether.  Whether you and your partner have been together many years or are just starting out, we have some great tips for you both to win the war on grocery shopping. Consider us your sergeant by following this simple training method ASAP.

Commit

If you aren’t both on the same page, you will have a hard time succeeding and inevitably fail. It is imperative that you sit together to discuss what you want to get out of this and that you are mentally prepared for the journey ahead. What type of diet are you seeking to maintain? Research what type of foods you will and won’t buy so you know exactly where the line is.

Plan

  • Your Budget: The first month of Boot camp, we only want you to keep track of your expenses both grocery and dining out. From then on, your goal should be to spend no more than that amount. An average aim for many is to stick to $100 a month per individual. This may or may not work for you, but find out what does.
  • Meal Prep: This is crucial to your success. You know what kind of diet you would like to have, so search for recipes that will enable you to have healthy, planned meals. This will help to prevent you from swinging in for fast food or other impulse buys.  Once you have the groceries, prep the food to make the week of eating easy. Be sure you eat the fruits and veggies with the shortest shelf life first.

Shopping

  • Find Deals: While you may not have the time to clip out a lot of coupons, make a point to check the weekly ads to see what the deals are. Apps like DealstoMeals will even help you to find discounts in your shopping area.  Every little bit helps and this is just more opportunity the two of you have to crawl through the trenches together.
  • Make a Price Book: This a great resource you can make for yourself to keep track of items that you habitually buy, so you know when and where to buy what.
  • Be flexible: If a needed recipe item is twice the price you thought it would be, substitute for something else. If the produce is not in season, frozen is a great alternative. Know the Dirty Dozen and how you can use it to your advantage.

Execute

You have the basics, so now it’s time for the follow through. Say no to temptation. Once you have spent your allotted budget, there is NO more going to the store. You will get better as you strengthen your skills, but until that time stay the course.

 

Love and Money: Five Common Mistakes

No couple likes to fight, especially when it comes to finances. Unfortunately, money is the leading cause of stress in relationships. And this isn’t only a problem for couples who are tight on money, as a survey has shown that the more your income increases, the more finances will put a strain on your relationships. What this shows is the importance of being on the same page as your partner when it comes to finances, no matter your incomes.

Timberwood Bank has compiled a list of five common mistakes couples make with their money and how you can avoid them to lessen the stress on your relationship!

  1. Not Talking About Money Before Marriage

It’s important to have an idea of your future partner’s spending style. Is your partner tight with money because they grew up not having a lot? How does this impact how they envision your lifestyle to be once married? What’s their credit score?  It is important to have this conversation, in order to refrain from becoming as upset or surprised when one of you splurges/invests. This keeps a nice checks and balances. Take this fantastic quiz to figure out your money type!

  1. Not Having a Budget

If you are too late to avoid mistake #1, this is the perfect time to have that conversation with your spouse. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Take stock of what you have coming in, what you owe and what you have for “extras.” This will help to prevent keeping secrets from each other about your spending, because everything is on the table.  Be sure the budget works for BOTH of you, long term.  You can even get your kids involved in order to teach them about money and why having a plan to stick to is important.

  1. Not Having Separate AND Joint Accounts

Are you a couple who only has a joint or separate account? We recommend both! Joint accounts make it easier to share in bills and debt together. However, it is still important to have your own account, so you can still feel autonomous in your decisions to splurge (within range of your budget).

  1. Waiting 30 Years to Pay off Your Mortgage

Just because it is an option, doesn’t mean you really need to take 30 years to pay off your debt! If you do take the full term to repay the debt, you will pay significantly more in interest. Every extra payment that you make towards your home will be applied to the principal balance. This will enable you to sign that last mortgage check much sooner, enabling you to put money toward retirement, or other goals you have together.

  1. Letting One Person Make Decisions

Even if only one of you is bringing in a salary, it is imperative that you are both involved in the financial decisions. If you have one person who is physically making the payments, you should both be reviewing your finances monthly, and making adjustments as needed. Friction can happen when one spouse makes the financial decisions causing the other to feel like a child with a set amount given to them each month. Even if one of you is more financially smart, both should be included in the decisions. There is less of a need to keep secrets from one another when you both have purchase power and communication about your short and long term goals.

Making a plan and sticking to it together can help lessen financial stress in your relationship. If you feel stuck on where to begin, set up an appointment to speak with one of our specialists at Timberwood Bank to help get you both on track to being in charge of your finances.

Cyber Security 101 – Learning the Basics to Keep Yourself Protected

Welcome to Cyber Security 101. Grab your pen and paper, it’s time to take some notes about cyber security! While there won’t be a test at the end, there are real-world consequences to disregarding your online security. You wouldn’t want your personal information in the hands of the wrong person.

With so much to think about, you’re probably wondering where you’re supposed to start. Luckily for you, Timberwood Bank is here to school you in all things cyber security.

Careful Clicking – Between social media, websites and emails, we’re clicking on things all the time. Sometimes these links can be associated with what’s called “phishing attacks.” This is a tactic used to gather your personal data, like passwords and credit card numbers. Most of the time this type of attack occurs within an email. That’s why it’s critical to verify email addresses from trusted entities you know. Never open documents from these unusual email senders.

Password Protection – Creating complex passwords may seem like a no-brainer but about 35 percent of users have weak passwords and about 65 percent of passwords could be cracked. The goal should be to make it something that’s unrelated to you, so not using your birthday, your dog’s name, etc. We suggest using a password generator, or even making your password a sentence.

We understand you log into numerous accounts daily, and you can’t possibly remember all of these unique passwords. Even though your password list could be three feet long, you should never write them on a sticky note and perch them on your computer screen. Check out password management apps to help you keep all of your passwords in order.

Savvy Shopping

Online shopping continues to grow and is more enticing with offers like free shipping, online exclusive products and sales. With such a shift in purchasing habits, our security habits should also be changing. You should only be shopping on secure sites, which can be identified by the “https” at the start of the web address. If there’s no “s”, the site is not encrypted and your information may not be secure.

Another way to protect yourself is to never give more information than required. If they don’t ask for your phone number or address, do not provide it. This information could fall into the wrong hands. Always be sure to read their privacy policy so you know where your information is going and how it’s being used.

Staying Up to Date

If you don’t already, now is the perfect time to get an antivirus or antimalware software program for your internet accessible devices. These programs work to protect your devices and help you stay ahead of any attempts to break security on your computer.

For those who have a security program in place, make sure you’re updating the software regularly. Software companies are constantly working to fight potential security risks, so whenever there’s an update available take the time to download it.

We hope you took some great notes and are ready to tackle all things cyber security. By taking these few steps you can help protect yourself from a world of trouble and inconvenience. If you have any more questions about cyber security, contact us today. We’d be happy to answer your questions. Class dismissed!

 

Understanding the Psychology Behind Spending

The words “budget” and “exercise” can often be put in the same category—both are necessary for a healthy lifestyle but are far from fun.

If you have trouble sticking to a budget, you’re not alone. There are some very powerful reasons why human beings feel compelled to spend money—and there are some things you can do to psychologically trick yourself into spending less.

The Need for Control.

A study in Journal of Consumer Psychology found that compulsive shopping was linked to a need for control. Those momentary feelings of happiness associated with a new purchase weren’t linked to the item itself but to the sense of control a person felt about their life in that moment.

The Need to Compete.

It’s true—we really do feel the need to keep up with the Joneses. Advertisers know this, so they often play on our desire to be like the people in their ads and on our fear that we’re falling behind our peers. This includes tapping into our need to look our best, be recognized and accepted by others, taking control of our health or being loved.

What you can do about it.

Luckily, you don’t have to let your brain trick you into spending more than you should. A few ways you can fool yourself into spending less include:

  •         Only carrying cash. Decide ahead of time how much you will need and stick to that.
  •         Don’t shop when you’re in a bad mood.
  •         Scan your social circle. Are your friends pressuring you to spend beyond your means?
  •         Identify where you spend the most money and take steps to resist temptation. For example, do you spend too much eating out? Make sure your pantry is stocked so you won’t be tempted to spend too much at restaurants.
  •         Question yourself as you go to make a purchase. Are you really happy about that new TV, or are you trying to escape a problem at work or home?

While we’re hardwired to want to spend—especially in our consumerist society—a little bit of planning and restraint can go a long way to keeping us on financial track. Timberwood Bank can also help you stay on track with a variety of banking products. Give us a call or stop on in today!

 

3 Tips on How to Make the Holidays Less Stressful

While songs on the radio promise that this is a holly, jolly time of year, for most Americans, the holidays are anything but. A Healthline survey found that an average of 63 percent of adults in the U.S. experience an increase in stress level during the holiday season.

In a way, it seems almost unavoidable. Our routines are interrupted as we travel or host guests. Our healthy eating and exercise habits are thrown out the window. Our finances find themselves in a freefall as we spend just a little too much to buy that perfect gift.

Today, Timberwood Bank would like to help bring the holidays back to the merry time they should be with these tips on how to combat holiday stress:

1)      Stick to your spending plan.

It’s true when they say it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gift-giving. Obsessing over the perfect one not only causes more stress, it can also cause you to overspend. If you start overthinking, stop, put the item down and walk away (or minimize your browser and walk away). Think about the big picture—that ultimately, spending quality time with family is better than anything you can buy them.

2)      Use Moderation.

You may not get to your exercise routine every day, due to schedule restraints. As long as you get up and move every day, give yourself a pass. Before you know it, the New Year will be here and there will be plenty of social pressure to exercise. In the meanwhile, practice watching portion sizes and passing on the extra cocktail. By all means, sample the sweets at the table—just cut yourself bite-sized pieces instead of an entire slice.

3)      Focus on what you have to be grateful for.

It can be easy when you have guests getting underfoot or are inconvenienced at the airport to resent having to spend time with friends and family. In these moments, remind yourself of the things you have to be grateful for—especially the fact that you have loved ones to spend time with. Not everyone is so lucky.

If you have any tips or tricks to cut the stress out of your holidays, feel free to share in the comment section. While Timberwood Bank can’t cook your turkey or shop for gifts, we can help you reduce your stress when it comes to finances. Stop by for a visit with one of our bankers today!

4 Ways You Can Budget With an Irregular Income

If you work sales, freelance or are self-employed, you have a major issue to contend with when it comes to personal budgeting—an unpredictable income. While this can make it hard to plan your monthly spending, it’s not completely impossible. Today, Timberwood Bank would like to offer you these tips to budgeting on an irregular income:

1)      Calculate the Bare Bones.

These are the minimum expenses you need to cover every month, usually in the form of your absolute essentials. Rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries, debt repayment and transportation all fall into this category. This way, you know what you absolutely need to get by.

2)      Figure out your discretionary expenses.

These are all the expenses you have after you’ve paid for the basics. This includes the cable bill, streaming services, entertainment, eating out and hobbies. Once you add that to your bare-bones spending, you can figure out how much you spend on average each month.

3)      Use the Zero-Sum budget.

This is where you use the income you brought in from last month to live this month. Once your bare-bone expenses are paid, put away a certain amount for savings, retirement and investments. The rest can then be spent on discretionary expenses.

4)      Have an emergency fund.

It’s recommended that you have three to six months’ worth of expenses in the emergency fund. That way, if you have a lean month, you won’t have to forgo paying a bill. This can be tricky to build, especially if you have no savings to begin with.

A few ways to build this up include setting aside a certain percentage of what you make each month or allocating unexpected income (such as selling something, a gift, a tax refund, etc.) directly into your savings account.

By following these steps, you should find yourself with less of a headache when it comes to living on a balanced budget. If you haven’t already set up a savings, checking or retirement account, come see the experts at Timberwood Bank today. We can help set you on the right financial path.