Monthly Archives: July 2019

How to Meet Your Retirement Saving Goals

No matter your age, every day you work is a step closer to retirement. When you think of driving off into the golden years, where are you headed? You likely have a picture in mind whether it be having a house in your dream location or an RV to explore the National Parks. Whatever that goal is, the steps to get there are going to be similar. Here are some great money moves you can make in order to reach your retirement savings goals.

Start Where You Are

Many are under the impression that they should wait to save for retirement until they make a significant salary. You may be surprised at how much can be saved with a quality savings account on a small income. Even if you are only able to put $25 away each month, it is a great start. Most importantly, it gets you into the habit of saving. Once this habit is established, it will be easier for you to continue this as your salary and contribution increases.

Make Use of Every Employee Plan

If your employer offers matching contributions to your 401(k), take advantage of this. With most employers, the process is automated to come out of each paycheck. It takes the decision making out of the equation and can add up over the course of your career. If your employer does not offer this, consider contributing to an IRA on your own. It can either be a traditional or Roth.

You Must Stash

No, we aren’t talking about your mustache. What we mean is that you must stash away any extra income that you have. If you get extra income from a bonus or selling a valuable personal item, put that money into a savings account. It may not seem as glamorous as buying a new car or getting a new wardrobe, but your future self will thank you.

Saving for retirement can be tricky, so allow Heartland Bank to help your money grow!

Wedding Planning on a Budget

Your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life. You’re surrounded by family and friends and taking the next step in life with your spouse. And while your wedding is one of the happiest moments in your life, it is also among the most expensive. Luckily for you, there are some strategies you can use to help trim costs and still have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of.

Dressing Your Wedding Party

Everyone knows it’s most important for the happy couple to look their best, but dressing bridesmaids and groomsmen doesn’t have to break the bank. There are several ways you can save money by taking a look at the wardrobe of the wedding party. If having a set dress code for your wedding party isn’t important, you can allow them to dress themselves within basic guidelines that you’ve defined. Or, you can choose to ditch the tuxedo rental in favor of going with a classic suit and tie, which not only saves on rental fees, but allows your groomsmen to potentially re-use their suit in the future.

Controlling Food Costs

The food and bar costs are among the largest contributors to expensive wedding receptions. So, how can you save some money while making sure your guests don’t go hungry? The first thing you need to do is figure out your reception venue’s rules for food and drink. If your venue allows you to bring in outside food and beverages, you can save thousands of dollars on a caterer by preparing the food yourself with some help from your family and friends.

Many reception venues won’t allow you to bring your own food, though. In that case, choosing a buffet option is usually cheaper than a plated dinner. With a buffet, your guests can choose from a variety of options while you save on costs related to table service and wait staff.

Be Creative When Setting a Date

Everyone knows June is the most popular month for weddings, and that weddings are generally more popular in the summer. If you don’t want to be a slave to trends, you can save yourself quite a bit of money. For example, choosing to have your wedding in the winter instead of the summer can have several benefits. First, there isn’t as much competition from other couples for the venue you want. Second, most venues are cheaper for weddings outside of the peak summer season, which can save you thousands.

If a summer wedding is important to you, you can still save some money. Most reception venues are cheaper to rent on Fridays and Sundays. If you’re willing to be flexible and not have a traditional Saturday wedding, you can save big.

Make Decisions that Work For You

Ultimately, your wedding day is about being surrounded by the people you love as you make a commitment to the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. But saving money is important. We hope these tips can help you find some savings and put you and your spouse in a stronger financial situation as you begin your life together. Open a savings account with Heartland Bank today in order to save up for your big day!

A Six Step Small Business Cybersecurity Plan

You have ventured out to achieve your dream of owning your own business. Unfortunately, there are criminals who aim to take what you have worked so hard for. These criminals aren’t what they used to be, they aren’t standing at your door, but likely anonymous and entering your business from a remote location. It can happen to anyone and this is why it’s important you have a cybersecurity plan for your business. If you are new to the cybersecurity realm, start with this simplified plan in order to protect your business.

1. Analyze Your Risks

It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you are. You have a business to run and a hundred decisions that need to be made every day. Either partner with a cybersecurity expert to analyze risks you currently have or educate yourself on the potential security pitfalls many business owners fall victim to.

2. Establish Security Protocols

Once you know where you are vulnerable, you have a better idea of what needs to change. Just as you have a list of protocols for the daily running of your business, you should also have a list of the best security practices your business will implement.

3. Limit Physical Access

The more hardware you have exposed, the more at risk you are for theft, employee misuse and hacking. This will help you to protect private business information and client data. Keep the hardware you have to a minimum and put physical locks on any vulnerable devices.

4. Train Employees

Your cybersecurity is only as strong as your employees. Unfortunately, they are often unintentionally the cause of security breaches. It could be from clicking on suspicious links or opening an email from an unknown source. It can happen quickly and to anyone, especially if they are not educated on cyber protection.

5. Backup Data

Some criminals may hold your data hostage unless you pay them. This is called ransomware and is one of the many reasons why it’s important to backup your data. The average cost of a cybersecurity breach for a small business is $34,000. Preemptively avoid this in order to avoid being included in this number.

6. Build a Wall of Protection

Cyber criminals will do anything they can to breach your business. Some options would be to invest in anti-virus, firewall, anti-malware and encryption software. Keeping these protection systems up to date will do wonders in keeping your business protected.

Utilize this cybersecurity plan to keep your small business safe. Did you know we offer secure banking products for your business? Visit our site for more info!