Personal Finance
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How NOT to Get Hacked
August 30, 2017
Categories: Family, Personal Finance
Every day you hear tips and tricks to ensuring the safety behind your personal information. While many of these offers and promotions are advertising a safety service, at Bank of Louisiana, we believe you can handle the majority of these precautions yourself! See what steps you’ll need to take in order to best prepare for your financial future. We’ll be there to help you every step of the way and guide you in how not to get hacked. DO: Store your passwords in a secure app like
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5 Strategies to Shrink Debt
August 23, 2017
Categories: Personal Finance
Minimizing your debt can always seem like a mountain of to-do lists. With various recurring payments, differing interest rates, and due dates that never seem to end, if you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone. While having a credit card or other outstanding debt isn’t a situation anyone wants to find themselves in, a surprising 38.1% of American households carry credit card debt. Couple that with a total household debt average of $134,643.00 and the idea of debt starts to seem
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When to SAVE and When to SPLURGE
August 9, 2017
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
When you and your sweetheart set your budget each month, there are a variety of factors at play. Where can you get the best deals on groceries? How many date nights will you have each week? Do the kids have any sporting activities that require new equipment? At Bank of Louisiana, we recognize that everyone’s budget is different. No matter which categories you enjoy most, we’d love to showcase some great examples to help you find extra ways to save, and better identify which costs are
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Eat This Not That
August 2, 2017
Categories: Budgeting, eat this, Personal Finance, Savings
Like many Generation X’ers we grew into adulthood alongside this viral diet books, which showcased the epitome of dieting in the late 2000’s. Now a decade or two later, there are still some relevant tips and tricks we’re excited to share here. See how Bank of Louisiana can help you switch up your spending, by eating THIS instead of THAT, to put some extra bang in your buck. EAT Dried Beans NOT Canned Beans: While many Americans are using canned beans as a pantry
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The DO’s and DON’TS of Using Credit Cards
July 26, 2017
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance
Using a credit card is a great stepping stone to help boost your personal credit history. By proactively managing your ongoing finances, you can showcase to potential lenders that you know how to fulfill your repayment promises. What many people don’t know is that simply having a credit card does not automatically indicate an increase in your credit score. To help you succeed with your credit, Bank of Louisiana has put together our most commonly asked do’s and don’ts to using
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Money Advice from the Movies
July 19, 2017
Categories: Budgeting, Business Banking, Community Banking, Personal Finance, Retirement, Savings
Occasionally, even the best movies hold fantastic financial advice. We love these classic films and their timeless tales. At Bank of Louisiana we’re excited to share their hidden financial advice, and help you make the most of your money-management, (while cluing you into some great movies to watch along the way!) “You… you said… what’d you say a minute ago? They had to wait to save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home? Wait? Wait
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How to Save $1,000,000 for Retirement
June 7, 2017
Categories: Personal Finance, Retirement, Savings
Retirement, 401(k), stocks and bonds, the subject matter of saving for the long term isn’t often as appealing as saving for the short term. Perhaps that’s why nearly three-quarters of Americans are underestimating how much they’ll need for retirement. The United States is on the brink, if not already in, a retirement crisis. However, at Bank of Louisiana we believe retirement saving can still be easily accomplished, there are just a few steps to get started: The first thing
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Why Checking Your Credit Score Matters
May 24, 2017
Categories: Personal Finance
Across television ads, online banners, and even chit-chat among relatives, the phrase, “Check your credit score,” seems to be popping up everywhere. If something so important needs constant reminders, why does it have such a key importance in your personal finances? Well, the truth is that it doesn’t, your financial actions do. A credit score is comprised of five different measures which indicate how you as an individual are perceived in terms of repayment and risk.
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The Latte Factor 101
May 10, 2017
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
Making your way thru the drive through every morning before 7:30 may give you a refreshing start to your day, but at what cost? The ideology that coffee shops and other retailers capitalize on is the notion that these small expenditures add a little excitement to your day without a hefty bill. However, when you enjoy perks like these on a daily basis, they add up, and quick! Financial author, David Bach, is the mastermind behind the Latte Factor. This helpful calculator enables shoppers
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Avoid These 4 Common Phishing Scams
April 26, 2017
Categories: Cyber Security, General, Personal Finance
Phishing as defined by Merriam-Webster is “A scam by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly.” Scams like these happen each and every day, and many times, the victims don’t even realize they’re participating in them. Bank of Louisiana wants to help you avoid these common tactics many cyber criminals use to lure you in. If you hear or recognize any of the following prompts, hang up the phone or delete
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