Author Archives: Amanda

Online Bill Pay, One Stop Bill Payment

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When I ask customers if they would like to try online bill pay some say they already pay their bills online, but they go through their providers’ websites. “Same thing right?”

Well not quite!  You are paying your bills online, but you are doing it the hard way.  Online bill pay from a bank gives you one stop shop to pay all your bills at the same time, instead of going to numerous websites to pay each bill individually. You enter in the name of the payee you want to pay, how much, and when.  Just log in and take care of everything all at once.

You can process payments online to anyone, even if they do not have their own online payment system set up. The payments are processed on whatever day you choose.  Some larger companies accept payments electronically aka ACH (Automated Clearing House) while others still require a check to be mailed.  Either way this is a fast, convenient way to pay your bills. Anyone with a mailbox can get a payment from online bill pay!

At Central National Bank you can test drive bill pay for up to six months to see if you like the convenience. So forget the stamps, envelopes, and going to several websites to pay your bills! 

Recipe Corner

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I am proud to present the first installment of Central National Bank’s recipe corner! Where we are proud to present our favorite recipes with all our blog fans and friends.

 The debut recipe is one of my all time favorites Cookie Salad! It is always a hit and despite the name it is more of a dessert ;-)

 You can’t mess this one up and it is always a rave at potlucks. And one tip I have is right after you make it for yourself pass the instructions along to a friend with the extra of your buttermilk. If you are like me, I had no use for the rest of my buttermilk and didn’t want it to go bad, you’ve got about a week and a half before that happens.

Enjoy! And look for more recipes to come!

Ingredients

  • 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 12 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
  • 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
  • 1/2 (11.5 ounce) package fudge stripe cookies

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the pudding mix and the buttermilk. Fold in the whipped topping. Mix in the pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges. Chill until ready to serve. Crush cookies and mix in just before serving. You can also freeze it and make a frozen treat out of it for hot summer days.

Gimme a little credit!

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I admit when I left home and went to college, I was not the most financially savvy high-school graduate. Now at the ripe old age of 27 I wish I knew then what I know now, at least when it comes to my credit report.

I’m still not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to apply for seven credit cards in one day to get free one-size-fits-all t-shirts that sat in the back of my closet until finally making their way to the trash. Mind you, I never actually used any of those credit cards, so my credit report was safe, right? Wrong.

Why didn’t somebody tell me that was a sure-fire way to lower my credit score instantly? Maybe because I didn’t even know what a credit score was or why it was important.

Oh, and don’t get me started on student loans. You mean I actually have to pay those back someday? With interest? And who ever thought it was a good idea to offer me more loan money than I needed for tuition? Yet I gladly accepted it.

Well, I’m a little bit older and a little bit wiser, especially after I had the opportunity to attend a financial literacy seminar offered by my bank. Now I plan to make it my goal to spare the young and credit-naive the pain of learning from bad experiences. I recently had the honor of coaching a group of young adults who are enthusiastic about building a strong credit history for themselves. Maybe I can live vicariously through them as I watch them avoid the mistakes I wish I didn’t make!

It’s not easy being green…

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So ever since I read a “Green” issue of a favorite magazine I’ve been trying to be conscious about what I could be doing to help the Earth. I know I take a lot of things for granted but after reading about how many forests are cut down to make toilet paper I was depressed! It seems like everything I do thru the day has a harmful side effect on the world, so what is one to do who wants to help?

At first I started freaking out thinking I’m going to walk everywhere and never buy a piece of plastic again. That lasted all of five minutes before I decided I needed to drive to the store for some sandwich baggies because I was fresh out. L Hmmm this was going to be tougher than I thought.

Made a quick note to self: Self- be more realistic and change small things constantly until your lifestyle changes.

My change for this week is to get some bills and my bank statements e-mailed to me (uses less paper), and make a recycle pile for my junk mail. I’ve only been collecting my junk mail for a few days and have already filled a shoebox!

Plus almost anything I can think of has a recycled version. Its nuts, I’m a knitter and there is even recycled yarn, or bamboo yarn that is made from a renewable source. I had no idea that the acrylic yarn I was using to make mittens is more from an oil Derek than a Ewe! I encourage you to change something small and make yourself a little greener! The World appreciates our efforts! J  

Check out this link but make sure you are sitting down!

http://www.myfootprint.org/

Mortgages-Ask Questions, Save Money!

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As soon as I graduated college I knew that I wanted to buy my own place. I had rented for four years, done the math of how much I had paid someone else, and was ready to start paying myself! Plus my family was done hauling my stuff to a new place every year. 

I figured out my gross income from my first full time job and thought, “I’m ready to buy a house and some patio furniture!”

I went thru the process the blind way. Got pre-approved on one program, didn’t ask enough questions and got a lot of surprises at closing time. I tried researching on the internet and it was a great place to start, but should have sat down with a mortgage professional to clarify things for me.

Fees, insurance, and taxes were all things I could have gotten a better grasp on before starting the process but I had no idea how many mortgage options were available to me! I took the first mortgage that was presented to me, not cool considering I looked at thirty houses before making an offer. Just like houses, there are several mortgage programs on the market as well. There are 100% financed programs and no PMI insurance programs just to name a few.

So these are not your parents 20% down 30-year mortgage days. And mostly the unbelievable rates on the internet and radio are too good to be true. Always ask about fees, its not just interest-rates you are shopping! And see where your mortgage will be serviced. A lot of places sell it to another company you’ve never heard of as soon as you walk out the door.

It helps to talk to a real-live person, tell them you are a first time home buyer, and ask them tons of questions. They don’t mind! They want to help you get the home and will show you responsible ways of getting the funds.  

So now I have a house, more information for next time, and still no patio furniture!!