Gast Earns Certificate from Iowa School of Banking

Luke Gast, VP Lending Officer at First Citizens Bank in Mason City, has successfully completed the 2019 Iowa School of Banking held earlier this year in Cedar Rapids. The one-week, two-year school, offered by the Iowa Bankers Association, provides a challenging, educational experience in addition to peer networking. The challenging, interactive curriculum addresses the functions of banking departments and financial management and the business of banking. Practical experience is gained through
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Debit cards, debit cards, debit cards! A debit card can make everyday transactions very easy. First Citizens has a variety of debit cards to choose from: MasterCard® Debit Card, My Pic Photo Debit Card, or My Pic ID Debit Card. If you've never used a debit card before, or are thinking about getting one, here are our top five reasons why you should. No Need for Checks. Writing checks is time-consuming and is quickly becoming an antiquated payment method. Debit cards essentially do
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First Citizens Bank is pleased to announce that McKenzie Humpal, AVP, Compliance Officer, was recently named to the Iowa Bankers Association’s (IBA) Compliance Committee. Humpal’s responsibilities as a committee member will include providing comments and feedback on state and federal regulatory initiatives, and recommending programs and products that enable banks to better manage their compliance needs. Humpal has been with First Citizens Bank since 2012. She is a graduate of Iowa
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The fall back-to-school season is upon us and along with that comes a “back-to-learning” mindset. But learning isn’t just for students going back to school or college. It’s good to gain knowledge at any age.    Did you know that on our website there are resources where you can expand your financial knowledge? Check out these Financial Literacy Resources: My Money Five from mymoney.gov – Learn about the five guiding principles of your finances and how
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Have you ever seen a customer hold their phone over a card reader to pay in a store and wondered what they were doing? Would you feel comfortable paying with a mobile device instead of with cash, a debit, or a credit card? In today’s world, there are more ways than ever to pay for goods and services. The option to use a digital wallet is becoming increasingly common. The concept can be confusing at first, but the technology can be helpful for busy daily life. Read on to gain an understanding
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It’s a staggering number. More than 42 million Americans owe a total of nearly $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. It’s no wonder people look for help. But not all help is legit. Scammers are targeting borrowers with student loan debt relief schemes that can actually make things worse.  In a new case announced recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges the operators of Mission Hills Federal and Federal Direct Group bilked borrowers out of more than $23 million. The FTC
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1. A bank's safe deposit box is a good place to store originals. Good candidates include originals of key documents, such as birth certificates, property deeds, car titles, and U.S. Savings Bonds that haven't been converted into electronic securities. Other possibilities include family keepsakes, valuable collections, pictures or videos of your home's contents for insurance purposes, and negatives for irreplaceable photos. (Another option may be to store digital images of important documents
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  Weekly Market Summaries is a feature in the Resources section under Wealth Management on our website. The summaries contain information on the Dow, S&P 500, NASDAQ, Russell 2000, Global Dow, Federal Funds interest rate, and 10-year Treasury yields as well as highlights of past and future economic data. Want to know what the market summaries are for this week? If so, click here. Products provided by First Citizens Wealth Management are not insured by the FDIC, are not deposits of
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First Citizens Charitable Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce that 49 area organizations were the recipients of $338,300 in donations at the mid-year 2019 awards period.  Recipients are: Belmond Area Arts Council $1,000 for construction of a canopy for the Arts Center; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Iowa $5,000 for their mentoring program; Cedar Valley Seminary Foundation $25,000 toward restoration of the Cedar Valley Seminary Building; Central Gardens of North Iowa, Inc. $2,500
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The flashes of fireflies on a warm, humid summer night remind many of us of our carefree childhood sense of wonder and delight while trying to catch them. With firefly season in full swing, their enchanting light displays often spark our curiosity and capture our imaginations. How much do you know about them?   Here are five fascinating facts about fireflies: Fireflies are beetles. These insects are neither flies nor true bugs. Instead they are beetles, just like ladybugs. Like
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