Budgets can be used for many purposes in a personal finance framework, including paying off debt, managing wealth, and padding retirement accounts. However, many people find the process of creating or sticking to a budget difficult, frustrating, and perhaps a little annoying.  This is not an unusual sentiment. In fact, only two out of every three households choose to budget their income monthly. This percentage of use goes down as populations age, making budgets a highly suggested but infrequently implemented practice.  It is important to remember that the goal of a personal budget is not to restrain financial freedom, but to liberate consumers from the uncertainty surrounding their funds.   What… read more »

Identify theft is increasing each year, and anyone can become a victim of identity theft – but is especially common among young adults and teens.  On this episode of the Belco podcast, Johnathan Miller, Marketing Intern, and Brian Smith, Belco Information Services Security Specialist, discuss ways to protect yourself from ID theft.   Tune in and learn from Brian, who holds a degree in Information Technology and specializes in security. He also holds certifications as an Ethical Banking Hacker and as a Banking Technology Security Professional, while also pursuing additional education in cyber security.