Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval: What’s the Difference? When you begin the process of buying a home, you may come across new words and phrases that may be unfamiliar to you. In today’s competitive housing market, it is important to be knowledgeable about certain real estate terms to help put yourself in the best purchasing position possible…. Read More
Jennifer Kerch
How to Keep Safe When Donating Online: Watch Out for Scams Related to Ukraine The recent war in Ukraine has gathered a lot of attention. Unfortunately, cybercriminals often take advantage of world events to prey on your emotions. Now more than ever, it’s important to watch out for phishing attacks and disinformation campaigns. Cybercriminals may… Read More
4 Ways to Make a Less Than Perfect Home Work for You If you are in the process of trying to purchase a new home, you may have noticed that there isn’t much out there to choose from. Although a decrease in inventory this time of year isn’t unusual, it does seem lower than in… Read More
Books of Interest Part 6: 2022 Winter Reading Recommendations For the past few years, we have curated a list of our employees’ favorite reads. We are excited to be back again with Part Six of our “Books of Interest.” If you are looking to be captivated by a story or have already binged your way… Read More
5 Reasons To Use A Safe Deposit Box 1. Your items are protected from fire, flood, or other natural disasters at home. Natural disasters can destroy much more than the house itself. They destroy memories like photographs, jewelry, birth certificates, and other important records. You can keep your most valued possessions, copies of your important… Read More
5 Tips for a Smooth Mortgage Process From approval to close, what you can do to make sure there are no surprises While buying a new home is a milestone life event, navigating through the mortgage process can be overwhelming, especially if it is your first home. However, there are ways you can help the… Read More
How To Spot and Stop Messaging Attacks Smishing (a portmanteau word combining SMS and phishing) are attacks that occur when cyber attackers use SMS, texting, or similar messaging technologies to trick you into taking an action you should not take. Perhaps they fool you into providing your credit card details, get you to call a… Read More
Still Local, Still Solid, Still Finding the Bright Moments in Life: Our 2021 in Review As 2021 winds down to its final hours, it can prove to be tough to find the good in the past 365 days. For us at Stillman Bank, the bright moments in our year will always come from serving our… Read More
Understanding Credit Scores and Their Impact on Mortgage Lending When it comes to applying for a mortgage, your credit score will play a critical role in determining your eligibility. In its most basic terms, a credit score estimates how likely you are to pay back the money. A three-digit number, typically between 300 and 850,… Read More
Best of Ogle County 2021 Results The Results Are In! 🗳️ The Ogle County Life and Rochelle News-Leader have officially announced their 2021 Best of Ogle County Reader’s Choice winners and for the 2nd year in a row, we are honored to be voted: ✔️ Best Local Bank ✔️ Best Lender ✔️ Best… Read More