‘Financial Help’ Archives
September is National Preparedness Month
Are your finances ready for an emergency? By AMANDA THEISEN, Sunrise Banks A financial emergency can strike anywhere, any time. Your car or a home appliance breaks down. A fire or natural disaster damages your home. You or someone you love suffers a medical emergency or life altering diagnosis. The list goes on and on.During National Preparedness Month in September, organizations encourage us to look at our finances and see how we can better shore them up in case the unthinkable were to happen. Yet, countless surveys show most Americans are not prepared to handle unexpected finances.According to Bankrate’s latest Annual Emergency Savings Report, 27% of U.S. adults have no emergency savings. More than half say they aren’t comfortable with the amount of money they do have in emergency savings. And more than 1 in 3 Americans have more credit card debt than emergency savings.The prospect of what to do next may feel overwhelming should you find yourself in a financial emergency. [...]
Net Zero Banking
Positively Impact Climate Change With Your Bank Account By AMANDA THEISEN, Sunrise Banks The warnings about the effects of climate change have become more frequent – and more dire – over the past several years. We’ve seen those impacts play out across the globe, such as more frequent wildfires, flooding, extreme heat, melting glaciers, and shrinking coastlines. You’ve likely heard more extreme predictions if countries don’t take drastic measures to lower their carbon emissions.Achieving global net zero emissions by the year 2050, as outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement, may seem out of reach to some. Despite that, many people and companies in Minnesota are making necessary changes to lower their own carbon footprint. Using other forms of transportation other than cars, installing solar panels, buying energy efficient appliances and reducing plastic waste are just some of the actions you and your neighbors may have already taken. THE ROLE BANKS PLAY A growing [...]
How Your Dollars Can Help Communities Thrive
By AMANDA THEISEN, Sunrise Banks The ecosystem of a community is made up of many components. You’ve got the people – your neighbors, business owners, visitors, and leaders – who advocate for your area. There are the places – homes, businesses, schools, parks, places of worship, to name a few. Add in other things, such as public transit, safe streets, and essential services, and you will have a community that has the potential to thrive and bring people together.But what happens when that community is not maintained? Essential services may stop. People stop visiting the area. Residents and businesses may choose to leave. Buildings may fall into disrepair. That sense of pride that once brought people together is lost.It takes work, creativity and innovation to help revitalize areas that don’t always have easy access to money or other resources. The best way to support communities is to put the power of impact into the community’s hands, allowing them to have a say in how [...]
