It’s that time of year. Everywhere you go, charitable organizations will be seeking donations to help those in need. Those solicitations work. Last year, Americans gave just over $500 billion to charity, according to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. And nearly 20% of those donations ($100 billion) were given in December, says USA Today. While a majority of charities … Continue reading
We love the joy and magic of holidays, but it can be a challenging time for families in need who have to prioritize essentials. That’s why we’ve partnered with local organizations in Butte, Great Falls, Missoula, and Stevensville to raise funds to support holiday-giving programs working to ensure children and families in need. Donations gathered support: Mining City Christmas in … Continue reading
Criminals love the holiday season. The distracting lights, shoppers, sales, and package deliveries are the perfect distraction for fraudsters to deck the halls with your hard-earned money. A whopping 75% of Americans experienced some form of con last year, according to the AARP. To help you from becoming a holiday-season statistic, let’s check our list of holiday scams you should … Continue reading
Together, we can fight food insecurity in our community during the 24th Annual Can the Cats Canned Food Drive. Can the Cats is a friendly, off-field, food drive competition between the University of Montana and Montana State University to see who can raise the most food and funds for their local food banks over the two weeks leading up to the … Continue reading
Criminals are always looking for ways to make a quick buck. In 2022, countless hard-working Americans were swindled out of nearly $4 billion by financial advisor scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, FBI Criminal Investigative Division, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), this crime can happen to anyone. We’ve explored four of these advisor-related scams and ways you … Continue reading
Tell Us About Your BFF (Best Financial Friend) Clearwater is committed to delivering the necessary tools to protect your financial future. That’s why we’d like to introduce you to a new service called Trusted Contact. A Trusted Contact gives you an added layer of protection by providing us with someone we can contact if we cannot reach you and are concerned … Continue reading
Big energy bills can catch anyone off guard. It’s no wonder families throughout Montana are interested in energy efficiency upgrades and ways to save money on their bills. However, criminals are always lurking in the shadows. With colder months on the horizon, let’s look at some of the most common energy efficiency scams and how to avoid them. Energy Saving … Continue reading
There are plenty of good reasons to improve your home’s energy efficiency, including a boost to your monthly budget. With a few tips and some advice from the Department of Energy, these six upgrades could save you money and add comfort to your home as winter inches closer. Give your old water heater a break: According to the Department of … Continue reading
It’s probably no surprise that kids love smartphones. Who doesn’t? But while 85% of American adults own a smartphone, a full 95% of our kids have one, according to a survey by Pew Research Center. While those kids might be good at posting TikToks, they’re also susceptible to online scams aimed at their innocence. You can help them avoid those … Continue reading
According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams are the most reported type of scam in the United States. An imposter scam is when someone contacts you by phone, email, or text and impersonates someone of authority to convince you to send them money or gift cards or to share personal information so they can commit identity theft. IMPORTANT REMINDER … Continue reading
