The American Red Cross will be holding a Blood Drive from 9a.m. until 3:00p.m. on Friday, September 3.  It will be held at the First Savings Administration Building, 219 S. Ninth Street, Perkasie, PA.  For your convenience appointments can be made by signing up online at https://www.membersforlife.org/pennj/schedule/login.php?sponsorcode=13424 or by contacting Kim Weichel at 215-453-2317 or kweichel@firstsavingsonline.com.  Please take time out of your day to donate blood and give the gift of life.  Someone is counting on you right now! What a great way to start your Labor Day Weekend!!

At the heart of the expansion is a state-of-the-art Healthcare Center which will house the skilled nursing care and memory support personal care services.

Fred Schea presents a check to Terry Kolaz

“We’re pleased that First Savings Community Foundation is able to continue to support organizations such as the Lutheran Community and the good work they do for members of our communities,” said Fred Schea, President and CEO of First Savings. “During 2009, our Community Foundation donated over $170,000 to more than 65 not-for-profit organizations and charities.”

Deciding on a new wireless provider and cell phone can be easy, but not if wireless service providers have anything to say about it. All wireless companies are competing for the right to send you a monthly bill. They offer a multitude of calling plans, free phones, and other incentives to get your business. The good news is that you can find the perfect plan for you, if you apply a Who, Where, What, and When strategy.

Who asks which wireless provider has the strongest signal in your area? It is the most important consideration for most consumers. All wireless providers are not created equal in all areas. Talk to friends, family and co-workers to find out which provider has the best reception in your area. Everyone’s bottom line is a strong cell phone signal.

To figure out Who you also need to figure out Where. Will you use your phone mostly at home, the office, or in your car with a hands-free set? Will you be traveling overseas to Europe or Asia? Do you live in a large city surrounded by tall buildings? Do you use your cell phone mostly indoors or outdoors in the open country air?

Where is important because there are two different wireless networks operating in the US. The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network is very strong in the US, particularly in rural areas. The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM ) network has more global coverage. Both of these networks are used by wireless service providers. But they are used exclusively, so when a wireless provider offers the GSM network, it does not offer the CDMA network.

You’ve chosen a wireless service provider. Now it’s time to choose a plan. What will you mostly use your phone for? Will you be calling more than texting? How about checking emails or browsing the internet?

When you make calls is also important in choosing a plan. How many minutes a month will you use in peak times, those daytime hours where minutes count against your monthly total? Off-peak minutes are in the evening and on weekends, and normally do not count against your monthly minutes. Know when off-peak hours start and stop. Find out if your plan carries over un-used minutes from one month to the next. Also ask about plans that offer free minutes any time of day to friends you call frequently, or to friends that use the same wireless provider.

The final step is choosing a phone. All wireless service providers have many models. When you select a phone, focus on comfort and ease of use. Does the phone fit in your hand when talking and typing? Access the menu screen. Does it feel intuitive? Can you read the screen without straining your eyes?

There are many websites that offer impersonal advice on buying cell phones. It’s easier to figure out in advance how you will use your new phone and then ask friends and co-workers about their experiences. Most phones come with a contract and penalty for premature service cancellation. To avoid this penalty do your research and get the best phone the first time around.

This information is provided with the understanding that the association is not engaged in rendering specific legal, accounting, or other professional services. If specific expert assistance is required, the services of a competent, professional person should be sought. Provided as a public service by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers.

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To learn more and take a virtual tour of FinanceWorks, visit our website, www.FirstSavingsOnline.com.  Remember, FinanceWorks is FREE with our personal online banking!!

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and First Savings want consumers to be aware of new rules that will go into effect this summer governing overdraft coverage and fees.  These rules prohibit financial institutions from charging overdraft fees on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases unless the consumer has opted into the overdraft coverage service. The new rules take effect July 1 for new accounts and Aug. 15 for existing accounts.

“Sometimes consumers need the convenience and protection that overdraft coverage offers.  Under these new rules, if community bank customers wish to continue to receive this service, all they have to do is let their bank know they want to keep on receiving overdraft coverage and are willing to pay the relevant fee,” said Jim MacPhee, ICBA chairman.

Under the new rules, consumers must be given an explanation of their bank’s overdraft payment services, including any relevant fees.  Customers will only receive overdraft coverage on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases if they actively choose to opt in, and they are free to change their minds and opt out even after signing up for the service. Community banks still maintain the ability to pay or return items that create the need for an overdraft of the customer’s account and charge a fee for the returned item. 

It is also important for consumers to know that no community bank will discriminate against those customers who choose not to opt in for overdraft services.

Still, the best protection against unnecessary fees is to manage your account wisely.  ICBA and First Savings offer these tips to help consumers avoid overdraft situations:

• Keep an eye on your account balance prior to withdrawing cash or using your debit card. Prevention is your best medicine.
  • Review your transactions on an ongoing basis.
  • Use services, such as online banking, that we provide to help you keep up-to-date with your balance.
  • Remember to record and deduct checks, automatic recurring payments and debit card transactions and to add any deposits that have not yet been posted to your account.
  • Do not use your debit card as you would use a credit card. Your debit card is like an electronic check and the funds are automatically deducted from your account.

• Ask us about all of our overdraft services. First Savings offers other types of overdraft services, such as overdraft lines of credit and transfers or sweeps from a savings account or another checking account.
  • Overdraft lines of credit charge interest but provide a safety net. They may also have transaction and/or annual fees. If needed, disbursements can be repaid over a period of time.
  • Transfer or sweep arrangements from another account, such as a savings account, allow customers to cover overdrafts using their own funds for a small transaction fee.
  • We may also pay an overdrafted check or preauthorized debit to avoid consumers having the inconvenience of returned transactions, which include embarrassment, fees and hassles from merchants. While there is a fee for this service, it is also the same fee as if the item was not paid and the check is returned.
  • Talk to us about the best choice(s) for you.

“Community bankers are committed to providing our customers with the information they need to make well-informed decisions about managing their finances,” said Todd Hurley, First Savings Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. If you have any questions or if you can’t decide whether to opt in, the best person to talk to is your community banker, we’ll explain the new rules and how they will benefit you.”  

For more information about ICBA, visit www.icba.org. 

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America, the nation’s voice for community banks, represents nearly 5,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types throughout the United States and is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and the communities and customers we serve. For more information, visit www.icba.org.

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First Savings and the other nearly 8,000 members of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) continue to help millions of Americans in communities throughout the country to refinance their mortgages through the personal attention that local community banks provide.

“With recent interest rates at near record lows, for some homeowners right now is the right time to refinance their mortgage, and borrowers can count on their community bank to work hard to find the best mortgage loan for their particular circumstances,” said Jim MacPhee, ICBA chairman.

Refinancing a mortgage is similar to getting a new mortgage.  Community bank lenders such as those at First Savings will usually require an application, credit history, property appraisal, a debt-to-equity ratio that falls within a certain range, as well as other data.  And there are a number of considerations homeowners should take into account when refinancing, including the length of time you plan to stay in the home, how fluctuations in home prices may affect your equity and whether the money you save by lowering rates offsets your closing costs.

ICBA and First Savings offer the following suggestions to homeowners who want to refinance their mortgage.

1. Gather and organize paperwork, such as pay stubs, W-2 forms, tax returns and bank and investment statements.
2. Check your credit report and bring it to your community banker. Credit reporting agencies must give you one free report annually. Access your credit at www.ftc.gov/freereports.
3. Explore whether there are special refinancing programs available that fit your circumstances.
4. Ask your loan officer to carefully explain the refinance options available, including any rate adjustments, other loan features and fees so you aren’t surprised by initial or future payment increases.

If you are considering refinancing your mortgage or if you’re not quite sure if refinancing is the right thing to do, stop by any of our branch offices and we’ll be happy to speak with you and help determine what is best for you and your family.  During 2009 First Savings made over $211,000,000  in loans to more than 1,000 of your friends, neighbors and local businesses and we’re still making loans today!  You can reach us at 215-257-5035 or visit us online at www.FirstSavingsOnline.com.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America, the nation’s voice for community banks, represents nearly 5,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types throughout the United States and is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and the communities and customers we serve. For more information, visit www.icba.org.

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The measurement or fraction of one-half gets talked about in many different ways.  A glass ½ full or empty of course brings images of a person who is either an optimist or a pessimist.  Certainly growing up getting ½ the questions right on a test would produce a grade of 50%, or an F, which is not something any student should strive for or be proud of.

Within the investment world a ½ decision can be a very costly mistake.  When one purchases an investment (whether it be a stock, bond, mutual fund, or any other type of security or commodity), they MUST keep in mind that they have only fulfilled ½ of their responsibility.  The other half of their responsibility is the SELL decision.  In a lot of cases this Sell decision can actually be more important than their initial buy decision.

After purchasing an investment (lets say 100 shares of an individual stock), the investor must decide at what price is that stock fully valued (monitoring the fundamentals and earnings, etc. of the company will not be discussed at this time, although this definitely needs to be factored into the equation to have the most updated picture and price target).  The investor must decide at what price(s) they will either sell their full investment or a piece of their investment.

In an example, to watch a stock earn 100% and subsequently lose 60% means a 20% loss from their initial investment (assuming no sales along the way).  On the other hand a person who sells ½ their position after making 100% can then look at the 60% drop as an opportunity to possibly more than double their shares (assuming they still like the fundamentals of the stock).  Even if the stock never corrects by that 60%, the sell decision still means that the investor is ‘playing with house money’ and has nothing to lose (so to say).  Think of all the people who invested in Enron or Lehman Brothers (to name just two) and never sold any shares as they went up and up!

By no means are we advocating short-term trading and getting in and out of positions quickly (remember this is market timing and studies show you must be correct over 80% of the time to break even).  However, we are advocating monitoring your price target for your investment (adjust as necessary), and sell all or a part of the investment over time.  This will be a form of rebalancing (sell high) that will allow you to purchase another investment (buy low).

Keep in mind any investment purchased or sold should also be looked at in view of each investor’s asset allocation strategy and their personal risk tolerance.

Securities and products offered through First Savings Securities, Inc.  Member FINRA / SIPC

NOT FDIC INSURED – MAY LOSE VALUE – NO BANK GUARANTEE – NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations.  To determine which investment(s) are right for you, consult your financial advisor before investing.

For the fifteenth consecutive year, customers of First Savings are invited to have a hot dog and soda on Friday, June 18 in celebration of the bank’s  anniversary.  “This is just a small token of appreciation to our customers,” said Fred Schea, president and chief executive officer of the bank.  “We’re very fortunate to have such a large base of loyal customers in the communities that we serve, and this is an opportunity to thank them for the trust and confidence that they have shown us.”

The free hotdogs and beverages will be available at all nine bank branch locations of First Savings and will be prepared and served by bank officers and staff members from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.  “Our annual Hot Dog Day is just one way our staff comes together with management to interact and thank all of our customers.”  Founded on June 22, 1922, this year marks the financial institution’s 88th anniversary.

   http://www.paymentssource.com/news/consumers-embracing-online-banking-bill-pay-3001932-1.html

Fred Schea, President and CEO of First Savings representing the Foundation and Walking Team Captain Diana Schaffer, right, present a check to Melissa Hersch, Development Coordinator for the National MS Society’s Greater Delaware Valley Chapter.

The First Savings' "Walking Warriors" braved the elements!

Employees of First Savings Bank recently participated in the annual “Walk MS” event in Sellersville.  More than 22 participants represented First Savings as “The Walking Warriors” in the 5.6 mile jaunt along the Lenape Park walking path in Perkasie and Sellersville, raising $2,706 in pledges and donations to help create a world free of multiple sclerosis.  As part of the First Savings employee matching funds program, First Savings Community Foundation also contributed $1000 to the cause, bringing the total amount donated to $3706!